PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii – Petty Officer 1st Class John Fritz, a native of Salem, serves aboard USS William P. Lawrence, a U.S. Navy warship operating out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and participating in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in and around the Hawaiian Islands.
Fritz graduated from Salem High School in 2014.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Salem.
“My hometown instilled a work ethic in me,” said Fritz.
Fritz joined the Navy five years ago. Today, Fritz serves as a damage controlman.
“I joined the Navy because college wasn’t for me,” said Fritz. “My grandfather did it, so I figured I should give it a shot, too.”
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.
Fritz plays an important role in the exercise.
“During RIMPAC, I have continued to serve as the leading petty officer of the repair division,” said Fritz. “Additionally, I am participating in a morale-building soccer event. RIMPAC is beneficial as it facilitates collaboration among allied countries, fostering a shared mission between us and other countries. It offers valuable perspectives on how we can improve our operational practices.”
Fritz 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 provides both a job and a consistent paycheck, being in the Navy lets me travel and see the world too,” said Fritz. “I’ve been to Australia, Japan, the Philippines, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Alaska and more.”
Fritz is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I would like to thank my mom, who has supported me throughout my entire life,” added Fritz. “I would also like to thank my wife, who always keeps things running smoothly back home.”
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.
-Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jerome Fjeld, Navy Office of Community Outreach
