PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - Petty Officer 2nd Class Derek Cole, a native of Waynesville, Missouri, 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.
Cole graduated from Waynesville High School in 2016.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Waynesville.
“My hometown taught me the importance of community,” said Cole. "Coming from a small town, I've seen how a close-knit community can achieve greatness with unity and shared purpose."
Cole joined the Navy four years ago. Today, Cole serves as a mass communication specialist.
“I joined the Navy to push myself out of my comfort zone,” said Cole. "I also wanted to pursue my lifelong dream of joining the military."
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.
Cole plays an important role in the exercise.
“My role during RIMPAC is to provide public affairs support to the carrier by writing stories, capturing photos and videos, and conducting tours,” said Cole. "Seeing all our partners participate together on such a large scale is a testament to the strength of our Navy."
Cole 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 gives me the honor of protecting my country,” said Cole. "It also allows me to provide for my family while fulfilling my dream job."
Cole is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my dad, Darrell Cole,” added Cole. "He has teached me all the life lessons I've needed to become a successful man."
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/