120722-F-MQ656-043 by Defense Media Activity Hawaii on Flickr.
Via Flickr: U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Richard Sippl, UH-1Y Venom, flight crew chief assigned Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169 (HMLA-169) communicates with pilots July 22, 2012, during take off for a live fire combat training mission over the Pohakuloa Training Area, (PTA) Hawaii during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise 2012. HMLA-169 is part of the aviation combat element of special purpose Marine air-ground task force three. Twenty-two nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC exercise from Jun. 29 to Aug. 3, in and around the Hawaiian Islands. 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 worlds oceans. RIMPAC 2012 is the 23rd exercise in the series that began in 1971. (Department of Defense photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Michael R. Holzworth/Released)
