Gunner’s Mate Seaman Delilah Medina, a native of Riverside, California, is a Sailor currently assigned to the Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley (DDG 101). On of a team of nine, she is the ship’s only woman Gunner’s Mate.
A Gunner’s Mate (GM) is responsible for the operation and maintenance of missile launch systems, underwater explosive weapons, gun mounts and other ordnance equipment. They work both on ships and on shore, in the U.S. and overseas, in both indoor and outdoor environments.
The rate of Gunner’s Mate is one of three founding U.S. Navy rates: Boatswain’s Mate, Quartermaster and Gunner’s Mate. These rates were assigned during the American Revolutionary War, which was fought between years 1775 and 1783.
Medina, who’s been in the U.S. Navy for one year and six months, shares her love for being a Gunner’s Mate, as well as the amount of pride she holds as serving as the ship’s only female GM.
“I have to be strong-minded,” said Medina. “There are times where I have to carry heavy stuff like the bigger guns, lots of ammo and other equipment that’s super heavy but my team always encourages me and tell me, ‘Come on you’re a GM! You’re the only girl GM!’, and I say to myself, ‘You know what, I got this!’. I love it and truly enjoy doing work with my rate.”
Medina said she qualified for many different rates when she was at the Military Entrance Processing Station, and that she specifically chose GM because she knows one has to be strong, as well as some history and memories she shares with her family.
“My stepfather has a few guns, shotgun and a couple rifles,” said Medina. “We used to go shooting but I would be too scared to shoot,” as she laughs. “I feel like when I do it now, I approach it with more confidence, and it helps me to enjoy it more.”
Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 also marks Medina’s first time in Hawaii, as well as her first ever RIMPAC.
“Oh, it’s beautiful here in Hawaii,” said Medina. “I did so many things such as hiking, toured a pretty viewpoint, snorkeling and went to so many different beaches here, but on our way to Hawaii, we did a lot of gun exercises, threw grenades, shot the grenade launcher and it was freaking awesome. My whole RIMPAC experience has been breathtaking so far, but I’d say being in Hawaii specifically was my favorite part.”
Medina said she's seen the mental and physical strength of women across participating nations on full display at RIMPAC.
“In my short time serving our country, RIMPAC gives me the perfect opportunity to get out there and prove my worth,” said Medina. “On a larger scale, it provides me a chance to help show that us women, who are serving in a predominately male rating and environment, can go out and be more than an asset as well. At the end of the day, it’s one team, one fight.”
USS Gridley is a part of the U.S. 3rd Fleet, which leads naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. U.S. 3rd Fleet works in close coordination with other numbered fleets to provide commanders with capable, ready forces to deploy forward and win in day-to-day competition, crisis and conflict.
Twenty-nine nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, more than 150 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC in and around the Hawaiian Islands, June 27 to Aug. 1. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2024 is the 29th exercise in the series that began in 1971.