JULY 30, 2024 – The expeditionary fast transport ship USNS City of Bismarck (T-EPF 9) arrived at the Port of Legazpi in preparation for the start of Pacific Partnership 2024-2 humanitarian mission in the Philippines, July 30, 2024.
“It’s wonderful to return to the Philippines, where we look forward to training alongside the citizens of Legazpi’s medical and disaster relief personnel,” said Capt. Daniel J. Keeler, Pacific Partnership 24-2 mission commander. “Our nations share a rich history of collaboration, and we look forward to strengthening our enhanced cooperation and interoperability in the days and years ahead.”
Pacific Partnership visited Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, in 2022, San Fernando City, La Union in 2023 and will be in Legazpi, Albay from July 30 – Aug. 14, 2024.
“Combining the expertise of professional mariners with the skill of our Pacific Partnership forces makes our multilateral forces ready and versatile to respond to any event in the Indo-Pacific Region,” said Chris Jackson, ship’s master, “The USNS City of Bismarck is an incredibly diverse platform, with a 20,000 square feet mission bay that can be loaded to carry any cargo, making it ideal to bring Pacific Partnership back to the Philippines for the third consecutive year.”
The shallow-draft catamaran, designed for rapid and agile maneuverability for use at austere or degraded offload points, includes a flight deck to support day and night aircraft launch and recovery operations, with airline-style seating for 312 embarked forces and fixed berthing for 104 people.
Pacific Partnership fosters multilateral cooperation and emphasizes a multinational whole-of-government approach, by planning and executing operations with U.S. and partner nation militaries, interagencies, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations. This subsequently provides a strong foundation of trust and enhances our collective ability to respond in times of crisis.
The PP24-2 mission also includes stops in Vanuatu, Vietnam and the Federated States of Micronesia. Events are synchronized with the host nation and are organized according to their requests and needs.
Born out of the devastation brought by the December 2004 tsunami that swept through parts of South and Southeast Asia, Pacific Partnership began as a military-led humanitarian response to one of the world’s most catastrophic natural disasters. Building on the success and goodwill of this operation the U.S. helped spearhead the inaugural Pacific Partnership mission in 2006. This mission leveraged partner nation militaries and Non-Governmental Organizations proficiencies to expand disaster relief capacity in Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste.
Pacific Partnership, now in its 20th iteration, is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Each year the mission team works collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability capabilities, increase maritime security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.
For more information about Pacific Partnership visit, www.clwp.navy.mil/Pacific-Partnership.
Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Ryan McLearnon
Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific