RCN Officer Returns to Hawaiʻi During RIMPAC 2026

Archana Cini, Lookout Newspaper. Contributions by MARPAC Public Affairs Lt(Navy) Robert (Bob) Seed returned to Oʻahu during RIMPAC 2026, revisiting the community that inspired his naval career. The story highlights The post RCN Officer Returns to Hawaiʻi During RIMPAC 2026 appeared first on Pacific Navy News .

Archana Cini, Lookout Newspaper. Contributions by MARPAC Public Affairs Lt(Navy) Robert (Bob) Seed returned to Oʻahu during RIMPAC 2026, revisiting the community that inspired his naval career.

The story highlights his journey from Hawaiian high school student to Royal Canadian Navy officer. RIMPAC 2026 marks the 30th iteration of the exercise. – For Lieutenant(Navy) (Lt(Navy))

Robert (Bob) Seed, participating in Exercise (Ex) Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026 has been more than contributing to the world’s largest multinational maritime exercise. It has also been a homecoming. More than a decade after living on the Hawai‘ian island of Oʻahu as a teenager, Lt(Navy)

Seed returned to familiar ground as a Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) officer, reconnecting with the school and community that helped shape the path leading him into service. “This summer I had the fortunate opportunity to participate in the 30th iteration of RIMPAC 2026 based out of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam,” said Lt(Navy) Seed. “This is particularly special for me, as I graduated from high school on the Windward side of Oʻahu in 2016.”

Lt(Navy) Seed’s connection to Hawaiʻi began in 2014 when his family relocated to Kailua after his father accepted an exchange posting at Pearl Harbor. He spent his final two years of high school at Le Jardin Academy (LJA), a K-12 school nestled beneath the Koʻolau mountain range.

As a teenager attending LJA, Lt(Navy) Seed both joined the school’s varsity cross-country team and embraced Hawaiʻi’s paddling culture as a member of the outrigger canoe team. “This is where I learned my love for water,” said Lt(Navy) Seed.

“Some of the most exhilarating moments [while canoeing] were found at the end of a race, neck in neck with another boat returning to Magic Island. Everyone was exhausted but clutched in as the steersman would increase the team’s tempo, alter the boat to catch some surf, and secure our position ahead.” Such experiences, shared Lt(Navy)

Seed, left a lasting impression. Following his 2016 graduation from LJA, Lt(Navy) Seed joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) as an Officer Cadet at the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) to study history.

Since becoming a Naval Warfare Officer in 2021, Lt(Navy) Seed has served aboard Canadian warships along the West Coast, participated in Operation (OP) CARIBBE, and now works at HMCS Venture as part of the first generation of Naval Warfare Officers (NWO) working under the Strategic Capability sub-occupation. This summer, his career has brought him back to Hawaiʻi as part of RIMPAC 2026.

The official RIMPAC 2026 logo. RIMPAC 2026 marks the 30th iteration in the series since its beginning in 1971. This year, approximately 30 nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, and more than 150 aircraft and over 25,000 personnel are participating in the biennial exercise in and around the Hawaiian Islands.

Canada is one of only three founding nations, alongside the United States and Australia, to have participated in every iteration of RIMPAC since its inception. The CAF have deployed more than 800 personnel to this year’s exercise, including His Majesty’s Canadian (HMC) Ships Regina, Ottawa and His Majesty’s Canadian Submarine (HMCS) Corner Brook; Motor Vessel (MV) Asterix; Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) aircraft, and helicopter detachments; cyber specialists; divers; medical teams; and personnel serving in shore-based roles. Lt(Navy)

Seed is one of these shore-based personnel, serving throughout July at the Pacific Warfighting Center on the Combined Force Maritime Component Commander’s Future Operations team. “RIMPAC is a great opportunity for any naval officer to coordinate and operate with partners across the Pacific Rim,” said Lt(Navy) Seed. “Exercises such as RIMPAC are required to test and improve the strength of Canada’s interoperability with other nations across oceans, cultures, and languages.”

Between exercise briefings and training seminars, Lt(Navy) Seed did just that with a return to his old high school, where he was welcomed with the same warmth he remembered as a student. “I was overwhelmed by the warm Aloha, the lei, and even the surprise visit from my former college counsellor and history teachers, who were both pivotal to getting me into RMC and supporting me to study history,” said Lt(Navy) Seed.

Walking through the LJA campus and revisiting familiar surroundings also prompted Lt(Navy) Seed to reflect on the decade that has passed since his graduation. “It was really great to revel in memories while taking in the views of the ʻĀina around the campus.”

Lt(Navy) Bob Seed (centre) reunites with two past educators at Le Jardin Academy in Hawai‘i during RIMPAC 2026. Photo

When asked what advice he would offer to his younger self, Lt(Navy) Seed reflected on the journey that has taken him from Hawaiʻi to the RCN — and now back again. “The last ten years was a lot, but if I had the chance to have a chat with a younger Bob on the beach, I would tell him to stay focused on your goals on the horizon, but also to enjoy the moment you’re in and make sure you keep your ʻOhana along the journey.”

As RIMPAC 2026 continues through July through the Indo-Pacific, Lt(Navy) Seed’s return to Oʻahu in uniform reminds us that though careers may span oceans, the places and people that first shape us are never far behind. Language Guide Oʻahu: One of the main Hawaiian Islands, often called “the Gathering Place.”

Kailua: A coastal town on the windward side of Oʻahu, known for its beaches. Koʻolau Range: A mountain range running along the eastern side of Oʻahu. Magic Island:

A man-made peninsula in Honolulu popular for gatherings, ocean views, and recreational activities. Aloha: A Hawaiian word meaning love, compassion, peace, and greeting. Though used widely as a hello and goodbye, it carries a deeper sense of kindness and connection.

Lei: A traditional Hawaiian garland made from flowers, leaves, shells, or other materials. ʻĀina: A Hawaiian word meaning land, but more deeply understood as “that which nourishes.”

It reflects a cultural relationship of respect and stewardship toward the land. ʻOhana (ohana): A word meaning “family,” but extends beyond blood relations to include close friends and community. The post RCN Officer Returns to Hawaiʻi During RIMPAC 2026 appeared first on Pacific Navy News .