Command Master Chief Eric Zimmerman, senior enlisted leader of Pacific Partnership 2026, speaks to sailors taking part in the Pacific Partnership 2026 multinational humanitarian aid mission on May 26, 2026, at North Island Naval Air Station, Calif. (Justin E. Yarborough/U.S. Navy)
The Navy has launched what it said was its largest annual humanitarian and civic assistance effort in the Indo-Pacific region.
About 150 sailors and other service members will take part in Pacific Partnership 26, which plans to offer medical, engineering, and emergency management assistance to areas that are often challenged by natural and other disasters.
“We strengthen regional security by building host nation capacity to prepare for and overcome crises,” Navy Capt. Robert C. Reyes, the mission commander, said at a media briefing Wednesday.
The Pacific Partnership grew out of a desire to help build natural disaster resilience among nations following the 2004 Boxing Day earthquake and tsunami. On Dec. 26, an undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra measuring over 9.1 on the Richter scale triggered waves up to 100 feet high that killed 230,000 people in 14 countries in the Indo-Pacific.
From its operations hub in the Philippines, the 2026 program will visit Vietnam in mid-June. Plans call for later stops in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste.
U.S. personnel will be joined by soldiers and sailors of participating nations, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
Canadian Armed Forces Col. Alain Lafrenière is deputy mission commander, marking the first time a Canadian officer has held a deputy command role in the operation’s 20-year history.
Reyes said the mission includes engineering and medical outreach, and disaster management. The medical team will teach local health care workers emergency procedures, and the engineering team will help bolster key local facilities such as clinics and schools to withstand natural disasters.
“We work with first responders and national disaster management offices to ensure that their response plans are up to speed with the latest in disaster response and preparedness,” Reyes said.
Reyes was asked if the large commitment of resources and money to the Iran conflict had undercut funding or available personnel for the Pacific Partnership this year.
“At this time we are able to conduct the mission as planned and don’t foresee any impact as it stands right now with regard to the other operations that are ongoing,” Reyes said.
U.S. Navy Master Chief Air Traffic Controller Eric Zimmerman, the senior enlisted leader for Pacific Partnership 26, said the operation is a way for service members to hone their skills and work in a multinational team.
“We are excited to visit new countries, experience new cultures, and integrate with our allies and partners to see firsthand the positive impact we can have together,” Zimmerman said.
Reyes said the team hopes to leave the areas they visit able to remain resilient in the face of future challenges.
“We are trying to build partner capacity for regional countries to respond to their own natural disasters and crises,” Reyes said. “By conducting this type of activities, we further enhance the regional security and stability in the form of disaster preparedness.”
