JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- With 26 nations, and more than 200 aircraft, 40 ships and submarines, and 25,000 personnel deployed in support of Rim of the Pacific 2016, keeping the base secure and ensuring operational security is a top priority for the 647th Security Forces Squadron (SFS) here.

RIMPAC is the world’s largest international maritime exercise and is held every two years. The exercise provides a unique training opportunity that strengthens international forces for a wide range of operations. Starting in 1971, this year marks the 25th exercise in the series that began in 1971. The exercise helps to foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans.

Master Sgt. Roy Lock, 647th Security Forces Squadron Joint Base Plans and Programs superintendent, said hosting such a large exercise can create a myriad of security concerns, but his team has risen to the unique challenges, ensuring the security of personnel and equipment on JBPHH.

In addition to increased patrols and the continued gate guard duties JBPHH security has been busy briefing the new arrivals on how to stay safe while on a foreign installation.

“We provided welcoming security briefs as each country arrived,” said Lock. “We boarded every ship and greeted each plane that landed and ensured they understood local security and anti-terrorism measures. We worked installation access for every single RIMPAC participant, military and civilian.”

Security was also responsible for the credentialing of media and ensuring special guests attending receptions and ceremonies were able to access the installation.

Additionally, JBPHH security worked with security officers from each country to delineate the lines of security, ensuring all foreign assets would be appropriately protected at all times throughout the exercise.

Lock said security efforts didn’t just ramp up after the exercise began as security operations had to be in place before RIMPAC started, so him and his team worked closely with RIMPAC planners.

“It was critical that the JBPHH security team be involved from the very beginning and worked closely with the planning team to ensure the RIMPAC process met the JBPHH security standard operating procedures, and at the same time ensure the process was simple and efficient,” said Royal Australian Navy, Lt. Cmdr. Evan Smith, operations and future operations RIMPAC coordinator. “The security team has been extremely helpful throughout the entire planning process and on-point during implementation.”

Smith said without the security team’s commitment, RIMPAC would not be as successful as it is.

“With the security team behind our process and enforcing it, the procedure has been extremely efficient and has allowed the RIMPAC team to focus on what makes RIMPAC so great; developing capable, adaptive, partners,” he said.

Lock said the squadron has also been working around the clock to see to it that RIMPAC ’16 happens safely and without incident.

“The work done by the joint base security team is essential to the ability to undertake such a large and complex exercise as RIMPAC,” said Claude Shaw, Navy Region Hawaii director of operations. “In addition to safeguarding the thousands of personnel that come to participate in the exercise they provide security for a large number of high ranking U.S. and foreign dignitaries.”

He said the JBPHH security team coordinated with the U.S. Department of State for foreign visitor requests and background checks for invited U.S. and foreign guests, often working the requests with minimal suspense response time.

“Operations don’t happen without security,” Shaw said. “Without security, planes don’t get off the ground …. because you need these lines of defense to protect those assets. The main thing is ensuring that we instill confidence in the visiting countries that security is here to protect them and available in case there is an incident.”