PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii –
Defense Logistics Agency Energy Pacific reservists recently conducted annual training while providing critical support to this year’s Rim of the Pacific exercise, June 30 – Aug. 4.
Army Master Sgt. John Vanderstigchel, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Christian Wickware, Army Sgt. 1st Class Johnny Pascua and Navy Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Reshawn Beechum supported fueling operations at Defense Fuels Support Point, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii during RIMPAC 2016. The team was led by Army Col. Victoria McKernan, DLA Joint Reserve Force.
RIMPAC 2016 was the 25th iteration of the exercise since its inception in 1971 as a trilateral exercise between Australia, Canada and the United States.
DLA Energy Pacific personnel provided more than 15 million gallons of fuel safely and on time to ships, aircraft and support assets during the exercise, according to DLA Energy Pacific Operations Officer and Unit Reserve Coordinator, Army Maj. Matthew Kennedy.
Additional support included pump house maintenance, gauging tanks, truck stands, laboratory operations and fuel sampling.
“[RIMPAC] is increasingly joint, increasingly operational-level training,” Kennedy emphasized.
The biennial RIMPAC exercise was held in and around the Hawaiian Islands and southern California and involved 45 ships, five submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel from 27 nations, according to a Commander, U.S. Third Fleet news release. As the world's largest international maritime-e exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans.
U.S. Third Fleet and RIMPAC Combined Task Force Commander Vice Adm. Nora Tyson and her logistics staff thanked DLA Energy Pacific Commander, Navy Capt. Timothy Daniels and his team July 31 “for providing outstanding fuel support.” DLA Energy Pacific Supply Planning Branch Chief Lee Edwards, Quality Assurance Representative Daniel Muranaka and Fuel Operations Program Manager William Nejdl were personally recognized by Third Fleet Logistics staff and given U.S. Third Fleet commander’s coins for exceptional mission support.