Pacific Partnership
Encyclopedia
Pacific Partnership is an annual deployment of forces from the Pacific Fleet
of the United States Navy
(USN), in cooperation with regional governments and military forces, along with humanitarian and non-government organizations.
The deployment was conceived following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, as a way to improve the interoperability of the region's military forces, governments, and humanitarian organisations during disaster relief operations, while providing humanitarian, medical, dental, and engineering assistance to nations of the Pacific, and strengthening relationships and security ties between the nations.
The deployment is typically based around an amphibious warfare vessel or hospital ship
of the USN's Pacific Fleet. Other nations regularly contribute to the deployment; the Australian Defence Force
has provided assets since the first deployment in 2006, and seven nations, along with other branches of the United States Armed Forces
, US government agencies, and non-government organizations, were involved in Pacific Partnership 2011.
, and included partner nations such as Australia (which has contributed consistently since), and non-government organizations. The deployment visited the Philippines
, Bangladesh
, Indonesia
, West Timor
, and East Timor
.
In 2007, the Pacific Fleet prepared another deployment, this time based aboard the amphibious warfare ship . Nations visited included the Philippines
, Vietnam
, Papua New Guinea
, the Solomon Islands
, and the Marshall Islands
. 2008 saw USNS Mercy visit the Federated States of Micronesia
, Papua New Guinea
, the Philippines
, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam
. During Pacific Partnership 2008, over 90,000 patients were treated, including 14,000 dental patients and 1,300 surgery patients. The flagship for the 2009 deployment was the dry cargo ship USNS Richard E. Bird
, which visited the Oceanic
nations of Kiribati
, the Marshall Islands
, Samoa
, the Solomon Islands
, and Tonga
.
Pacific Partnership returned to USNS Mercy in 2010, visiting Vietnam
, Cambodia
, Indonesia
, and Timor-Leste. Mercy was supported at different times by ships from Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, and Australia. In addition to Mercys operations, two separate deployments were made under Pacific Partnership 2010: the command ship
to Palau
, and the heavy lift ship to Papua New Guinea
.
The 2011 deployment, which started on 21 March and ends on 4 August, is centered on the amphibious warfare ship . In addition to USN personnel, resources deployed include personnel and equipment from other branches of the United States Armed Forces
, government agencies, non-government organizations, and the militaries of Canada, Singapore, and Spain; ships from the United States Coast Guard, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan; and a helicopter team from France. In addition to carrying out medical and engineering infrastructure projects in Tonga
, Vanuatu
, Papua New Guinea
, Timor-Leste, and the Federated States of Micronesia
, the operation aims to implement sustainability
projects in these nations. In the first three ports, 21,000 patients were treated, thousands of contact hours of formal Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEEs) were completed, and classrooms and a water catchment system were built. The total cost of the 2011 mission is reportedly $20 million or almost $4 million for each port of call.
Between 2006 and 2010, Pacific Partnership has visited 13 countries, treated more than 300,000 patients, and built over 130 engineering projects.
United States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
(USN), in cooperation with regional governments and military forces, along with humanitarian and non-government organizations.
The deployment was conceived following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, as a way to improve the interoperability of the region's military forces, governments, and humanitarian organisations during disaster relief operations, while providing humanitarian, medical, dental, and engineering assistance to nations of the Pacific, and strengthening relationships and security ties between the nations.
The deployment is typically based around an amphibious warfare vessel or hospital ship
Hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....
of the USN's Pacific Fleet. Other nations regularly contribute to the deployment; the Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
has provided assets since the first deployment in 2006, and seven nations, along with other branches of the United States Armed Forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
, US government agencies, and non-government organizations, were involved in Pacific Partnership 2011.
History
Following Operation Unified Endeavour, the United States response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the United States Navy saw the opportunity to build on the goodwill created by this operation, the USN conceived an annual deployment to the region. The aim of this deployment, Pacific Partnership, was to improve the interoperability of the region's military forces, governments, and humanitarian organisations during disaster relief operations, while providing humanitarian, medical, dental, and engineering assistance to nations of the Pacific, and strengthening relationships and security ties between the nations. The first such deployment was conducted in 2006, based aboard the hospital ship USNS MercyUSNS Mercy (T-AH-19)
The third USNS Mercy is the lead ship of her class of hospital ships in the United States Navy. Her sister ship is the USNS Comfort . She was named for the virtue of compassion. In accordance with the Geneva Conventions, USNS Mercy and her crew do not carry any offensive weapons, though...
, and included partner nations such as Australia (which has contributed consistently since), and non-government organizations. The deployment visited the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, West Timor
West Timor
West Timor is the western and Indonesian portion of the island of Timor and part of the province of East Nusa Tenggara, .During the colonial period it was known as "Dutch Timor" and was a centre of Dutch loyalists during the Indonesian National Revolution...
, and East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
.
In 2007, the Pacific Fleet prepared another deployment, this time based aboard the amphibious warfare ship . Nations visited included the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, and the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. 2008 saw USNS Mercy visit the Federated States of Micronesia
Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. During Pacific Partnership 2008, over 90,000 patients were treated, including 14,000 dental patients and 1,300 surgery patients. The flagship for the 2009 deployment was the dry cargo ship USNS Richard E. Bird
USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE-4)
USNS Richard E. Byrd is a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship in the United States Navy. She is the second United States Navy ship to be named after polar explorer Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd ....
, which visited the Oceanic
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
nations of Kiribati
Kiribati
Kiribati , officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The permanent population exceeds just over 100,000 , and is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, dispersed over 3.5 million square kilometres, straddling the...
, the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
, Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, and Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
.
Pacific Partnership returned to USNS Mercy in 2010, visiting Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, and Timor-Leste. Mercy was supported at different times by ships from Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, and Australia. In addition to Mercys operations, two separate deployments were made under Pacific Partnership 2010: the command ship
Command ship
Command ships serve as the flagships of the Commander of a fleet. They provide communications, office space, and accommodations for a fleet commander and his staff, and serve to coordinate fleet activities....
to Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
, and the heavy lift ship to Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
.
The 2011 deployment, which started on 21 March and ends on 4 August, is centered on the amphibious warfare ship . In addition to USN personnel, resources deployed include personnel and equipment from other branches of the United States Armed Forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
, government agencies, non-government organizations, and the militaries of Canada, Singapore, and Spain; ships from the United States Coast Guard, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan; and a helicopter team from France. In addition to carrying out medical and engineering infrastructure projects in Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, Timor-Leste, and the Federated States of Micronesia
Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c...
, the operation aims to implement sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
projects in these nations. In the first three ports, 21,000 patients were treated, thousands of contact hours of formal Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEEs) were completed, and classrooms and a water catchment system were built. The total cost of the 2011 mission is reportedly $20 million or almost $4 million for each port of call.
Between 2006 and 2010, Pacific Partnership has visited 13 countries, treated more than 300,000 patients, and built over 130 engineering projects.