Killeen, Texas Native Taking Part in Largest Maritime Warfare Exercise, RIMPAC

Central Texas has its share of greatness that leaves a mark across the world. People like Ciara and LaDainian Tomlinson are just two of the many we know from the Lone Star State. However, celebrities aren't the only people from the Killeen, Texas area making an impact. Some people are doing far more substantial things, and it's always great to be able to shine a spotlight on them.

Meet Chief Petty Officer Vancia Elianor

Who is Vancia, you ask? She's a native to Killeen who graduated from Harker Heights High School in 2011, and is currently stationed aboard the USS William P. Lawrence in Pearl Harbor.

According to Navy Outreach, Chief Petty Officer Elianor is a quartermaster. The job of a quartermaster is easily explained, but more complicated to do: Officer Elianor handles helping navigate the ship.

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CPO Elianor Is Part Of Something Bigger Than Herself

Rim of the Pacific, also known as RIMPAC, is the largest international maritime warfare exercise. According to Navy Outreach, "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."

Translation - it's a massive training exercise in which our best and brightest, along with naval personnel from ally nations, put the skills they've learned serving our nation to the test and learn how to better protect our shores and way of life.

CPO Elianor spoke of the honor of participating, saying: “I'm looking forward to experiencing everything that happens during RIMPAC. The work we will do with the navies from all the other participating countries is exciting for me.”

What Will Be RIMPAC's Main Focus?

Mike Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations Adm, RIMPAC will help with the overall strength and response of the Navy.

“For 245 years, in both calm and rough waters, our Navy has stood the watch to protect the homeland, preserve freedom of the seas, and defend our way of life,” Gilday said. “The decisions and investments we make this decade will set the maritime balance of power for the rest of this century. We can accept nothing less than success.”

For those wanting to know more about RIMPAC, click here.

She's Making Us Proud

Thank you so much to CPO Elianor and everyone serving in the U.S. Navy. Even in times of relative peace like these, our men and women at sea protect our way of life by defending trade routes and the infrastructure that keeps us connected to the world.

Killeen is a military community, and we couldn't be more proud of all the people who are out there defending our nation.