PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - Airman Hector Martinez, a native of Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, serves aboard USS Carl Vinson, a U.S. Navy warship operating out of San Diego, California, 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 3rd Class Marissa Johnson |
Martinez graduated from Escuela Superior Ileana de Garcia in 2021.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Vega Alta.
“I learned early on that you can never give up and there is nothing wrong with asking for help,” said Martinez. "I know to take the advice of those who know better and are trying to help me. That is exactly what the Navy is about. We help each other."
Martinez joined the Navy six months ago. Today, Martinez serves as an aviation ordnanceman.
“I joined the Navy after I saw how strong it was,” said Martinez. "I knew immediately I wanted to be a part of it."
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.
Martinez plays an important role in the exercise.
“My job during RIMPAC is to provide weapons support,” said Martinez. “It is amazing to see all of these countries coming together to make this show of force.”
Martinez serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation's prosperity and security.
“Serving means I am keeping my family safe and I'm making myself a better person,” said Martinez.
Martinez is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my parents, Hector and Jessica, for all of their support,” added Martinez. "They always tell me no matter how far away I am, they are with me and proud of what I'm doing."
“My long-term goal is to become a master chief petty officer,” said Martinez."I have known several people who have made a career out of the Navy, but they have decided to become officers. I want to be the first person from my hometown to be a master chief."
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/