The United States Embassy in Kolonia Welcomes Pacific Partnership 2011!

By Peter A. Prahar, U.S. Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia
When U.S.S. Cleveland arrives July 3 for Pacific Partnership 2011, it will mark another chapter in demonstrating the enduring commitment of the United States to the people of the Federated States of Micronesia.

I am confident that the work over the next ten days of the more than 700 doctors, nurses, engineers, and veterinarians from the United States, along with partners from Malaysia, Australia, Japan, Canada, and Spain who are participating in Pacific Partnership 2011, will leave an everlasting impact.

The Pacific Partnership team has already done great work in Tonga, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste. Their successful medical, dental, and engineering efforts have made a strong contribution to many communities. On the Pacific Partnership website, you can see that these 700 experts have made thousands of men, women and children smile with their efforts.

I look forward to seeing this continue here in Micronesia, where Pacific Partnership will be conducting activities in all four states. All ten days of this mission are filled with great events – and all of them will contribute to the special relationship between the FSM and the United States.
On Pohnpei, I hope that everyone will take the opportunity to witness the ribbon cutting ceremonies for the reconstruction and repainting of various schools, clinics, and community centers. I also hope everyone will come out to cheer on their local soccer, softball, and basketball teams who will be playing the U.S. Navy in friendly matches. Or come listen to the U.S. Navy band, which will provide hours of fun and entertainment!

A big thank you to everyone in the Pacific Partnership mission as well to all the local partners who have contributed to making these events possible.
On behalf of the Government of the United States, I welcome Pacific Partnership 2011 to the Federated States of Micronesia!

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

Sincerely,
Ambassador Peter A. Prahar

Peter A. Prahar, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service of the United States, has been the United States Ambassador to Micronesia since 2009. Prior to this assignment, , he served as Director of the Office of Asian, African, and European Programs in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Desk Officer for Rwanda, and overseas tours in the People’s Republic of China, Japan, Albania, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mali. He also served with the OSCE in Kosovo and Vienna and with the Kosovo Diplomatic Observer Mission in Kosovo. He and his wife, Amy Kit Ling Choi Prahar, were married when both were students at International Christian University in Tokyo. He is a native of Oregon and a graduate of the University of Michigan.

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Recalling Conversations with Timor-Leste

By Nutan Patel, Pacific Partnership 2011 Civilian/Military Affairs
Dili, Timor-Leste, a place very different from any we have visited thus far, is an eclectic and metropolis-like city rediscovering itself with a beautiful waterfront and a variety of ethnic cuisines. As we pull away from this port, I think it is one of my favorites—although I must admit I have a major weak spot when it comes to food, so maybe I’m biased.

It is no secret that Timor-Leste had rough beginnings. Timor-Leste, earlier known as East Timor, was colonized by Portugal in the 16th century, gaining its independence in 1975. Later that year, however, it was invaded by Indonesia, an occupation that ultimately resulted in tens of thousands of Timorese deaths until the country finally regained independence in 2002. Today, Timor-Leste is a young country working to build political stability with the help of the international community. And with this broad mix of international actors, I would say that PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP blended in quite well.

Coincidentally, not only does Timor-Leste currently have a large international presence in-country, it was also here that we had the most partner nation participation of the mission. I was impressed to see representatives from six regional nations, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea, in addition to the U.S., sit down together for dinner aboard the USS CLEVELAND with the Mission Commander. Sitting at the table, I was taken aback by the visual illustration of partnership at its best.

My lasting memory from that dinner, however, is a moment shared between lost “brothers.” A kind, soft-spoken Timorese Captain, a former guerilla fighter, gave one of our Indonesian shipriders what I can only describe as an embrace. It was a moment to see. I suppose this is how we move forward, by looking at the nature of the person before you, seeing their similarities and engaging in conversation as people who share so much in common. Moments like these make this mission truly unique. It is amazing to be part of something that is helping to bring people together from all walks of life and world.
It is also amazing to see how well PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP was received in a country that is seemingly inundated with international aid. In a country where it is inherently difficult to make a splash, we appeared to be taking steps in the right direction, particularly when emphasizing our efforts to assist with providing sustainable solutions. A truly independent, stable country requires sustainable remedies and long-term partners, as opposed to transient quick fixes. This is something well understood by the people of Timor-Leste. I was impressed; it appears as though the people of Timor-Leste are looking forward with the right frame of mind and heart.

As we leave this country, I am reminded that PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP has been such a dynamic experience, exposing us all to so many different cultures, climates and waters. I find myself becoming increasingly nostalgic as we make our way to our last stop, the Federated States of Micronesia.

