By Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist John Osborne, Navy Office of Community Outreach
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — 1st Lt. Jonathan Sweney, a native of Decatur, serves with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, a Marine air-ground task force out of Camp Pendleton, California, participating in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in and around the Hawaiian Islands.
Sweney graduated from Bellmont High School in 2017 and earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University Fort Wayne in 2023.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Decatur.
“Growing up, my family was big on hard work and service,” Sweney said. “That instilled in me a deep desire to join the military.”
Sweney joined the Navy two years ago. Today, Sweney serves as an infantry officer.
“I joined the Marine Corps because after graduating college I wanted a change from the 9-5 office life and to do something more meaningful,” Sweney said.
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.
Sweney fully understands how much has gone into RIMPAC and the importance of the exercise.
“RIMPAC has taken a lot of work from a lot of different people and agencies that don’t usually work together, and this incredible exercise is the result of so many people working together to make things happen,” Sweney said.
Sweney serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“Serving in the Marine Corps is only meaningful if I can train and take care of my people,” Sweney said.
Sweney is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.
“I want to thank my mom and dad for helping me through college and getting me started,” added Sweney.
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.
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