Pacific Partnership returned this summer featuring servicemembers of the U.S. Coast Guard to support mission stops in Vietnam, Philippines, and Malaysia.
Now in its 18th year, Pacific Partnership 2023 is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission 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 regional security and stability, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.
Members of the Coast Guard joined the mission’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) team to conduct various subject matter expert exchanges, side-by-side trainings, symposiums, and exercises tailored to the specific requirements and based on the requests of each host nation.
In Tuy Hoa, Vietnam, the Coast Guard HADR team partnered with the Oregon National Guard to provide a subject matter expert exchange on environmental responses in the event of an oil spill.
In San Fernando, Philippines, the Coast Guard team collaborated with the San Fernando City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office in organizing 11 activities, executed as a joint effort on behalf of the U.S., Australian Defense Force, Armed Forces Philippines, and various other federal and local government agencies. These engagements included exchanges on incident command systems; disaster response plan workshops; Gender, Peace and Security; and various search and rescue exercises.
In Kuantan, Malaysia, the Coast Guard team integrated with the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, U.S. Army Civil Affairs, Australian Defense Forces, British and Republic of Korea navies to discuss and execute table-top exercises on search and rescue; incident management; protection of critical infrastructure; and gender, peace, and security during a flood response. Additionally, 26 joint military and first responder divers came together to conduct international training and open water dives in response to a HADR event.
“It was a privilege to be part of Pacific Partnership 2023 and work hand-in-hand with such a diverse group of people,” said Lt. Flor Joseph, Coast Guard Pacific Area response operations planner. “Our accomplishments in Vietnam, Philippines, and Malaysia exemplify how nations can come together to create lasting bonds of friendship and trust through disaster management preparedness. Every friendship created will continue to contribute to nation interoperability, regional stability and security.”
Pacific Partnership 2023 will continue to conduct mission stops throughout the South Pacific Islands until later this year.
