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TERNATE,
Indonesia – An opening ceremony was held in the palace of the
Sultan of Ternate, His Highness, Sultan Drs. H. Mudaffar Sjah II,
Msi., welcoming Pacific Partnership 2010 July 19.
USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), HMAS Labuan, and HMAS Tarakan will be
supporting a seven-day visit, Pacific Partnership’s first to Ternate
and its surrounding areas.
“Thank you for being here today as we celebrate the continuation of
a true collaborative effort between the people of Indonesia and the
many partner nations and non-governmental organizations that make up
the Pacific Partnership team,” said Capt. Lisa M. Franchetti,
mission commander of Pacific Partnership 2010.
“It is a wonderful opportunity for Pacific Partnership to return to
Indonesia, building on the relationships previously created during
USNS Mercy’s response to the devastating tsunami in 2004 and her
return visit in 2006.”
Also in attendance at the opening ceremony were Consul General of
the United States, Kristen Bauer, the Governor of North Maluku
Province, Drs. H. Thaib Armaiyn, military and government officials,
members of the Sultan’s court, and Mr. H. Ali Amal Tomagola, the
last surviving Ternate World War II veteran, who fought alongside
General Douglas McArthur and helped orchestrate the escape of the
Sultan when the island was occupied by Japanese forces.
Near the conclusion of the ceremony, gifts were exchanged and guests
had the unique opportunity to view the royal crown –an item
typically not on display.
Pacific Partnership 2010 will be in Ternate, a part of the North
Maluku Province, offering medical, dental, veterinary, and
engineering assistance as well as community service projects.
Nine medical and dental civic action program sites in Jailolo, Mare
Island, Sofifi, Ternate , and Tidore expect to treat thousands of
patients over the duration of the visit. In addition to these
medical clinics, surgeries will take place aboard Mercy.
In addition to providing medical treatment to the local people of
Ternate, the Pacific Partnership 2010 team will be assisting in
other areas of expertise. Biomedical equipment repair will also take
place during the mission, providing cost-effective repairs to
expensive medical machinery. Veterinary care and subject matter
expert exchanges on preventive medicine and animal care are planned
for Jailolo as well.
Five community service events, with the goal of social interaction
between the Mercy crew, partner nations, and local Indonesians are
designed to further strengthen bonds with the local population.
“Our community service volunteers are looking forward to our visit
in Ternate. We will be visiting numerous orphanages in the area.
These are great opportunities for our team to touch the lives of
others and build relationships. Our volunteers always have so much
fun with the children. We usually have the opportunity to do
coloring, singing, playing soccer, and just enjoying each other’s
company,” said Chaplain Lt. Derrick Horne.
Engineering civic action programs (ENCAPs) will take place to
renovate Puskesmas Kalumpang as well as the Sulamadaha Clinic.
ENCAPs are made possible through a collaborative effort between the
U.S. Navy Seabees, Australian Defence Force Second Combat Engineer
Regiment, and other volunteers from the U.S. and the host nation.
Mercy’s visit to Indonesia is the longest stop for Pacific
Partnership 2010. At the conclusion of the Ternate visit, the
mission will resume operations in Ambon, the last leg of the
Indonesian visit.
Pacific Partnership 2010, the fifth in a series of annual U.S.
Pacific Fleet endeavors conducted in Indonesia as a disaster relief
exercise, is aimed at strengthening regional relationships with host
and partner nations in Southeast Asia and Oceania.
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