By Megan Lemly, Navy Office of Community Outreach
Pearl Harbor, HI–Petty Officer 3rd Class Sheila Ann Barrozo, a San Diego resident, 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.
Barrozo graduated from Otay Ranch High School in Chula Vista in 2009 and joined the Navy three years ago.
“Growing up in my hometown in Guam, there weren’t many opportunities for me,” Barrozo said. “So, I moved to San Diego and joined the Navy to have a stable life and go back to school. My great-grandpa also joined the Navy many years ago, and I wanted to make him proud. I am the first female in my family to join the Navy.”
Today, Barrozo serves as an aviation ordnanceman.
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.
Barrozo plays an important role in the exercise.
“RIMPAC has been a great opportunity to see ships from different countries and to learn new things from them,” Barrozo said.
Barrozo 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 helps me not to take anything for granted,” Barrozo said.
Barrozo is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my parents, Analisa and Alision, for their love and support,” Barrozo added. “I especially want to thank my husband, Cris, as well, for his love and support from the beginning. I wouldn’t be here if he didn’t have my back.”
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.
