Building Futures

By LT Michael Sardone, Officer in Charge of Civil Engineering Projects, Pacific Partnership 2011

Throughout this mission, the engineering component of Pacific Partnership has been building better futures for partner and host nations alike. As we move on to our fourth country, Timor-Leste, I have the opportunity to look back and see exactly what my Seabees and Sappers, or Australian engineers, have done to provide that improvement.

In Tonga, we helped establish a better future for seven local communities by refurbishing and rebuilding government offices. The people in these villages were so happy with the support we provided; they welcomed us into their houses for lunch as a sign of friendship and gratitude. In the end, my men and women – American and Australian – made lasting friends with Tongans of all ages.

In one of these locations, our Seabees worked alongside the Tonga Defence Force Engineers to replace a roof on a three-classroom school building in Taoa. This roof was blown off during a cyclone two years ago. The classrooms had not been used until the team replaced the roof in late April. The future of the children in this community looks a lot brighter now that they have the ability to use all six classrooms at their school, and their teachers will be able to take advantage of smaller class sizes. Hence, with one project we enabled the young Tongans to learn in small groups. Now the children have a better chance at higher education. And the teachers now feel safe – for themselves and their students – as they work.

When we got to Vanuatu our group of engineers grew to include the New Zealand Defence Force Engineers. This was a first for Pacific Partnership, but hopefully they will return every year.

Our multi-national team built three classroom structures, two toilet facilities and installed roofs on two schools. Now the local children will have no need to miss hours of school because they have to go home to use the restroom. Now they can study without the need to feel embarrassed about going to the bathroom outside. Here, too, a small change – building a bathroom – will impact a generation of school children.

As we leave Papua New Guinea, I look back upon the projects and ceremonies which have provided a connection between our team and the people of this country. We had a similar impact here that we had in Tonga and Vanuatu. Yet; the one that will stay with me for the remainder of my life will be the ribbon cutting at Bubia Primary School. Here, more than 1,500 people came to a small campus to show the engineers from the Pacific Partnership team their appreciation for the work we did on their behalf. We assisted in decreasing the overcrowded classrooms with the construction of two more classrooms and a water tower. And we fitted an existing bathroom facility with proper piping so that the building can be used properly without having to bring water from nearby water catchment tanks.

So as we move on to our next mission port we leave behind brighter futures for communities in Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea while building upon our relationships with our fellow host nation militaries. Without the assistance of these forces and local community involvement our mission would not have been such a success.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. The next blog post will be up in a few days.

Sincerely,
LT Michael Sardone, CEC, USN

LT Michael Sardone is the officer in charge of civil engineering projects for Pacific Partnership 2011. He is the mission commander’s primary advisor for all civil engineering projects, coordinates resources with the building teams which arrive up to a month before even the advance echelon, and he is the primary supervisor to determine the team’s ability to complete projects on time.

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Nursing Partners

By CDR Veronica Armstrong, PP11 Director of Nursing Services

Before I sat to eat an orange while talking to Patricia Mitiel-Gahanao, the Papua New Guinean nurse in charge at the Wampar Clinic, and Pendek Sitong, District Health Coordinator at the Angua Hospital, both in the city of Lae, I didn’t see a sink nearby to wash my hands so I used a small bottle of hand sanitizer I kept in my uniform pocket. Patricia and Pendek seemed curious. They were unfamiliar with the product I was using to clean my hands. I quickly learned that hand sanitizer is not readily available to them.

Their curiosity provided a perfect opportunity to discuss hand hygiene, a common practice to reduce the spread of infection.

Working by, with, and through Host Nations to increase Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HA/DR) interoperability is a resounding theme of Pacific Partnership 2011. So is sustainability. Leaving a lasting, positive impression on our host nation friends is as important as leaving them, and us, with a base of knowledge that can grow long after we leave this beautiful country. The conversation about hand hygiene I had with Patricia and Pendek was as important as the knowledge they gained from seeing the value in carrying a small bottle of hand sanitizer with them at all times.

And I am not alone. Pacific Partnership 2011 is fortunate to have registered nurses, not only from the US Navy and Army, but also from the Royal Australian Army and Air Force, and the Singaporean Navy as well. In fact, we also travel with a group of amazing nurses from Project Hope, a non-governmental organization that supports our mission. We all work together to improve the quality of life, albeit in modest ways, of the countries we visit. In doing so, we also prepare them – and our “whole of government” approach to HA/DR – for the next natural or manmade disaster.

