PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - Petty Officer 3rd Class Zachary Woten, a native of Princeton, Texas, serves aboard USS Gridley, a U.S. Navy warship operating out of Everett, Washington, and participating in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in and around the Hawaiian Islands.
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| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Isaiah Williams |
Woten graduated from Dripping Springs High School in 2021.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Princeton.
“My hometown taught me how to work with others to accomplish goals,” said Woten. "Being a leader requires sacrifice, as demonstrated in activities I did like marching band, achieving all-state recognition."
Woten joined the Navy two years ago. Today, Woten serves as a logistics specialist.
“I joined the Navy to serve my country, make a name for myself, and challenge myself to see how much I could accomplish and how far I could go in my career,” said Woten. "It's a tradition in my family to join the military. My uncle served in the Army, my great-grandfather was an Air Force officer in Vietnam and my other great-grandfather was enlisted in the Navy."
As the world’s largest international maritime exercise, approximately 29 nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, over 150 aircraft and more than 25,000 personnel will participate in RIMPAC 2024. This exercise provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring safety at sea and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2024 marks the 29th exercise in a series that began in 1971.
The theme of RIMPAC 2024 is “Partners: Integrated and Prepared.” The participating nations and forces exercise a wide range of capabilities and demonstrate the inherent flexibility of maritime forces. These capabilities range from disaster relief and maritime security operations to sea control and complex warfighting. The relevant, realistic training program includes, gunnery, missile, anti-submarine and air defense exercises, as well as amphibious, counter-piracy, mine clearance operations, explosive ordnance disposal and diving and salvage operations.
Woten plays an important role in the exercise.
“My impression of RIMPAC is that it's a fun experience meeting and exchanging experiences with other countries and ships,” said Woten. "My role during RIMPAC involves identifying the material requirements for the ship, coordinating on the Viper Team for picture and evidence gathering across various scenarios."
Woten serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation's prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy means a great deal to me. It gives me a sense of purpose and provides opportunities to help others and continuously learn,” said Woten. It also helps me provide for my family, especially with a child on the way due on August, 9th.
Woten is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my grandparents who raised me. I would like to thank my grandfather, Shawn, for being supportive and raising me,” added Woten. "I would also like to thank my wife, Morgan, for her unwavering support and constant presence in my life. Additionally, I would like to thank all service members for the sacrifices they make, our sacrifices are vast and often all-encompassing "
Hosted by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, RIMPAC 2024 will be led by Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, Vice Adm. John Wade, who will serve as Combined Task Force (CTF) commander. For the first time in RIMPAC history, a member of the Chilean Navy, Commodore Alberto Guerrero, will serve as deputy commander of the CTF. Rear Adm. Kazushi Yokota of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will serve as vice commander. Other key leaders of the multinational force will include Commodore Kristjan Monaghan of Canada, who will command the maritime component, and Air Commodore Louise Desjardins of Australia, who will command the air component.
During RIMPAC, a network of capable, adaptive partners train and operate together in order to strengthen their collective forces and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. RIMPAC 2024 contributes to the increased interoperability, resiliency and agility needed by the Joint and Combined Force to deter and defeat aggression by major powers across all domains and levels of conflict.More information about RIMPAC is available here: https://www.cpf.navy.mil/RIMPAC/
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Princeton.
“My hometown taught me how to work with others to accomplish goals,” said Woten. "Being a leader requires sacrifice, as demonstrated in activities I did like marching band, achieving all-state recognition."
Woten joined the Navy two years ago. Today, Woten serves as a logistics specialist.
“I joined the Navy to serve my country, make a name for myself, and challenge myself to see how much I could accomplish and how far I could go in my career,” said Woten. "It's a tradition in my family to join the military. My uncle served in the Army, my great-grandfather was an Air Force officer in Vietnam and my other great-grandfather was enlisted in the Navy."
As the world’s largest international maritime exercise, approximately 29 nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, over 150 aircraft and more than 25,000 personnel will participate in RIMPAC 2024. This exercise provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring safety at sea and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2024 marks the 29th exercise in a series that began in 1971.
The theme of RIMPAC 2024 is “Partners: Integrated and Prepared.” The participating nations and forces exercise a wide range of capabilities and demonstrate the inherent flexibility of maritime forces. These capabilities range from disaster relief and maritime security operations to sea control and complex warfighting. The relevant, realistic training program includes, gunnery, missile, anti-submarine and air defense exercises, as well as amphibious, counter-piracy, mine clearance operations, explosive ordnance disposal and diving and salvage operations.
Woten plays an important role in the exercise.
“My impression of RIMPAC is that it's a fun experience meeting and exchanging experiences with other countries and ships,” said Woten. "My role during RIMPAC involves identifying the material requirements for the ship, coordinating on the Viper Team for picture and evidence gathering across various scenarios."
Woten serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation's prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Navy means a great deal to me. It gives me a sense of purpose and provides opportunities to help others and continuously learn,” said Woten. It also helps me provide for my family, especially with a child on the way due on August, 9th.
Woten is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my grandparents who raised me. I would like to thank my grandfather, Shawn, for being supportive and raising me,” added Woten. "I would also like to thank my wife, Morgan, for her unwavering support and constant presence in my life. Additionally, I would like to thank all service members for the sacrifices they make, our sacrifices are vast and often all-encompassing "
Hosted by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, RIMPAC 2024 will be led by Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, Vice Adm. John Wade, who will serve as Combined Task Force (CTF) commander. For the first time in RIMPAC history, a member of the Chilean Navy, Commodore Alberto Guerrero, will serve as deputy commander of the CTF. Rear Adm. Kazushi Yokota of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will serve as vice commander. Other key leaders of the multinational force will include Commodore Kristjan Monaghan of Canada, who will command the maritime component, and Air Commodore Louise Desjardins of Australia, who will command the air component.
During RIMPAC, a network of capable, adaptive partners train and operate together in order to strengthen their collective forces and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. RIMPAC 2024 contributes to the increased interoperability, resiliency and agility needed by the Joint and Combined Force to deter and defeat aggression by major powers across all domains and levels of conflict.More information about RIMPAC is available here: https://www.cpf.navy.mil/RIMPAC/