PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - Petty Officer 3rd Class Jose JimenezRamos, a native of Boston, Massachusetts, serves aboard USS Essex, a U.S. Navy warship 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 1st Class Patricia Elkins |
JimenezRamos graduated from Lynn Classical High School in 2020 and joined the Navy three years ago.
“I joined the Navy to travel the world and create my own legacy by becoming the first member of my family to serve,” JimenezRamos said. "I wanted to challenge myself, experience new cultures, and build a future dedicated to service."
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Boston.
“Growing up between Boston and the Dominican Republic gave me a unique perspective on life,” JimenezRamos said. "Boston instilled a strong sense of pride, history, and resilience, while my years in the Dominican Republic taught me the importance of community, kindness, and maintaining a positive attitude. The Dominican people are welcoming and cheerful, and those values continue to influence how I approach both my personal life and my Navy career."
Today, JimenezRamos serves as a gunner's mate.
As the world’s largest international maritime exercise, 31 nations, approximately 40 surface ships, five submarines, 14 national land forces, over 140 aircraft and more than 25,000 personnel will participate in RIMPAC 2026. 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 2026 marks the 30th exercise in a series that began in 1971.
The theme of RIMPAC 2026 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.
It is fitting that the world’s premier maritime exercise occurs as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary. For 250 years, the United States has built relationships with international partners based on trust, cooperation, and shared values. RIMPAC is where that trust is put into practice, strengthening the people-to-people relationships that are the bedrock of all the nations’ collective security.
JimenezRamos plays an important role in the exercise.
“RIMPAC has been one of the highlights of my Navy career. Meeting service members from so many different countries, greeting them, and learning about their cultures has shown me just how connected the world can be,” JimenezRamos said. "As a gunner's mate, I maintain and operate the ship's weapons systems to ensure they remain safe, reliable, and mission-ready throughout RIMPAC. My role helps support the ship's ability to train and operate alongside our allied and partner nations."
JimenezRamos 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 everything to me,” JimenezRamos said. "It has taught me that I am part of something much greater than myself and that every Sailor contributes to a larger mission. I take great pride in serving my country while honoring my family through my commitment, dedication, and hard work."
JimenezRamos is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my amazing mother, Joanny, for her unwavering love, sacrifices, and dedication throughout my life. Without her guidance, I would not be the person I am today,” added JimenezRamos. "She taught me the value of hard work and the importance of treating everyone with kindness and respect. I would also like to thank my grandmother, Maria Altagracia, for her unconditional love, encouragement, and constant support. My goals are to continue advancing in the Navy, earn my next promotion, and one day purchase a home.”
Hosted by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, RIMPAC 2026 will be led by Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, Rear Adm. Richard Meyer., who will serve as Combined Task Force (CTF) commander. Chile will fill the role of deputy commander of the CTF, and Japan will fill the role of vice commander. The Republic of Korea will command the maritime component, and Canada 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 2026 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/