Pacific Partnership 2011 has been able to integrate its nurses with host nation nurses to share common practices and learn from each other. Whether we are talking to Sister Meliame Tupou, Sister in Charge at Prince Wellington Ngu Hospital in Vava’u, Tonga, or Patricia at the Wampar Health Clinic in Papua New Guinea, we all work together as if we have been colleagues for years. Our common language is the health and well-being of our patients. We talk, share stories, compare skills, and collaborate as we help our patients navigate their health concerns.

My point is simple but I think critical to understanding the value of our mission in general and the work of our nurses in particular. There is genuine interest among the people we work with in learning “best practices” and sharing experiences. There is also a palpable desire to integrate new skills like hand hygiene into everyday practice. Frequently, the challenge to implement new skills seems, at both institutional and personal levels, is said to be finances – and availability of critical resources. However, our shared passion for taking care of patients and providing education to improve the health of those in our communities is the thread that binds us to one another. Money can’t be everything; caring and sharing can. Like Patricia, Pendek, and Sister Meliame, I will not forget this experience. They have taught me much about my profession – and our mission.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog. The next blog post should be up in a few days.

Sincerely,
CDR Veronica Armstrong, NC, USN

CDR Armstrong is the Director of Nursing Service for Pacific Partnership 2011. She is responsible for assigning nurses to medical civic action program sites, arranging subject matter expert exchanges and advising the medical team officer in charge on nursing issues.

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A Sapper’s Tale

By Lieutenant Michael Sipple, Pacific Partnership 2011 Australian Engineering Contingent Officer in Charge

The Pacific Partnership mission provides opportunities and experiences that are uncommon to the traditional role of the Sapper (soldier engineer). The Australian Army Engineers from Sydney’s 17th Construction Squadron, 6th Engineering Support Regiment have done a great job approaching these experiences with ready hands and open minds.
For the members of the engineering team, it is our first time on a ship. It is the first time we have worked along side US Navy Seabees. It is the first time for the majority of the members to use their trade overseas as international representatives of Australia, along with many other firsts.

The keystone to success for this mission is the relationships built with the U.S., the host nations’ defence forces, the civil organisations contributing to the mission, and, most importantly, the local community of each country we visit. Our success is built upon the ability of the Australian Sapper to walk into any situation and establish good relationships with people, using a light-hearted approach, a sense of humour, and a lot of compassion.

Each of our Sappers have established strong relationships with our Seabee colleagues, the ship’s crew, the host nations’ defence forces and the local people. These relationships allowed us to learn new construction techniques from US, Tongan, ni-Vanuatu and Papua New Guinean engineers. We reciprocate by sharing our knowledge.

For example, we were in Tonga, and we had a problem with some formwork. Americans, Tongans and Australians were all looking at the same problem. The Americans and Australians kept talking about difficult and time-consuming solutions while the Tongans remained silent. After a few minutes, a Tongan sergeant quietly walked up to the formwork and fixed the problem in less than a minute with no tools. He looked at us with a cheeky but modest smile before releasing an unforgettable laugh. The rest of us were left silently looking at each other before one of the lads broke the silence, “You must have learnt that when you were in Australia.”
The relationships built, especially with the host nations’ defence forces, creates an additional drive to complete each engineering task to the highest standard possible for the people of that country. Each engineering project culminates in a ribbon-cutting ceremony, along with a reception from the local community and deeply emotional speeches from all parties involved. The result is a misty-eyed handover of the finished project. Mission accomplished!

As Pacific Partnership moves forward, friendships continue to grow. Goodbyes will be made into a time of sadness. Whether that is with the movements clerk, the rescue swimmer, the medic, or our engineering colleagues, we will miss the mission. But we have made life-long friends, and that’s what Pacific Partnership is, in the end, all about.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. The next blog will be up in a few days.

Sincerely,

LT Michael Sipple, Royal Australian Engineers, Australian Regular Army

LT Sipple is the officer in charge of the Australian Army Engineering Contingent, ensuring the safe and timely construction of all engineering projects assigned to the Australian Army Engineering Contingent.

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Three Cups of Tea…

By CAPT Jesse A. Wilson, Pacific Partnership 2011 mission commander
Since recently departing Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu where the famed commodore of this Destroyer Squadron 23, Arleigh Burke, took command of the squadron, we have sailed through the waters in which the “Little Beavers” of Destroyer Squadron 23 received its trademark. Additionally, we have visited the beautiful city of Noumea, New Caledonia for a short period of rest and relaxation much like commodore Burke did in 1943. The goodwill and protection American servicemen brought to New Caledonia, along with their Lucky Strike cigarettes, chewing gum, and Coca-Cola, is still appreciated and memorialized today.

