He joined the Navy Marine Corps just 18 months ago. It’s a role that fit him like a glove; yet joining the Marine Corps, in this case, was by accident. “I always wanted to join the military, but not necessarily the Marine Corps,” Weaks noted. He participated in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise. This year’s RIMPAC exercise is the largest yet, with 31 nations and more than 25,000 personnel participating.