Final Mission Stop of Pacific Partnership 2019 Mission Begins in Thailand

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicholas Burgains | 190519-N-AZ808-1048 SATTAHIP, Thailand (May 19, 2019) – U.S. Navy Capt. Randy Van Rossum, Pacific Partnership 2019 mission commander, presents Royal Thai Navy Rear Adm. Nattapong Ketsumboon, director of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Joint and Combined Exercise Planning Office, with a gift during the Pacific Partnership 2019 opening ceremony for Thailand. Pacific Partnership, now in its 14th iteration, 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. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nicholas Burgains)  

SATTAHIP, THAILAND

05.19.2019

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Nathan Carpenter 

Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific

SATTAHIP, Thailand - Senior mission leadership, host nation and partner nation personnel attended the opening ceremony of the final Pacific Partnership 2019 mission stop in Sattahip, May 19.

“This mission will improve the effectiveness, interoperability, capability and readiness for us to quickly respond to any disaster in the future,” said Royal Thai Navy Rear Adm. Nattapong Ketsumboon, director of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Joint and Combined Exercise Planning Office. “Beyond this is the relationship between the staff as we work together in a short period of time, yet will be long-lasting in our memory.”

U.S., partner nation military members, and non-governmental organization volunteers are scheduled to take part in a variety of events including first-aid and preventive medicine knowledge exchanges, various healthcare symposiums, engineering projects, disaster response seminars, and a variety of community outreach engagements with the goal of improving the overall humanitarian and disaster preparedness in Thailand.

“When afforded this time to build capacity during times of calm, it’s imperative to work together in order to enable community resilience for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Randy Van Rossum, Pacific Partnership 2019 mission commander.

Pacific Partnership began in response to one of the world’s most catastrophic natural disasters, the December 2004 tsunami, that devastated parts of South and Southeast Asia. The mission has evolved over the years from emphasis on direct care to an operation focused on enhancing partnerships through host nation subject matter expert and civil-military exchanges.

Working at the invitation of each host nation, Pacific Partnership is joined by partner nations that include Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Peru, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and the United Kingdom to strengthen disaster response preparedness around the Indo-Pacific region.

Thailand is one of several host nations for Pacific Partnership 2019. Mission teams have also made stops in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Philippines, the Federated States of Micronesia, Malaysia, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. Experts in the fields of engineering, medicine and disaster response partner with each host nation to conduct civic-action projects, community health exchanges, medical symposiums, and disaster response exercises.

Pacific Partnership, now in its 14th iteration, 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 stability and security in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships across the Indo-Pacific.

• Date Taken: 05.19.2019
• Date Posted: 05.19.2019 19:10
• Story ID: 322965
• Location: SATTAHIP, TH