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

Sincerely,
Nutan Patel

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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Thank you to Pacific Partnership 2011!

By Ambassador Judith R. Fergin

Pacific Partnership is all about people — the fresh connections we make, the friendships we renew, the children and families we serve. Our Timorese hosts and our multinational partners pulled out all the stops during this year’s mission, delivering camaraderie along with health and engineering services to ensure that Pacific Partnership 2011′s legacy will endure.
Pacific Partnership 2011 in Timor-Leste was:

• The trusting face of a little girl facing dental surgery.

• The runners, walkers, wheelchair racers, and fans rocking to the music of the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Band at the Dili “City of Peace” Marathon.

• A Veterinary student from the US and a farmer from Port Hera working together to catch a pig during animal husbandry seminars, it was successful but very muddy.

• The high school students who study English after school with U.S. Embassy financial support enjoying the awesome tour of the USS Cleveland.

• Specialists repairing crucial equipment at the Oecusse Hospital.

• Communities of the Becora sub-district benefiting from a 10,000-liter water tank installed by U.S. Navy Seabees and their Australian counterparts in collaboration with the Dili water supply administration.

• A Navy corpsman blowing bubbles to soothe and entertain a sick child.

• An elderly man in Iliomar exclaiming “solok!” (“happy!”) when gazing through his first-ever pair of eyeglasses.

At the closing ceremony, we celebrated the medical, veterinary, optical, dental, engineering, and military accomplishments and exchanges that spanned 8 of Timor-Leste’s 13 districts. We celebrated our joint success in providing services to hard-to-reach regions. Best of all, we celebrated the companionship, the professional links, and the people-to-people encounters that made Pacific Partnership 2011 so special.

Whether we are working together to help disaster victims in other countries or to build a prosperous Timor-Leste, the relationships built during Pacific Partnership are the foundation for a peaceful future. Congratulations to all the participants on a job well done, and grateful thanks to the government and people of Timor-Leste. Once again, those who came to Timor-Leste as visitors are departing as friends.

Fair winds and following seas, Pacific Partnership 2011!

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

Sincerely,
Ambassador Judith R. Fergin

Ambassador Fergin is the U.S. Ambassador to Timor Leste

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Preventive Medicine: Just Say ‘No’ to Bugs

By LT Lori Perry, M.D., M.P.H., Preventive Medicine Officer

My top three pet peeves when it comes to my job are, in no particular order:

1. When people call it “Preventative” Medicine. No offense. It’s just one of those things.
2. You have to eat the buffalo chicken MRE if you want Reese’s Pieces.
3. Very few people seem to know, strictly speaking, what it is we do at work.

Part of the problem with the last one is that our Corpsmen, the Preventive Medicine Technicians (PMTs), don’t look like your typical Corpsmen. When people think of a Navy Corpsman, they usually picture a rugged young man (or woman, but don’t try to call her “rugged”) with a stethoscope around his neck, compassion in his eyes as he tends to the wounds of a fallen comrade. PMTs, on the other hand, tend to lurk about in a vaguely disapproving—yet medical—manner. They like to tell you that you have a Critical Discrepancy, and although you don’t know what a Critical Discrepancy is, you immediately understand the gravity of the situation because they are writing it on a clipboard.

Navy Preventive Medicine can be thought of as a local public health department. Our responsibilities usually include, but are not limited to:
• Food inspections (this is where critical discrepancies come in)
• Testing and treating water for potability
• Making sure that base schools, day cares, barber shops, and gyms are up to health standards
• Infection control and surveillance of diseases of military importance
• Immunization distribution and program management
• Research and policy making
Basically, you could say that our primary mission is force health protection. Keeping the troops healthy is the bottom line in Preventive Medicine, but it’s especially meaningful as part of Pacific Partnership 2011. We get to deploy with, live with, and work alongside those we were sent to protect. This time, our “troops” include not only other branches of the U.S. military, foreign militaries, and civilians from around the globe, but also the host nations who have been gracious enough to welcome us to their shores.

We got to visit every village on the island of Va’vau in Tonga, testing and treating water catchment tanks of several homes, schools, and town halls. In Vanuatu, we got the chance to work with local practitioners and helped to develop their community health outreach programs. We’ve killed mosquitoes in Papua New Guinea and taught some microbiology in Timor Leste. And then we cited each other for having Critical Discrepancies (don’t ever say Preventive Medicine doesn’t know how to have a good time.)

