Bossier City native will be participating in the world's largest maritime warfare exercise

A Bossier City native will be participating in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in and around the Hawaiian Islands.

RIMPAC is the world's largest internation maritime warfare exercise.

On July 23, the U.S. Navy announced that Senior Chief Petty Officer Harold Ellis would participate in this exercise. Ellis serves aboard USS Fitzgerald, a U.S. Navy warship operating out of San Diego, California.

Ellis said the skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Bossier City. He said, “Bossier City helped me become a hard worker and showed what I didn't want to be in life.”

Ellis joined the Navy 25 years ago and said he joined because he wanted to see the world.

According to the Navy, Ellis plays an important role in the exercise. He said, "I thoroughly enjoy interacting with the foreign military. We're going to break history on board USS Fitzgerald this RIMPAC."

More: Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson visits airmen at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana

Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Bossier City native will be participating in the world's largest maritime warfare exercise