We have now arrived in Papua New Guinea for the fourth Pacific Partnership visit to this country in six years. This year’s mission brings us to the city of Lae, which is cradled by beautiful green mountain ranges and still holds the aura of WWII lore where General MacArthur’s Southwest Pacific forces stormed thru this very area. During this Memorial Day we will pay homage at the Lae War Memorial to the brave service personnel from all our partner nations who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the battles in this region.

When we arrived ashore in Lae, we were met by tribal dancers who greeted us with a welcoming “spear dance”. They knew we had come in peace and to work side-by-side with the people of Papua New Guinea to enhance quality of life, quality of service, and to collectively prepare for the next natural disaster.

They have welcomed us with open arms, and I am very excited about the partnership and friendships that will be enhanced and developed during our stay here.

Many of us have learned from Greg Mortenson’s book that “Three Cups of Tea” can lead to an enduring relationship towards humanitarian goals. However, in just the last few months traveling from Tonga to Vanuatu to New Caledonia, and now to Papua New Guinea, we have also learned that Three Cups of Tea equals:
- one coconut w/ a straw
- one bowl of kava
- a small glass of single malt scotch and a cigar
- a glass of red wine
- or simply a cold bottled water

And during the rest of our mission, I’m sure the list will grow.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Our next blog will be posted in a couple of days.

Sincerely,
Commodore Jesse A. Wilson
CAPT Jesse A. Wilson is the mission commander of Pacific Partnership 2011 and Commander, Destroyer Squadron 23 “The Little Beavers.”

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Old Friends; New Allies

By Tom Weinz, Pacific Partnership 2011 Foreign Service Liaison Officer

On occasions, diplomats make decisions which affect international relations in unintended ways. The United States, Australia and New Zealand were natural allies during WWII, and were later bound together diplomatically by the ANZUS treaty of 1951. During the 1980’s there was strong anti-nuclear sentiment throughout the South Pacific, primarily due to French nuclear tests on the Mururoa Atoll, followed by the ill-advised sinking of the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in Auckland harbor by French forces in 1985. Based on these events and popular sentiment, New Zealand denied any visits to U.S. Navy ships which might be either nuclear powered or carrying nuclear weapons. In 1984, the U.S. government suspended its treaty obligations to New Zealand under ANZUS, calling New Zealand “…a friend, but not an ally.” That characterization became ever more awkward over the years, and hampered US/NZ cooperation following the tragic events of 9/11.

In November of 2010, the Obama administration officially ended the diplomatic rift, when Secretary Clinton and her New Zealand counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully, signed a brief agreement following meetings in Wellington, New Zealand. Known as the Wellington Declaration, the document calls for “…a new strategic partnership between the United States of America and New Zealand.” Disaster response management is singled out as a key joint initiative our two countries must address. This is a reaffirmation of the close historical ties between America and New Zealand, and it is singularly significant in providing focus and stressing cooperation in achieving our common goals in the South Pacific region.

Pacific Partnership 2011 is an excellent example of real-world results based on diplomatic treaties which may or may not provide deliverables. New Zealand has participated in Pacific Partnership throughout its short history, usually by sending medical officers aboard an American ship. But based on the Wellington Declaration, New Zealand contributed its multi-purpose ship, the HMNZS CANTERBURY, to Pacific Partnership 2011 in Tonga and Vanuatu. The Commanding Officer of CANTERBURY, Captain Jim Gilmour, graciously invited the American Commodore of PP11, Captain Jesse Wilson, to move his pennant (that is, transfer his command authority) to the CANTERBURY from April 24 in Tonga until May 9 in Vanuatu. Commodore Wilson transferred his command to CANTERBURY before departing Tonga; his entire staff was also welcomed aboard, where they remained for the entire Vanuatu mission. During our time in Vanuatu, personnel and sailors traded places on CANTERBURY and CLEVELAND, and carried out a number of interoperability exercises while taking part in a real-world humanitarian effort. This was not a photo op; this was a long-overdue return from “friend” back to “ally.”

