Pacific Partnership enables participants from Fiji and the U.S to enhance disaster response capabilities

With the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Blue Pacific, the Pacific Partnership enables participants, including U.S. and Fijian personnel, to work together to enhance disaster response capabilities and foster new and enduring friendships.

At the invitation of Fiji, the Pacific Partnership conducted tailored humanitarian and civic preparedness activities in the areas of engineering, disaster response, public health and Fijian outreach events.

Commanding Officer of the USS Pearl Harbor ship Commander Sameer Khanna says from his observations, the community here, in general, is concerned about local disasters and things of that nature and also some of the abilities and cooperation between all the different nations watching them work together to successfully combat some of those issues.

Commander Khanna says he thinks the community engagements are improving and the partnership is a continuous event that continues to build on those foundations of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

He says from his perspective, it seems to be like a good cooperation and improvement.

He adds that everything that the crews of the ship experienced ever since they got into Fiji, seeing different parts of the Island and even when coming into the dock and how they were able to work with the port to secure a space at the port was very impressive.

Commander Khanna says the crew have learnt the cultural exchange just from interacting with the culture, the food, the shopping area and seeing the island and it will be an experience they will remember for a very long time.

This year’s mission was a joint effort featuring nearly 1500 personnel from Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The USS Pearl Harbor ship will be leaving our shores this Thursday.