12th Pacific Partnership Mission On to Strengthen Indo-Asia-Pacific Ties
The U.S. Navy is joining allied and partner nation forces for the 12th Pacific Partnership mission, scheduled to begin March 1.
This annual maritime operation will help improve disaster response preparedness and capacity, while enhancing partnerships with participating nations throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
This year's mission will be led by the deputy commander and staff from Coastal Riverine Group 1, embarked aboard expeditionary fast transport USNS Fall River (T-EPF 4), and will include more than 200 supporting military and civilian personnel from the U.S., United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and South Korea.
Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Vietnam are scheduled to host this year's Pacific Partnership mission. Medical, dental, civil-engineering, and veterinary teams will partner with host nations to conduct civic-action projects, community health exchanges, medical symposiums, and humanitarian and disaster relief (HA/DR) drills.
The planned engagements and exchanges during Pacific Partnership 17 are intended to improve capacity, enhance regional partnerships, and increase multilateral cooperation for HA/DR preparedness.
"Pacific Partnership is helping improve disaster response readiness for more than a decade in dozens of nations," said Rear Adm. Don Gabrielson, commander, Task Force 73, and executive agent for Pacific Partnership 17.
"Disasters threaten us all -- they ignore borders, and they disregard national sovereignty. The Indo-Asia-Pacific region averages two large disasters each year, and Pacific Partnership has been a key enabler behind many countries being more prepared today. When the distress call comes, the life-savers know who to call and what to do next because Pacific Partnership helps prepare us to manage the unthinkable," Gabrielson added.
Pacific Partnership began in response to one of the world's most catastrophic natural disasters, the December 2004 tsunami which devastated parts of southeast Asia. The mission has evolved over the years from emphasis on direct care to an operation focused on enhancing partnerships through host nation subject matter expert and civil-military exchanges.