The Wellington Declaration also commits to “…deeper and broader people-to-people ties,” which is a natural corollary to the philosophy which guides all Pacific Partnership interactions among partner and host nation peoples. One of the strongest memories ni-Vanuatu (as the people of Vanuatu are known) retain from observing American and other Allied soldiers during World War II is that of people of different races, appearances and beliefs working together as a unit and treating locals with respect and dignity. Pacific Partnership 2011 has taken the lead in making the Wellington Declaration a meaningful and active statement, and we look forward to many future cooperative efforts with our allies in New Zealand as we strive together to create the foundation of a more secure, tolerant and cooperative world.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. The next blog post should be up in a few days.

Best,

Tom Weinz

Tom Weinz serves as the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Liaison Officer (FSLO) to PP11. He contributes regular blogs to the official DOS blog site, DipNote.

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Impressions From the Trenches

By Dr. Joanne Bennett, Project Hope

Obviously, Vanuatu and Tonga are very different from New York City – physically, geographically, environmentally, and in terms of people’s specific health problems. But in terms of public health process, there are a lot of similarities, even though some concerns might be prioritized differently. The essential services are the same and the community-focused and system-focused interventions needed to achieve public health goals are the same. The challenge here and at home is always about prioritizing the use of resources and developing policies that can bring about healthier communities.

Since public health is about preventing problems, effective public health can be invisible in the U.S. Less-resourced countries can be more public health oriented than we are in the U.S., and the effects of focused public health campaigns can be very apparent when a long-standing problem is eliminated or sharply reduced. But “know-how” is not one of the resources in limited supply here. We had a conference with local counterparts on one of our first days here to share information and experience in addressing diabetes and women’s health issues. Whenever an American presenter on a topic followed a ni-Vanuatu presenter, the American (Navy presenter) would say, “well almost everything I planned to say has been covered” and the subsequent time was spent in case discussions or sharing case management approaches.

Social mobilization and promoting public awareness is a strength of the local health care system. The Navy could learn a lot about community health education and health promotion from the ni-Vanuatu. Probably the craziest idea the PP11 folks had was thinking they would organize community health education activities, especially using folks who don’t even do that kind of activity at home.

What Pacific Partnership has provided is the human resources –a lot of boots on the ground and in the clinics–to provide a substantial amount of health screenings, dental work, and eye care to the Sanma province in a short period of time. This infusion of help is especially timely, given Vanuatu’s extreme shortage of health workers, and the attention diverted to the typhoon and earthquakes in other parts of Vanuatu in recent months.

The number one health problem in the U.S., smoking, is not quite such a big problem in Vanuatu, although there needs to be an effort to counter marketing so it stays that way.

For me, personally, one of the things very different from home has been the diversity of tasks. At a large health department, such as New York City’s, activities are divided across multiple bureaus. Over the last month, I’ve done hospital inspections, reviewed medical records and laboratory logs, made home visits, and went to schools to give immunizations, among other things. The U.S. has gotten away from the district approach used in Tonga and Vanuatu. For example, NYC DOHMH staff do all that, and more, but no one person would have such abroad array of tasks within a week’s timeframe. So a so-called “working vacation” has really been a lot of fun – and almost not like working at all.

The intense short-term nature of the project in each place is also challenging. One ‘connects’ with one or more local counterparts, and it seems that you’ve barely gotten past ‘hello’ and you’re withdrawing.

Public health is always very data-driven and one cannot help but be impressed by the detailed record-keeping systems in both Tonga and Vanuatu – all by hand, although Tonga began to launch an electronic system in 2008.

The Navy experience ….. Of course, the one thing that makes PP11 unique from the other international work I’ve done in the past has been living on a Navy ship and living and working alongside not only Navy personnel, but also the other military services not only from U.S., but also Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. I bet that’s a bigger challenge for the ship’s crew and other Navy hosts than it is for us civilians. Everyone was warmly welcoming and enthusiastically friendly, with lots of patience to help us learn our way around the ship and to adjust to all the routines that Navy folks would take for granted. Before I left home, a coworker had just returned from a cruise in the Caribbean and everyone had quite a chuckle seeing the berthing photos in my ‘welcome aboard the USS Cleveland’ packet gave.

