PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - Ensign Henry Jorge, a native of Brooklyn, New York, serves aboard USS Paul Hamilton, 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, Navy Office of Community Outreach |
Jorge graduated from Edward R. Murrow High School in 2011 and joined the Navy 11 years ago.
“I joined the Navy for a better life and job,” Jorge said. "I wanted more opportunities."
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Brooklyn.
“I learned growing up in New York how to interact with people from all different walks of life,” Jorge said. “Being in a big city, you constantly meet various types of people. That upbringing really helps me work with sailors from different backgrounds here in the Navy.”
Today, Jorge serves as a limited duty officer.
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.
Jorge plays an important role in the exercise.
“This is my second RIMPAC,” Jorge said. "I did my first 10 years ago. I enjoy getting to meet sailors from all over the world and learn how to work with them, especially during the at-sea phase."
Jorge 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 having a job that brings better opportunities to my children,” Jorge said. “I have three kids, and this job helps me provide a better life for them. It is also a career that my children are proud of because they see me doing amazing things around the world.”
Jorge is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my wife, Kayla, for supporting me and for making sacrifices to her career so I could excel in the Navy,” Jorge added. "She takes care of the kids and the house while I’m gone. I appreciate her for that. Second, I want to thank our three kids, Jayde, Hazel and Benny, for being amazing children and for being so strong and patient with me while I'm gone."
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/