PP11 has been, for me at least, a very humbling experience. I set out from my parent command in Camp Pendleton, CA thinking we were going to bring aid to these host nations. But what we’ve gotten in return far outweighs whatever pesticide or PowerPoint presentations we were able to leave behind. The public health personnel we’ve had the opportunity to meet do so much with so little, yet with so much dignity and national pride. I hope to take a fraction of this back home with me. Preventative Medicine will be all the better for it.

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

Sincerely,
LT Lori Perry

Lori Perry is a Preventive Medicine physician, assigned to the medical team for Pacific Partnership 2011. She is responsible for force health protection and public health education and program development.

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Pacific Partnership 2011 Arrives in Dili

By Ambassador Judith R. Fergin

The USS Cleveland arrived in beautiful Dili harbor on June 16. We at the U.S. Mission joined the citizens, civic leaders, and government officials of Timor-Leste in eager anticipation of welcoming Pacific Partnership back. It is no wonder. During previous Pacific Partnership visits, medical personnel have treated tens of thousands of people at clinics all around the country. Veterinarians have treated livestock and consulted with farmers. Engineers have rebuilt and repainted schools, clinics, and community centers. Volunteers have visited dozens of schools and orphanages and helped deliver donations of supplies and toys. Shipboard players have courageously (but not necessarily victoriously) met the national youth team on the soccer field. Most important, Pacific Partnerships have built strong and lasting friendships with many thousands of Timorese.

Pacific Partnership 2011 will achieve all this and more. Over the next week, the United States – working with friends from Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and Spain – will lend a helping hand here. Every partner had entrants in the second Dili Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 7-kilometer walk through the City of Peace on May 18. Pacific Partnership medics treated and re-hydrated athletes in need while the U.S. Navy band cheered the race finishers and the thousands of enthusiastic fans and supporters who enjoyed the brilliant weather and the friendly atmosphere while dancing to the marathon-tempo beats.

Timor-Leste offers a unique dimension to this multinational service mission. With leadership of Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Health and the unstinting support of the Timor-Leste Armed Forces, other partners joining Pacific Partnership here include the peacekeepers — the International Stabilization Force under Australian and New Zealand command and the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste. How better to reinforce confidence in this young nation’s bright future than this “projeitu ba dame” — project of peace.

Pacific Partnership is the perfect symbol of the relationship between the United States and Timor-Leste. We enjoy an enduring partnership founded on common interests, from championing human rights and democracy around the world to extending a helping hand to people in need. Timor-Leste has generously offered $500,000 to the victims of the recent destructive tornados in central and southern United States. I look forward to accompanying Pacific Partnership 2011 teams on their mission of health and friendship to all corners of Timor-Leste.

Welcome to Timor-Leste, Pacific Partnership 2011!

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

Sincerely,
Ambassador Judith R. Fergin

Judith Fergin is the new U.S. Ambassador to Timor-Leste. Previously, she was Consul General in Sydney, Australia. Before that, she was Deputy Chief of Mission in Singapore. Ms. Fergin has also served as Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Canberra and the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. Other overseas posts include Russia, Liberia, South Africa, and Germany.

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First In-Last Out

By LCDR Casey Mahon, Advanced Echelon (ADVON) Team Bravo

The Navy has taught me how to drive a ship, fix an engine and navigate through a harbor. But as I sat in a hot, crowded two-room Medical Clinic near Uato-lari in the remote Southeast corner of Timor-Leste I realized that one of the most important skills, patience, needs to be learned on the job in order to be fully appreciated. The District Administrator for Uato-lari, a hardened former soldier, fighter named Domingos, was trying to convince us to move our MEDCAP (Medical Civic Assistance Project) from the chosen school next to the Helicopter Landing Zone (HLZ) in the center of town to a village some 10 miles out of town. Just as Napoleon’s army ran on its stomach, so too does Pacific Partnership run on logistics; what is a simple 2-h0ur walk over rough trails for these hardy Timorese mountain men was a chasm when it came to moving the miniature Hospital that makes up one of our MEDCAP sites. He simply did not appreciate the physical impossibility of this request. So we kept talking about it (for about an hour and a half), exchanging stories to help explain our points. In the end, we agreed to have a small four-person team go to one of the remote areas with officials from the Timorese Ministry of Health. It was a solution that both met his desire to provide medical care to the most remote people he was responsible for as well as respecting our logistical constraints in getting to those areas. It was compromise and, I like to think, friendship, that made possible the project taking place in Uato-lari next week.