Commercials for those fancy cruise ships boast rock walls and swimming pools, but I wouldn’t trade my month of mustering on the flight deck and riding in to shore on the LCU for any of those fancier amenities. I’m looking forward to meeting sailors during Fleet Week and telling them that I’m a crusty shellback. And more seriously, I’ll be thinking about the Navy and Army nurses I met here, true experts with a wealth of experience that they shared. Their versatility and flexibility are huge. Coming from California, Washington, Hawaii, and Okinawa, some of them had previously worked in Iraq and others were headed to Afghanistan. They make it seem like the shift from stateside to war zone to humanitarian service is an easy one, and recognizing their ability and readiness to do that is humbling.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Our next blog will be posted in a couple of days.

Sincerely,

Joanne

Dr. Joanne Bennett is a nurse who participated in Pacific Partnership 2011. She is a research scientist working for the New York City Department of Hygiene and Mental Health

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Recalling Conversations With Vanuatu

By Nutan Patel, PP11 Civilian/Military Affairs

Vanuatu, the second country on our journey through the South Pacific is another which most people have never heard of, unless you like to dive (the wreck of USS Calvin Coolidge is one of the best dive spots in the world) or watched the season of Survivor that took place here.
My expectations had been set rather high after our successful visit to Tonga, and I was looking forward to learning more about the region, and about how PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP touches the lives of those we meet. Of course, I am always also looking for ways that we can improve.
To take a step back, the common thread that runs through this entire region is World War II. It is somewhat difficult, living in America, to understand how much that period of time pervades the consciousness of those that live in the South Pacific. For most, WWII is a story their grandfather told them, or that they read about in their 7th grade history book. As our Greatest Generation passes on, WWII begins to fade from view, replaced with Vietnam, the Gulf War and 9/11.
But here, as in Tonga, that is not the case. The first event that took place in the Conversations series here was with local WWII era survivors. I cannot describe to you the emotion that is in the voices of people who tell stories of Americans who worked, lived and fought on this island during that time. Commodore Wilson and Ambassador Taylor spent a few hours listening to these men and women, who were just children in the 40s, but are now the chiefs of their communities.
During that gathering, one of the village elders said, “the Americans were here to protect us.” It brought me back to Tonga again, as it echoed the words of the Honorable Chief Fotu when he said “America means security.” Additionally, the Mission Co-Commander for Vanuatu, Secretary General Joel Path told Commodore Wilson, “The last time the U.S. was here, you not only won the war in the Pacific, but you also won the war on mosquitoes here on the island of Santo, as the Navy Seabees filled in all of what was once swamp land and made habitable the current town of Luganville.”
If safety and security mark one aspect of our presence in the region, then our next conversation, with the Peace Corps in Vanuatu marked one entirely different. It is here we came to find an unintended but very important aspect of our visit: changing perceptions. One of the Peace Corps workers said to us, it is “good we are here, as it shows America is not just about the ‘white man.’” As I looked across the PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP team recently, it struck me what a multinational, multicultural group of people we truly are, and it amazes me that our presence can have such a profound effect; we are showing people what is possible.
Our last conversation in Vanuatu focused on that aspect, as I spoke to Ms. Ketty Napwaat, the director of the University of South Pacific, Santo Center. She implored us to do more, to have greater interaction with the youth of Vanuatu, the future of her country. She professed that many of the locals don’t understand why we are really here, that it is about an exchange of information, it is about teaching skills that ni-Vanuatu can use after we leave.
It is here I also discovered a perception that we were unaware of, the perception that we could be doing more. I didn’t understand at first what she meant, but as she described the fact that we brought nearly 1000 people to Vanuatu, and only a portion of that is seen in their towns and villages, I began to understand.
I want to take a moment to thank the men and women that comprise the crews of the USS CLEVELAND and HMNZS CANTERBURY. When PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP visits a country, and puts doctors, engineers and educators ashore, it is only because the nearly 500 sailors onboard these ships got us there. They work tirelessly behind the scenes to provide the support that makes the mission happen. I had no idea how tough this work can be until I embarked this ship in San Diego to join PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP. As I explained this to Ketty, she began to understand that each and every person we bring has a role that may not be visible to the ni-Vanuatu.
Education. Diversity. History. PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP brought all of these, and more, to the nation of Vanuatu, and the sailors, soldiers, marines, doctors, nurses, and engineers were able to take away just as much. I look ahead to our next mission country, Papua New Guinea, and can only hope that I meet, and have conversations with, people of such rare caliber. I look forward to learning more as we go.
See you in Lae!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Our next blog will be posted in a couple of days.

Sincerely,
Nutan

Nutan Patel is the Pacific Partnership 2011 civilian-military coordinator. She is responsible for maintaining the lines of communication between the military chain of command and civilian participants, mission assessment, and host nation engagement for Pacific Partnership 2011.

