PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - Airman Jacobo Torres, a native of Woodbridge, Virginia, 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.
Torres graduated from Colonial Forge High School in 2022.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Woodbridge.
“I was taught a huge lesson when I was growing up about how you have to be respectful to everyone, even if they are very different from you,” said Torres. "Just giving a smile and a wave and a friendly greeting can make a huge difference in someone's life. This has served me well in the Navy."
Torres joined the Navy two years ago. Today, Torres serves as an aviation support equipment technician.
“I can't say I joined the Navy for any real noble reason other than I wanted to be the first in my family to serve in the military,” said Torres.
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.
Torres plays an important role in the exercise.
“RIMPAC has been a unique experience in the sense that I have never been in this kind of proximity to so many people from so many other countries,” said Torres.
Torres 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 giving my mom a reason to be proud of her son and to be able to elevate and broaden my experiences,” said Torres.
Torres is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my mom, Jazmin, for motivating me to move essentially,” said Torres. "When there are times I want to give up, she motivates me to excel in everything I do."
“When I leave the Navy I want to start my own autobody shop and the job I do in the Navy is teaching me so many things that will be useful to accomplishing my goal,” added Torres.
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 Woodbridge.
“I was taught a huge lesson when I was growing up about how you have to be respectful to everyone, even if they are very different from you,” said Torres. "Just giving a smile and a wave and a friendly greeting can make a huge difference in someone's life. This has served me well in the Navy."
Torres joined the Navy two years ago. Today, Torres serves as an aviation support equipment technician.
“I can't say I joined the Navy for any real noble reason other than I wanted to be the first in my family to serve in the military,” said Torres.
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.
Torres plays an important role in the exercise.
“RIMPAC has been a unique experience in the sense that I have never been in this kind of proximity to so many people from so many other countries,” said Torres.
Torres 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 giving my mom a reason to be proud of her son and to be able to elevate and broaden my experiences,” said Torres.
Torres is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my mom, Jazmin, for motivating me to move essentially,” said Torres. "When there are times I want to give up, she motivates me to excel in everything I do."
“When I leave the Navy I want to start my own autobody shop and the job I do in the Navy is teaching me so many things that will be useful to accomplishing my goal,” added Torres.
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/