Rear Adm. Bill Merz, commander, Naval Mine and

Rear Adm. Bill Merz, commander, Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command, meets British Royal Navy Sailors from Fleet Diving Unit 2 as they display diving equipment during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2014. Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 26 to Aug. 1, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2014 is the 24th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Joe Bishop/Released)