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HMNZS Canterbury

By CDR J. L. Gilmour, Commanding Officer HMNZS Canterbury

I type this as the New Zealand participation in Pacific Partnership 2011 draws to a close. USS CLEVELAND (CLE) and HMNZS CANTERBURY have exchanged salutes and are proceeding on duties assigned after a successful mission on Santo, Vanuatu and little liberty time to recharge batteries in the city of Noumea, New Caledonia. It seems to me like it was just yesterday that CANTERBURY was at anchor at the tiny Tongan island of Niuatoputapu delivering our soldiers ashore to complete engineering and medical tasks. It was whilst we were there (a month ago now) that we got our first glimpse of CLE as she headed past allowing one of her MH60′s to drop on to our flight deck. On board was COMDESRON 23 Commodore, Captain Jesse Wilson USN, taking his first look at our ship. He would return to CANTERBURY a couple of days later with his staff, moving his pennant over to our flag deck for almost a month. It can’t be overstated what a big deal this has been for the Royal New Zealand Navy. As far as we can research, this is the first time a USN Mission Commander has shifted his pennant to a New Zealand ship………..ever.

As Captain Wilson has stated in his blog, this has been a mission of many firsts. The first time a New Zealand warship has participated in Pacific Partnership, first time in over 28 years that the USN and the RNZN have exercised together as full partners, first time a pennant has come our way from the USN, first time Vanuatu has participated in Pacific Partnership, first time a US Naval Officer has officially represented the US military at an ANZAC Day Commemoration parade (New Zealand and Australia’s Veterans Day). I now hope that New Zealand’s participation in Pacific Partnership (and other exercises) can become a regular occurrence.

Now that we have wrapped up our time in New Caledonia and thus our part in Pacific Partnership 2011, I can honestly say that these six weeks have been one of the most satisfying in my career. The US contingent from Commodore to Seaman are the most professional and hardworking group of people you could ever wish to work with.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Our next blog will be posted in a couple of days.

Harae Ra,
Jim Gilmour

CDR James Gilmour is the commanding officer of HMNZS Canterbury.

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Paving the Way to Enhanced Partnerships

By CAPT Jesse A. Wilson, Pacific Partnership 2011 mission commander

As we sailed away from the shores of Vanuatu, I saw yet another successful mission accomplished by our PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP 2011 team start to fade in our wake. I have to give many thanks to our host nation Co-Mission Commander Secretary General Joel Path, and my assigned translator and new friend Mrs. Ketty Napwatt. They truly embraced our presence here and taught not only me, but our entire PP11 team about the genuine hospitality and warmth of the people of Vanuatu, and the common bonds that we share. During the first day of our visit, they took me on a tour of Santo along the newly completed and christened Santo East Coast road which was constructed as part of a cooperative venture between the Millennium Challenge Corp (MCC), a U.S. government organization, and NZAID. As they pointed out the historical aspects of the island, and I was viewing the beauty throughout, I knew that this road and the many interactions we would have here were paving the way to enhanced partnerships.

Our mission to Vanuatu contained a series of firsts. It was the first participation of Vanuatu in the PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP mission; it was the first time a U.S. Commander had shifted the command pennant to a New Zealand ship; and it was the first time a U.S. Military representative had participated in the ANZAC day celebration with our Australian, New Zealand, and French brethren in Vanuatu.

The very capable, diverse, international, and whole of government team we have assembled for this mission is inspiring. By, with, and through the host nation, the team built 3 classroom buildings (one of which contained two classrooms), two 6 stall restrooms for two primary schools, installed ten water catchment devices to greatly increase dry-season water access, administered medical care to over 6700 patients at 6 medical and dental civic action project (MED/DENCAP) sites (some in remote locations unreachable via road), distributed 37 pallets of donated items, and conducted 13 community service events, just to name a few things.

Additionally, the professionalism and support provided by HMNZS Canterbury’s fine crew and embarked land forces as well as the Australian landing craft crews of Betano and Balikpapan was seamless and simply fantastic. I will long cherish the time I spent aboard Canterbury getting to know the New Zealand service members, and engaging in the joint planning of our mission. I salute CDR Gilmour and his team again and look forward to many more engagements between our two navies in the future.

