Asia-Pacific
GALLERYNavy's Pacific Partnership brings humanitarian aid to thousands
Stars and Stripes
July 13, 2015
Cpl. Lucas Ferreira participates in a relay race at the Viani Primary School in Fiji during Pacific Partnership, June 17, 2015. (Mayra A. Conde/U.S. Navy)
Cpl. Lucas Ferreira participates in a relay race at the Viani Primary School in Fiji during Pacific Partnership, June 17, 2015. (Mayra A. Conde/U.S. Navy)
Musician 1st Class David Baine teaches a boy from the Federated States of Micronesia to play the cowbell during the USNS Millinocket's second stop in Pacific Partnership, June 25, 2015. (Carla Burdt/U.S. Navy)
An MH-60S Knight Hawk helicopter attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 21 takes off from the Pacific Partnership 2015 landing area in Arawa, Papua New Guinea June 27, 2015. (Greg Badger/U.S. Navy)
Navy surgeons remove an object from a villager's throat in an operating room aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy during Pacific Partnership, June 27, 2015. Mercy was in Papua New Guinea for its second mission port of Pacific Partnership. (William McCann/U.S. Navy)
Command Master Chief Dedrick Walker, attached to the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy, takes a group selfie during Pacific Partnership, June 28, 2015. Mercy was in Papua New Guinea for its second mission port of Pacific Partnership. (Mark El-Rayes/U.S. Navy)
Command Master Chief Dedrick Walker, attached to the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy, dances with children during Pacific Partnership, June 28, 2015. Mercy was in Papua New Guinea for its second mission port of Pacific Partnership. Mark El-Rayes/U.S. Navy (Mark El-Rayes/U.S. Navy)
Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class John Villanueva, assigned to the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy, takes a patient's blood pressure during a Pacific Partnership 2015 surgical screening at St. Mary's Hospital, July 6, 2015. Mercy was in Papua New Guinea for its second mission port of Pacific Partnership. Mark El-Rayes/U.S. Navy (Mark El-Rayes/U.S. Navy)
Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Matthew Hawkins, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 21, assists an infant aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy June 30, 2015. Mercy launched one of its helicopters to transport six passengers, including one infant, who swam ashore after their ship sank off the coast of Carteret Island in Papua New Guinea. Mercy was in Papua New Guinea as part of Pacific Partnership 2015. (Valerie Eppler/U.S. Marine Corps)
Cmdr. Marion Henry, a pediatric surgeon from San Diego, calms an infant in the casualty reception area of the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy, June 30, 2015. Mercy sent an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter on a critical care patient transport mission to retrieve six injured people, including an 18-month-old infant, from Han Island off the coast of Carteret Island in Papua new Guinea. Mercy was in Papua New Guinea for its second mission port of Pacific Partnership 2015. (Valerie Eppler/U.S. Marine Corps)
Medical personnel aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy give an injured person medical care during Pacific Partnership, June 30, 2015. Mayra A. Conde/U.S. Navy (Mayra A. Conde/U.S. Navy)
The U.S. Navy is currently in the midst of Pacific Partnership 2015, — the largest annual multilateral humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief preparedness mission in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, according the Navy.
The USNS Mercy completed missions in Papua New Guiniea this week and is scheduled to visit the Philippines and Vietnam before wrapping up this year’s Pacific Partnership. The Mercy also conducted missions in Fiji in June.
Joint High Speed Vessell USNS Millinocket is also supporting Pacific Partnership with the Navy’s 30th Naval Construction Regiment from Port Hueneme, Calif.
Working alongside foreign militaries, nongovernmental organizations and partner-nation support organizations, the Navy conducts humanitarian and civic assistance, including veterinary, medical and dental missions.
Since the first Pacific Partnership in 2006, the missions have provided medical care to some 270,000 patients, offered veterinary services to 38,000 animals, and conducted 180 engineering projects.