SEMAR brings large contingent of women Sailors to RIMPAC

THE WATCH STAFF

The Mexican Navy sent a large contingent of female Sailors to the biennial Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) in Hawaii in July 2024, illustrating a strong commitment to embrace a force readiness and equal opportunity posture aligning with the U.S. Women, Peace and Security (WPS) initiative. The number of women in the Secretarìa de Marina (SEMAR) has increased from 14% of the force in 2020 to 22% in 2024. This year’s RIMPAC involves 126 Mexican female Sailors, said Ensign Eva Sarmiento, who serves on the warship ARM Benito Juarez.

“That decision, for me, I think that is a good decision because women think different than men,” she told The Watch via Indo-Pacific Defense Forum, a publication of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). “Women are motivated to enlist into the military because it’s more open to receive females and it’s better because women have adapted well to the military. For me, I am so proud to be here, to be in the Mexican Navy.”

Sarmiento’s ship, a long-range patrol vessel, has participated in RIMPAC twice. The other Mexican warship that participated in the exercise, the ARM Usumacinta, has taken part five times since 2012, according to USINDOPACOM. The Usumacinta has been involved in humanitarian relief efforts. “The most important aspect to participating in the exercise is the capability and the abilities of the crew and the [increase] to their capabilities. It’s better for the military to practice,” she said. “Familiarization with other countries is good. For me, learning more about other cultures and other armies and to contribute to increased knowledge about the exercise and add to the knowledge and capabilities of the other ships.”

Although the primary mission of the Mexican Armed Forces is homeland defense, exercises like RIMPAC improve tactics and operability, Sarmiento said. “It [benefits] the organization that we can know how to do it better and take the ideas from other countries and do it better, [that] is good for the Mexican Navy,” she told The Watch.

Approximately 29 countries participated in RIMPAC 2024, which is the world’s largest international maritime exercise. The biennial exercise occurs in June and July at the Pearl Harbor headquarters of USINDOPACOM and involves the U.S. Navy, Marines and Coast Guard and the Hawaii National Guard. According to USINDOPACOM, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, more than 150 aircraft and 25,000 personnel participated in this year’s RIMPAC in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The 2024 exercise began in late June and ended August 1. Since its 1971 inception, RIMPAC has been held 29 times.

The strong female participation in RIMPAC by SEMAR is an example of newly opened paths of opportunities for education, training and professional development for unprecedented numbers of women in recent years. These female Sailors bring a valuable perspective to the Navy. “Women help to do things on ships differently — in the past, there were only men and things were different. Today, it’s more open and more comfortable for women. It’s better,” Sarmiento said, adding that RIMPAC was a great opportunity for SEMAR to show its commitment to WPS principles. “I can say that I am proud to be here. It’s my first time at RIMPAC and in Hawaii. Everyone is so kind and it’s a wonderful opportunity for me and for the other women who are here representing the Mexican Navy,” she said.