Subscribe
KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia – The U.S. Navy-led humanitarian and disaster preparedness mission Pacific Partnership 2026 (PP26) concluded its fourth mission stop in Kota Kinabalu and surrounding areas in Sabah, Malaysia with a closing ceremony at Institut Tadbiran Awam Negara Sabah, Sept. 14, 2026.
“We assembled here in Malaysia a formidable team of equals…we made the extremely difficult look easy, which is the demonstration of our professionalism...and we did that with many different countries working together towards one mission,” said U.S. Navy Adm. Steve Koehler, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, during the ceremony. “What we all accomplished here proves that in the Pacific, the ocean is not what separates us -- it’s what brings us together.”
Beginning Sept. 2, 192 U.S. and 75 partner nation service members collaborated with 235 of their Malaysian Armed Forces counterparts to conduct over three dozen activities along the mission’s four lines of effort: medical, disaster management, engineering, and host nation outreach engagements. As well as the MAF, the mission team worked with the humanitarian aid organization, the Malaysian Red Crescent Society, and local educational and medical institutions such as the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Queen Elizabeth Hospital II, and the Sabah Women and Children’s Hospital Likas.
Participating nations included Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Singapore, and the United Kingdom. The Malaysia stop marked the 6th time Pacific Partnership has visited Malaysia, and the mission’s first time in Kota Kinabalu.
“Malaysia is proud to have hosted Pacific Partnership 2026,” said MAF Joint Forces Commander Lt. Gen. Dato Sri Tengku Muhammad Fauzi Tengku Ibrahim, in his closing remarks. “For the MAF, our longstanding participation in Pacific Partnership reflects our continued commitment to humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, regional cooperation, capacity building and military diplomacy. But, PP26 has also reminded us of something fundamental: partnership is not built by nations standing beside one another. Partnership is built by nations working with one another, and over the past several days, that is exactly what we have done.”
While in Malaysia, U.S. Navy Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5, alongside military engineers from the MAF, Australian Defence Force (ADF), and ROK Navy (ROK-N) renovated existing facilities and constructed an observation deck and gazebo at Babagon Toki Primary School. At the Telipok Health Clinic, Seabees from Amphibious Construction Battalion 1 worked with the MAF, ROK-N, and Royal Navy personnel to construct a 50-by-20-feet permanent shade structure as a waiting area for patients. Their combined efforts improved public infrastructure, provided students and faculty with safer and more functional facilities, and created a more comfortable, sheltered space for patients awaiting care.
“I’ve found immense fulfillment in executing two engineering projects in Malaysia, collaborating with the Malaysian Armed Forces and partner engineers from the ADF and the ROK-N as well as the United Kingdom's Royal Navy sailors,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Michael Hamilton, PP26 mission engineer. “This mission exemplifies the essence of sharing expertise, fostering partnerships, and creating lasting bonds as we worked together toward a common goal.”
Personnel from the disaster management line of effort held 12 engagements. At UMS, they conducted emergency preparedness table top exercises, while their 2-day disaster management symposium incorporated real-time disaster monitoring and standardized incident response protocols for a combined field training exercise. At Hospital Angkatan Tentera Wilayah Kota Kinabalu and Mari Mari Island, personnel from six nations conducted maritime search-and-rescue diver and undersea medical training using a simulated tsunami scenario to practice a coordinated response.
“Working alongside our Malaysian counterparts highlighted the importance of flexibility, communication, and shared planning when operating across different disaster response systems,” said U.S. Army Capt. Noppamas Suttinun, PP26 Malaysia disaster management lead. “By navigating those differences together and engaging with government and religious leaders, we gained a better understanding of how to coordinate capabilities, anticipate challenges, and leverage trusted community networks to build a more effective response and support recovery during future disasters.”
Host nation outreach personnel connected with local communities through 17 religious and key leader engagements for nine faith groups, 12 musical performances, eight of which were combined with the MAF Band, and five school engagements for 1,500 students and teachers. Activities brought together service members, educators, students, faith leaders and community members to exchange knowledge and perspectives while fostering mutual understanding and trust between participating nations and communities throughout Sabah.
“During our outreach events around Sabah, we directly experienced the warm hospitality and friendliness of the Malaysian people. They were the epitome of welcoming hosts and demonstrated what makes Malaysian culture beautiful,” said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jon Craig, PP26 chaplain and host nation outreach lead. “These types of people-to-people connections form bonds which transcend culture, language, and nation, connecting with the soul and explicitly contributing to the resiliency, collaboration, and perseverance of our peoples.”
Fifty medical line of effort engagements brought together 85 U.S. and partner allies alongside Malaysian healthcare professionals, students and community organizations through clinical exchanges, workshops, health screenings and hands-on training across Kota Kinabalu. Engagements totaled 298 clinical hours and covered a broad range of specialties, including nursing, pediatrics, dental care, rehabilitation, behavioral health, preventive medicine and undersea medicine, while also providing health education and screenings to 2,188 host nation participants. Medical personnel also integrated with disaster management activities to practice providing medical support during maritime and humanitarian emergencies.
“Our medical engagements were about more than exchanging information; they gave us a chance to work side-by-side, learn from each other and engage directly with the Malaysian healthcare community through professional exchanges, community health events and disaster response scenarios, enabling us to help enhance Malaysia’s clinical capacity in a collaborative effort,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Graham Davis, the Malaysia PP26 mission stop medical lead. “Working through the same challenges together gave us a better understanding of how we can work together when it matters most.”
The stop featured contributions from two partner nation ships. Royal Australian Navy amphibious Bay-class Landing Ship Dock (LSD) HMAS Choules (L100), which joined the mission on July 10 to provide transportation and logistics support, as well as serving as the mission’s command and control platform during transit, brought a contingent of PP26 personnel and equipment from Singapore to Malaysia before departing on Aug. 22. Meanwhile, Royal Navy River-class off-shore patrol vessel (OPV) HMS Tamar (P233) contributed personnel to the disaster management and engineering lines of effort.
As well as Malaysia, PP26 has concluded mission stops in Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam, and two enduring projects in Fiji and Palau. Following the ceremony, the mission team will transit to the final mission stop of the year in Tacloban City, Philippines.
Now in its 22nd iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively 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.
For more information about Pacific Partnership visit https://www.facebook.com/pacificpartnership, https://www.instagram.com/pacific_partnership/ or https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/PacificPartnership.
###
| Date Taken: | 09.14.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.13.2026 18:31 |
| Story ID: | 574586 |
| Location: | KOTA KINABALU, SABAH, MY |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Pacific Partnership 2026 Concludes Fourth Mission Stop in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