I was asked while I was in Vanuatu, “Are you here to remind Vanuatu what the U.S did here during WWII?” My answer: “We did not have to come here to remind Vanuatu what we did here in WWII…they never forgot…matter of fact, they are reminding us.”

The evidence is all around. U.S. Seabees constructed the original roads of Santo and filled in the swamps of what is now the current town of Luganville where we were moored and anchored. The Seabees also dug the well that sustains life to this day in the town of Luganville. The locals also report that President Kennedy’s PT Boat Squadron spent some time here as well during the war.

I also had the unique opportunity to have the U.S. Ambassador to Vanuatu, Teddy Taylor, here for the entire visit. We both heard the stories from the village chiefs and elders of how they appreciated the U.S and partner nation support and friendship now and during the war. The World War II stories they told us under the banyan tree at Hog Harbour are indicative that they have not forgotten.

The young people of Vanuatu also embraced our team and they particularly enjoyed the Pacific Fleet Band. However, it was the young college students, the future of Vanuatu, who participated during the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response conference that was the most impressive. They will see to it that our collective team is able to work more effectively together for many years to come to stem the tide of all types of natural and man-made disasters.

The time spent in Vanuatu will be greatly cherished, and I look forward to returning and driving along the new Santo East Coast Road…seeing the new trees we have planted and the new partnerships we have made…if not on the next mission, then on holiday.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Our next blog will be posted in a couple of days.

Sincerely,
CAPT Jesse A. Wilson

CAPT Jesse A. Wilson is the mission commander of Pacific Partnership 2011 and Commander, Destroyer Squadron 23 “The Little Beavers.”

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The Enduring Legacy of Human Relationships- CDR Ashley Papp

By CDR Ashley Papp, Royal Australian Navy

The relationships, and friendships, that develop between people in varying circumstances become the legacy that endures through generations. The Anzac spirit, which the Australian and New Zealand Pacific Partnership contingent members aboard USS Cleveland celebrated poignantly underway in the Pacific Ocean at dawn, remains just as strong today as ever. The dawn service was attended by hundreds of our US counterparts, eager to witness for the first time what the legend of Anzac Day is about, and why it means so much to us.

The legacy our current Anzacs are responsible for, whether in Afghanistan or other operational theatres, at home in remote Australian communities, or in the distant locations in the Pacific our team are visiting on this mission, is that when friends need help in time of need, that friendship from those that deliver that help is never forgotten. The Anzac code remains as meaningful now as it was in 1915: mates come first; every life is precious; duty is still duty even when it requires real courage; and service to others must always come before self.

I’ve had the chance to visit some of the most remote locations I’ve ever been to, as I travel around Vanuatu looking at the great work our team is doing. Some of these sites can only be accessed by helicopter, and one particular circumstance yesterday invoked memories of World War II from Vanuatu elders who assisted the US and allied forces in the Pacific. Although no fighting occurred in Vanuatu itself, the stories I heard yesterday about seeing enemy and allied planes and ships, and hearing distant gunfire and bombings, showed the esteem in which the local people remember the help that came to protect them. Those emotional retrospectives were meshed with new enthusiasm as most of the villagers had never seen a helicopter before.

Sometimes that legacy is in the form of a photograph, and many of those memories have been vividly captured on this deployment by our talented imagery specialists. The legacy could be in the form of a 1943-stamped Coca Cola bottle, left in Vanuatu by US troops and found this week by one of the liaison team members (the locals remember Coke apparently tasting better then than it does now!), or the legacy could be in the story that is told by a mother to her child on how the Australian, New Zealand or American doctors, nurses, medics and dentists fixed an ailment that improved the way of life for a parent or a child of a family.

Or that legacy could be in the form of a small plaque in the corner of a classroom, which reminds children and parents of the time when friends visited and replaced the roof, or built a toilet block so the children could stay at school during the day, and may inspire some of the children to strive to become a future Prime Minister, or teacher, or soldier, or nurse.

That legacy is strong in the hearts of the Pacific Partnership team members, who have travelled a long way from their homes to do good for others alongside their friends. Whether that good is reducing the mosquito populations in remote villages, educating the community on the risks and prevention of diabetes, or stitching up farming accident wounds, people don’t forget help from friends.

So the Anzac legacy lives on, and is renewed for the next generation. Lest we forget.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Our next blog will be posted in a couple of days.

Yours aye,
Commander Ashley M. Papp, RAN

CDR Ashley Papp is the Australian Defence Force Contingent Commander for Pacific Partnership 2011.

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