PACIFIC OCEAN —
The 13th annual Pacific Partnership mission concluded today after completing mission stops in Japan and throughout South and Southeast Asia.
The annual multilateral, multiservice mission featured partner nation counterparts working together in eight Indo-Pacific nations to improve disaster response preparedness and enhance relationships across the region.
The Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy conducted mission stops in Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Japan, while the expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Brunswick made separate mission stops in Yap, Palau, Malaysia and Thailand. During these mission stops, the Pacific Partnership team conducted 765 host-nation engagements covering four lines of effort: medical, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, engineering, and community relations.
“It has truly been an honor to lead the dynamic men and women of Pacific Partnership 18,” said Navy Capt. David Bretz, Pacific Partnership 18 mission commander. “This mission is something myself, along with our entire team from Mercy and Brunswick will never forget. We set out to strengthen the bonds with our host and partner nations, and we achieved this with resounding success. I could not have done it without the hard work and dedication of our entire team and it is something I will look…
