Pacific Partnership 2009 to Bring Engineering and Medical Assistance to Oceania Region

U.S. Pacific Fleet announced plans March 3 for its next annual humanitarian civic assistance mission, Pacific Partnership 2009, which is slated to conduct engineering projects and provide medical, dental, and veterinary assistance to Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Kiribati, and the Marshall Islands.

Pacific Partnership 2009 is the fourth in the series of humanitarian missions that work in concert with partner nations, non-governmental organizations and other U.S. Government agencies.

This year’s mission will be based on board USS Dubuque (LPD 8), an Austin-class amphibious transport dock ship home ported in San Diego. USS Dubuque’s unique ability to transport and expeditiously unload heavy equipment and supplies make it the ideal platform from which to conduct engineering projects and provide humanitarian assistance.

The ship will carry humanitarian civic assistance equipment and a robust team of preventive medicine personnel, veterinarians, medical and dental teams who will conduct medical and civic action programs ashore.

The Pacific Partnership campaign originated from unprecedented international disaster response for countries involved in the 2004 Asia tsunami.

Humanitarian and civic campaigns such as Pacific Partnership help to improve the lives of the people in which it comes in contact. They also build regional capacity by strengthening relationships and improving security cooperation between national governments, militaries, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations during disaster relief operations.

Collaborative efforts such as Pacific Partnership support U.S. Pacific Command’s (USPACOM) focus on partnership, readiness, and presence. USPACOM maintains a constant presence throughout the Asia-Pacific region and works with its friends and allies to be better prepared to face challenges and crisis together.

See Pacific Fleet Announces Pacific Partnership 2009.

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Navy strengthens relationships in Japan

Tens of thousands of Japanese citizens toured USS George Washington (CVN 73) and the Yokosuka Naval Base Dec. 6 during Friendship Day in Yokosuka, Japan. Tons of work goes into organizing and executing events like Friendship Day, which go a long way toward strengthening partnerships. You can read the story here.

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