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Participants at Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026 took a brief break from operational planning as Slingshot, a 6-year-old Australian shepherd, visited the Combined Task Force headquarters, offering service members and multinational partners a chance to unwind, connect and recharge July 23, 2026.
The visit was coordinated by the multinational chaplain team with support from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam chaplains, providing an operational pause designed to strengthen morale and encourage relationship-building among participants from 30 nations.
"It's very hard to have a bad day at work when you can pet a small animal that just needs some love," said Royal Canadian Navy Chaplain Cmdr. Michael MacIntyre, Combined Task Force chaplain and senior Canadian chaplain for RIMPAC 2026.
MacIntyre said the idea grew from conversations among chaplains about finding creative ways to support personnel working in the demanding environment of the world's largest international maritime exercise.
"Fundamentally, it comes down to the relational nature of chaplaincy," MacIntyre said. "We can find creative ways of bringing people together."
For U.S. Navy Chaplain Lt. Christine Mauntel, bringing Slingshot to military units has become one of those creative approaches. Mauntel has worked with the Australian shepherd since 2022, visiting Sailors and Marines to provide moments of stress relief and create opportunities for conversation.
"Coming out of COVID, a lot of people were kind of down," Mauntel said. "I was trying to think of a way to help people stay positive and improve morale."
Although Slingshot is not part of an official military dog program, Mauntel said the dog's calm temperament and friendly personality make him a natural fit for the role.
Similar to the U.S. Navy's partnership with Mutts With A Mission, which places Expeditionary Facility Dogs aboard warships to support sailor mental health and morale, Slingshot's visit offered participants an opportunity to step away from the demands of the exercise and connect with others in an informal setting.
The visits often become conversation starters, particularly for service members living far from home. Mauntel said many sailors begin sharing stories about the pets they miss, creating natural opportunities for connection and support.
"It just makes everybody's day a little bit brighter," Mauntel said.
Beyond providing a welcome break from the workday, the visits also offer international participants a glimpse into the broader role chaplains play in supporting service members. For some partner nations that do not embed chaplains within their armed forces, the interactions demonstrate how chaplain teams foster resilience, strengthen relationships and care for personnel beyond traditional religious services.
As participants returned to their duties, the conversations and connections sparked by Slingshot's visit served as a reminder that even a brief pause can strengthen the relationships that make multinational exercises like RIMPAC successful.
Thirty nations, 30ships, five submarines, 15 national land forces, more than 190 aircraft and more than 30,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC in and around the Hawaiian Islands, June 24 to July 31. 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 2026 is the 30th exercise in the series that began in 1971.
| Date Taken: | 07.23.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.24.2026 17:41 |
| Story ID: | 570698 |
| Location: | PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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