Now in its seventeenth yr, Pacific Partnership is the most important annual multinational humanitarian help and catastrophe aid preparedness mission performed within the Indo-Pacific.
Captain Charles Maynard, Royal Navy, a part of the mission’s multinational command and management construction, serves because the PP22 deputy mission commander.
“Having a world deputy is an effective way of claiming how essential the accomplice’s ingredient in Pacific Partnership is,” stated Maynard. “Moreover and equally essential are the host nations we can be visiting, and all of the thrilling issues that we’re going to do like medical, engineering, humanitarian help and catastrophe aid (HADR) coaching and outreach actions. This yr Pacific Partnership for the UK is a fairly a major contribution, and I’m delighted and honored to be the deputy commander.”
Every year, the Pacific Partnership group works collectively with host and accomplice nations to boost regional interoperability and catastrophe response capabilities, improve safety and stability within the area, and foster new and enduring friendships within the Indo-Pacific. Mercy serves as PP22’s mission platform.
“Mercy offers this wonderful functionality when it comes to variety of those who now we have right here, the medical vary of actions that we are able to present and the specializations and capabilities of the folks now we have with us,” stated Maynard. “Everyone seems to be important to verify this mission runs as efficiently as it may be. I need to make it possible for each particular person seems like they’re a part of the mission and their contribution is as essential as another person’s.”
This yr, the UK’s contributions to Pacific Partnership prolong past the mission’s deputy commander. Later within the mission, HMS Tamar (P233), a Royal Navy ship, will be a part of the Pacific Partnership group. Moreover, Lt. Lesley Hailey, a navy medical planner from the UK and Pacific Partnership alumna, is at the moment embarked aboard Mercy, together with Maynard.
“I used to be a part of Pacific Partnership again in 2016 on the dental group, however my present job is Medical Service Officer (MSO), working with the medical planning group,” stated Hailey. “For every port go to, we plan and schedule medical occasions that happen like side-by-side engagements and environmental well being all the way in which as much as surgical procedure onboard.”
Hailey believes participation in Pacific Partnership has many advantages.
“It’s an awesome alternative to have the ability to work with totally different militaries and are available out on an American ship,” stated Hailey. “I’m studying extra about my job, issues that I can take that again and incorporate within the UK. Pacific Partnership is totally different, thrilling and gratifying to be part of as a result of we’re supporting different nations and giving again.”
Australian Defence Pressure (ADF) officers representing the Army, Navy and Air Pressure embarked Mercy as effectively. These members kind a Gender, Peace and Safety (GPS) Crew that goals to work with host and accomplice nations, specializing in the human rights of probably the most weak members of society throughout catastrophe and disaster responses as addressed by the United Nations Safety Council Decision 1325.
This core group can be joined by ADF medical personnel, who will present specialised help throughout port visits all through the mission.
Royal Australian Navy Lieutenant Vicky Nguyen stated it’s essential for leaders to grasp GPS rules in all conditions and operations and to make sure significant dialogue round how battle impacts women and men otherwise.
“After I partake in planning of operations again in Australia, I consider the gender impacts and the way it’s that I might contain extra girls to have a voice and a seat on the desk,” stated Nguyen.
Australian Army Main Andy Carroll-Keays stated that in PP22, the group plans to teach others on the position of GPS concerns in HADR operations.
“There’s a particular occasion the place now we have been requested to offer a Ladies’s, Peace, Safety presentation throughout a humanitarian help disaster-relief workshop, and we’re working with train planners to offer further engagement alternatives,” stated Carroll-Keays.
The PP22 mission affords the GPS group a possibility to current their information and experience with each host and accomplice nations. Their goal is to make it possible for the basics behind GPS are being practiced and put into place in all facets of planning.
“[Our goal is] broadening the final information of GPS and the motion plans on the market,” stated Royal Australian Air Pressure Flight Lieutenant Sophia Maling. “There’s not a selected spot for GPS for the time being like there needs to be, but it surely must be introduced into the planning course of to spherical issues out.”
“What makes me most proud or completely happy to be right here is we as a coalition group are studying how to reply to battle and catastrophe aid,” added Australian Army Captain Isabella Negus. “We’re additionally having a information sharing eco-system with nations we’re going to. It’s all about partnership, trusting one another, studying from one another and in the end getting ready for when the subsequent catastrophe occurs with the intention to be able to go and assist.”
Pacific Partnership is a unifying mission that fosters enduring friendship and cooperation amongst many countries. The benchmark for mission success is interlaced with the collective efforts of all PP22 group members.
“If we’re going to have a profitable mission, we have to have the response from the host nations that they really feel our presence is genuinely worthwhile, essential, and that we make a distinction,” stated Maynard. “If they’ll say our contributions have made a distinction to their lives, that’s in all probability a very powerful factor.”
