Bloomfield Native Participates in World’s Largest International Maritime Warfare Exercise

http://navyoutreach.blogspot.com/2018/07/bloomfield-native-participates-in.html

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Electa Berassa, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Senior Chief Gary Ward

PEARL HARBOR – A 2009 Bloomfield High School graduate and Bloomfield, New Jersey native is serving in the U.S. Navy as part of the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).

Petty Officer 1st Class Juan D. Alvarez is a gas turbine systems technician (electrician) aboard USS Lake Champlain, currently operating out of San Diego, California.

A Navy gas turbine systems technician (electrician) is responsible for repair and upkeep of the electrical systems of the gas engines and auxilliary equipment on the ship.

Alvarez applies the lessons he learned from Bloomfield to his work in the Navy.

“My dad told me that it doesn’t matter what you’ve been tasked to do, give 100% and be the best at what you’ve been assigned to do,” said Alvarez. “If you find a way to make something better go out of your way to do it.”

As the world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC 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 2018 is the 26th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

The theme of RIMPAC 2018 is Capable, Adaptive, Partners. 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.

“I hope to meet engineers from other ships and see how they run their engine rooms while at RIMPAC,” said Alvarez.

This is the first time Israel, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are participating in RIMPAC. Additional firsts include New Zealand serving as sea combat commander and Chile serving as combined force maritime component commander. This is the first time a non-founding RIMPAC nation (Chile) will hold a component commander leadership position.
“I have been able to earn the trust and respect of all my superiors,” said Alvarez. “They trust me to lead my junior sailors, so that is a big thing for me.”

Twenty-six nations, 46 surface ships, five submarines, and more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel will participate in the biennial Rim of the Pacific Exercise. This year’s exercise includes forces from Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam.

As a member of the U.S. Navy, Alvarez and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.

“Serving has helped me understand that it is really easy to see the small picture if you only see what you have to do,” said Alvarez. “I’ve learned that I’m a part of something bigger and can do my part to improve our national defense system.”

Additional information about RIMPAC is available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil