In attendance at the ceremony included Mr. Dao My, Vice Chairman of Phú Yên Provincial People’s Committee; Mr. Marc E. Knapper, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam; and U.S. Navy Capt. Claudine Caluori, Pacific Partnership 2023 mission commander.
Having returned to Vietnam for the 12th time, Pacific Partnership enables participants, including U.S. and Vietnamese personnel, to work together to enhance disaster response capabilities and foster new and enduring friendships. Pacific Partnership 2023 is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific.
“Pacific Partnership is a tangible demonstration of our commitment to security cooperation and people-to-people ties,” said Ambassador Knapper. “This was demonstrated across Phú Yên over the last two weeks by the engineers, medical professionals, and subject matter experts who have worked closely with their Vietnamese counterparts to connect with the people of Phú Yên and help improve their lives."
While in Phu Yen, Pacific Partnership 2023 completed: 120 subject matter expert exchanges in the areas of public health and preventive medicine at community health engagements, 11 dental events, serving more than 500 patients, 93 surgeries, five of which were pediatric, 64 people received nutritional counseling. We trained 70 personnel over two days of basic life support events and 55 personnel in advanced life support. The culmination of all of the medical training was exemplified in a mass casualty training exercise. Over 100 Pacific Partnership and Vietnamese personnel worked side by side at Phu Yen General Hospital triaging patients from simulated disasters.
The Pacific Partnership team also provided focused support to address critical infrastructure concerns. The Naval Construction Battalion built a new three-room building housing three classrooms, renovated two classrooms and upgraded bathroom facilities.
“The numbers of all that was completed during Pacific Partnership 2023’s week and a half mission stop in Tuy Hoa embodies the mission’s values,” said Caluori. “I would like to thank the Vietnam government for welcoming my team, and we look forward to seeing Vietnam’s relationship with this mission prosper for years to come.”
The mission team of Pacific Partnership 2023, will conduct mission stops throughout Southeast Asia and the South Pacific Islands.
Now in its 18th year, Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Each year, the mission team works collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.
For more information about Pacific Partnership visit www.facebook.com/pacificpartnership, www.instagram.com/pacific_partnership/ or https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/C-LGWP. Pacific Partnership public affairs can be reached via email at publicaffairs.pp23@gmail.com.