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APIA, Samoa -- Pacific
Partnership 2009 began its mission in Apia, Samoa as part of a
four-month mission when USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4) arrived July
1.
Pacific Partnership works by, with and through partner nations,
non-governmental organizations and other U.S. government and
international agencies to execute a variety of humanitarian civic
assistance (HCA) missions in the Pacific Fleet Area of
Responsibility from a ship dedicated to this HCA mission. This
year's mission will be focused ashore with a variety of engineering,
medical and dental and veterinary civic action programs providing
humanitarian civic assistance to communities in Samoa.
In his Rat-Pac Report podcast this week, Adm. Robert F. Willard,
commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, noted that this year's mission is
being led aboard Richard E. Byrd, a "replenishment ship but with
great capacity to assist us, I think, in the medical, dental,
veterinary and engineering efforts that this Pacific Partnership
calls for."
Willard said that using the replenishment ship "will cause us to be
a little more expeditionary, but I think, nonetheless, we'll be very
effective in meeting what our ambassadors and what these countries
hope to gain in this year's Pacific Partnership mission."
Building on partnerships forged in previous missions, the team for
Pacific Partnership 2009 includes military and government personnel
from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the United States and
civilian volunteers from International Aid who will work alongside
their Samoan partners.
Pacific Partnership will conduct medical, dental, veterinary and
engineering civic action programs ashore at locations on Apolima,
Savai'i and Upolu. |
