Photo By Chief Petty Officer Byron Linder | 180430-N-ZW825-0560 TAWAU, Malaysia (April 30, 2018) A student sings into Chief...... read more read more
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TAWAU, Malaysia (April 30, 2018) Medical trainers and band members visited Holy Trinity Secondary School in Tawau, Malaysia to teach children basic first aid and play music in support of Pacific Partnership 2018 (PP18), April 30.
The medical team consisted of doctors and corpsmen assigned to Military Sealift Command expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Brunswick (T-EPF 6) for PP18. They taught more than 200 children how to deal with nosebleeds, minor broken bones and cuts. This training is not only useful for practical purposes, but also lets local children meet people from foreign militaries.
“For a lot of the children here it was the first time getting to meet an American up-close and personal.” said Lt. Sebastian Lara, a Navy pediatrician supporting PP18. “It is a chance for us to share a little bit about what we do, and how things work in the Navy.”
With the training done, the U.S. Pacific Fleet Deep Six Brass Band performed for the students. The brass band played classic tunes, covers of modern songs and even a local song they learned specifically for this trip.
“Even in places where we don’t speak the same language, everyone can understand music," said Musician 2nd Class Christopher Bettler, band leader and tuba instrumentalist. “Our music can bring joy to everyone and get them on their feet. It shows everyone that we are here for goodwill.”
PP18 is as much about cross-cultural understanding as disaster preparedness. Events like this are fun for everyone, which lends itself to building relationships.
“This is a chance for us to share our culture with them,” said Lara, “Even if it’s as simple as dancing, and then having them teach us some of their Malay dances and songs they are interested in. It’s important that we are sharing culture, learning about each other and developing friendships.”
PP18’s mission is to work collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase stability and security in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships across the Indo-Pacific Region. Pacific Partnership, now in its 13th iteration, is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific.
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 05.04.2018 01:52 |
| Story ID: | 275689 |
| Location: | MY |
| Web Views: | 48 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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