KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia – From the shores of Dong Hoi, Vietnam, to the coast of Sibolga, Indonesia, across Dili, Timor-Leste, and now into Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, Pacific Partnership 2026 (PP26) has brought together multinational military personnel from eight partner nations in support of the four lines of effort (LOE) during the humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission’s 20th anniversary in the Indo-Pacific, with each service member contributing a unique specialty or skill set toward a shared mission.
Over the duration of four mission stops, international armed forces service members from Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the United Kingdom have integrated with U.S. forces and host nation partners, combining specialized expertise across the mission’s lines of effort and demonstrating how these capabilities become greater when brought together toward a common purpose.
For the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), integration starts at the highest levels of the mission and expands into the communities the Pacific Partnership mission serves. For this year’s iteration, CAF Col. Alain Lafrenière is serving as deputy mission commander, making him the highest-ranking officer-in-charge (OIC) of partner-nation military members assigned to the mission and the first CAF service member to hold the position.
In addition, CAF Cmdr. Wendy Goulet is the mission’s multinational operations control commander (MNOCC), the second highest-ranking OIC of partner-nation military members assigned to the mission. For her roles and responsibilities as MNOCC, she oversees the planning, coordination, and execution of engagements involving partner nations in the mission.
“Throughout this deployment, I have learned that despite our cultural backgrounds and differences in how our militaries operate, we share many common values, goals, and challenges,” said Goulet. “I have also seen firsthand how even small engagements have a meaningful and lasting impact on the communities and nations we visit, making the work exceptionally rewarding.”
While Canada's contribution spans leadership, medical care, and host-nation outreach, Germany brings highly specialized dental expertise to PP26.
German Armed Forces dentists have conducted dental examinations and care during side-by-side medical exchanges with U.S. and host-nation medical personnel, sharing their professional knowledge while demonstrating how different military medical systems can work together to deliver care. Though small in number, their contributions have directly supported individual patient care throughout the duration of the mission.
“It is very interesting to experience how other nations serve their country in the same role as me, which I actually had not expected before,” said German Air Force Maj. Sarah Salomon, a dentist with PP26. “There are many parallels in structure and skills. Furthermore, the linguistic exchange in English is beneficial because I hardly ever have to use it at home. I am very pleased with the friendly cooperation between several nations.”
Australia's contribution to Pacific Partnership 2026 extended from the sea to the construction site, providing a capability rarely seen in a U.S. Navy-led mission: a partner nation's warship used as a platform, helping carry the mission from one stop to the next.
Royal Australian Navy (RAN) sailors, assigned to the amphibious Bay-class Landing Ship Dock (LSD) HMAS Choules (L100), welcomed and embarked PP26 personnel aboard the vessel while moored in Subic Bay, Philippines, in early July. Choules was critical in transporting the mission staff to and from one of the mission's five stops: Sibolga, Indonesia, in July, and a week-long administrative port visit to Singapore in August. Choules provided a crucial logistics function by easing the transportation of mission personnel and equipment between countries separated by thousands of miles of ocean.
“The biggest takeaway is the greater interoperability with partner nations, specifically USN [United States Navy] Seabees, ROKN [Republic of Korea Navy] engineers, and Malaysian Armed Forces,” said Australian Army Capt. Nicholas Filla, a civil engineer with PP26. “Improved networks and relationships with partner nations’ forces. Greater experience of contract administration and commanding deployed forces in a multinational, multicultural environment.”
Once ashore, RAN sailors and Australian Army engineers joined forces with U.S. Navy Seabees and host nation personnel on multiple construction projects, building tangible improvements for local communities. From carrying the mission forward at sea to building alongside partners on the ground, Australia's contribution demonstrated that multinational cooperation can strengthen every stage of PP26, from getting the team there to getting the job done.
Japan Self-Defense Forces and Singapore Armed Forces medical personnel supported numerous hours of training during several health engagements with host nation healthcare workers in the fields of emergency medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, and dive medicine. Japanese dentists and dental technicians worked side-by-side with German, Canadian, and U.S. counterparts to deliver multiple hours of oral hygiene care across Indonesia and Malaysia.
New Zealand and the Republic of Korea’s contributions have a broader approach, providing a multiservice team of disaster management specialists and civil engineering professionals and a medical contingent of nurses and surgeons respectively, focused on disaster response capabilities and construction projects.
Working with host-nation partners, the team shared knowledge and best practices for preparing for disasters before they occur. Together, the New Zealand and Republic of Korea teams demonstrate how even highly specialized capabilities can expand the reach and effectiveness of a multinational mission.
“This experience of service members from different countries working together as one team, transcending differences in language and working methods by sharing their expertise and experience,” said ROKN Cmdr. Yang Mi-Young, commanding officer of 1st NMCB of the 59th Mobile Construction Squadron. “This will become a great asset for future mission execution, strengthen the alliance’s credibility, and reinforce the multilateral cooperation framework.”
During the PP26 mission stop in Malaysia, mission personnel from all LOEs toured the British Royal Navy Batch 2 River-class offshore patrol vessel HMS Tamar (P233) while pierside in Kota Kinabalu. The tour included several damage control demonstrations where PP26 participants sharpened their hose handling and pipe patching skills alongside one another.
From medical exchanges and engineering projects to disaster preparedness and host nation outreach engagements, the impact of Pacific Partnership 2026 has been shaped by the partner nations who all came together to make each effort possible. Together, their collective capabilities demonstrate when nations unite around a common purpose, individual strengths become a greater force for partnership, preparedness and regional resilience.
Now in its 22nd iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the region. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.
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