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More than 40 Midshipmen came aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as the ship got underway for the at-sea phase of Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024.
The biannual exercise gave the Midshipmen a unique opportunity to meet a graduation prerequisite. Every midshipman is required to participate in the Midshipmen Summer Training Program, which familiarizes them with operational naval forces and helps them further their professional development.
“This training serves as a vital link between what they learn within their respective academic year training programs and the actual fleet, in which they will one day serve as commissioned officers in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps,” said Lt. Cameron Kiekintveld, Carl Vinson’s assistant operations officer. “While receiving instruction in class is a great method to build a requisite foundation of knowledge, hands-on fleet experience simply cannot be replicated in a classroom.”
Kiekintveld, who was once a Midshipman, remembers his summer cruise experiences and believes they have been vital to his career as a naval officer. He believes these experiences will also be beneficial for the Midshipmen aboard Carl Vinson during RIMPAC.
“During my time as a Midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy, I spent each summer participating in various training events along the east coast of the United States,” said Kiekintveld. “The opportunity to experience operations at sea on a naval vessel provides an education that is unmatched and brings to life the professional knowledge obtained during the normal course of study in the academic year.”
During their integration aboard ‘America’s Favorite Carrier,’ each Midshipman was assigned a guide, a naval officer, to help facilitate their experience and mentor them as they journey toward becoming naval officers. The guide’s role was crucial in providing insights, answering questions, and offering guidance on the path to leadership.
“The Midshipmen have been assigned to junior officer running mates that work in departments across the ship,” said Kienkintveld. “Departments with Midshipmen include: Air, Deck, Engineering, Operations, Reactor and Supply. Embedding Midshipmen within operational units allows Sailors currently serving to assist in educating and molding future officers with real life experience and knowledge that will be carried forward with them upon joining the fleet after graduation.”
Midshipmen, though students in college, are delineated by ranks, akin to Sailors and officers in the fleet. The title of a Midshipman in the first year of training, commonly known as a freshman year, is a Midshipman fourth class, followed in each subsequent year: Midshipman third class, second class, and first class. Each classification presents its unique opportunities.
“This year we got the choice to either do a [nuclear surface warfare officer] cruise, a submarine cruise or a surface ship cruise,” said Midshipman 2nd Class Analise Murphy, a student at the U.S Naval Academy. “I wanted to be on a carrier and experience that life. During the academic year, we don’t really get to spend much time in the fleet getting prepared for what we’re going to do as officers,” she said.
For some Midshipmen, being back at sea was familiar territory, although this time, their focus was centered on leadership, a role they embrace with responsibility and dedication.
“I hope to gain an insight into a bunch of the different communities on Vinson because pretty much every single community is represented on here,” said Midshipman 1st Class Patrick Michale, a student at Hawaii University. “I want to know more about what each of them do and how they all interact together, so that no matter where I go, I can best do my job and be the best leader I can be.”
While embarked aboard Carl Vinson, the Midshipmen got an up-close view of flight quarters, training team evolutions, shipboard maintenance, man overboard drills and a chance to witness the largest multinational integrated exercise.
“This time, I’m getting to see so much more of the operational level, what’s going on, what’s happening for RIMPAC; just a bigger picture, really,” said Michale. “This is my second RIMPAC experience. This is awesome.”
The Midshipmen aboard are students at universities from all around the country, including the U.S. Naval Academy, Iowa State University, Jacksonville University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Marquette University, Savannah State University, Texas A&M University, Ohio State University, University of San Diego, University of Washington, and University of Hawaii.
“The chance to meet and work with the Navy’s Sailors who are currently serving is an honor and privilege, and will help propel the Midshipmen, who came aboard in Hawaii, forward their development as future junior officers,” said Kiekintveld.
Twenty-nine nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, more than 150 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC in and around the Hawaiian Islands, June 27 to Aug. 1. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2024 is the 29th exercise in the series that began in 1971.
| Date Taken: | 07.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.22.2024 14:51 |
| Story ID: | 479234 |
| Location: | PACIFIC OCEAN |
| Web Views: | 88 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Midshipmen Experience Life Aboard CVN 70 During RIMPAC, by PO2 Elizabeth Grubbs, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