That story, for me, defines the job and methods of the Advanced Planning Team (ADVON) for Pacific Partnership. Our tasking is to find and negotiate the methods of the projects which are recommended by host nation and the embassy team, work out the logistical details crucial to their completion and, most importantly, develop a personal relationship with the people of the country in which we are working. Composed of 6 to 8 individuals, the ADVON arrives in a country a month before the ship does in order to prepare for the large contingent of doctors, engineers, veterinarians, nurses, specialists, band members and others who will descend ashore for an all-too-quick 12 to 14 days of frenzied activity. It is a deployment very different than the folks onboard CLEVELAND experience, and, though often difficult, sometimes dangerous and always fast-paced, I would not, for a second, ask for any other job.

The ADVON process began back in October of last year, when we were notified of the Pacific Partnership mission. The ADVON Teams began to investigate the countries we would visit and the operations we would conduct. From November to February we traveled throughout the South Pacific, visiting our countries in what is called a Pre-Deployment Site Survey (PDSS). Then we went back and, working with the slowly growing group of professionals who make up the entire Pacific Partnership team, planned our operations.

The scale of operations is, I think, hard to imagine from the pictures and snapshots that you see on Facebook or read about in news stories. Let me try to explain in words the magnitude by talking about its logistics. In Timor-Leste we will end up using 91 vehicles (luckily not all on the same day), conduct over 65 helicopter flights, contract 480-days’ worth of translators, consume around 1500 MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat), drink about 6000 bottles of water, and utilize over 30 tents & canopies. All of this was conceived, planned , procured, and readied by the ADVON team prior to the ship’s arrival When the main force comes rolling ashore there is no time in the schedule to plan; our job is to make sure the medical professionals can start seeing patients, that the engineers can start building and the band can start playing.

The process is hectic, but the results are great. One of the proudest moments in my life came at the closing ceremony for the Pacific Partnership operations in Vanuatu. The ADVON Team was given a plaque by the Commander of the Vanuatu Police Force in honor of our work “for the benefit of the people of Vanuatu.” Simple words, but they made the long hours, the arduous journeys and the tough decisions all worth the effort.

Thank you for reading my blog post. The next post should be up in a couple of days.

Sincerely,
LCDR Casey Mahon

LCDR Mahon is the Officer in Charge of Advance Echelon (ADVON) Team Bravo for Pacific Partnership 2011. He is responsible for arranging for all operations in advance of U.S.S. Cleveland arrival in Vanuatu and Timor-Leste.

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A Leadership Story in Papua New Guinea

By LCDR Dawn Freeman, Assistant Director of Medical Operations

Is there no end to women’s ability to influence each other and their communities, even across international borders? Even women who lead daily need encouragement and empowerment on occasion.

According to the Center for Language, Regional Expertise and Culture (CLREC), a Directorate of the Center for Information Dominance (CID), in almost all rural regions within Papua New Guinea women hold what we in the West would consider a highly problematic status in their communities. They are pressured to change their name when they marry and, according to some local customs, live only to serve the men and work in the family gardens. Generally, women are responsible for taking care of the home, cooking, and caring for children. Women are consistently discouraged from challenging men in public or taking part in any public debates.

They are restricted from appearing in court cases.

These were some of the challenges our team of nurses had to manage as we worked with local women.
In the rural community of Wampar, Papua New Guinea, for example, Sister Patricia Mgahamao leads six other nurses at the Wampar Health Centre. They provide basic healthcare needs to a population of over 60,000. It was at this health aid post where I met Sister Patricia and began a relationship based on mutual respect and compassion. For six days, we worked together with our teams: her six nurses and our Pacific Partnership clan made up of U.S, Australian, Canadian, French, Spanish, and non-governmental organization (NGO) professionals. Our mission was to provide medical, dental and preventive health care for the people of Sister Patricia’s community.

Many people still seek health care in this region through traditional medicine. Therefore, it was expected that we would see more demand for modern health care than we could deliver in six days. Each day, Sister Patricia and I worked together to ensure we could see as many people as possible throughout the day. We provided excellent care to lots of women. Inevitably, however, at the end of each day we realized that some local women had to be told to return the next day in order to be seen. Delivering this message was a challenge for both of us.

The first day that we had to deliver the message, Sister Patricia seemed hesitant to inform her community that we could not see anymore people. I encouraged her and offered an example of what to say (to, in essence, apologize but promise we would work hard to see them the next day). She accepted my input and faced her community with confidence as she conveyed the message. It came across as sincere and kind; I greatly appreciated her ability to be forthright and compassionate.

One day I asked Sister Patricia if she would be willing to say a few words to the Pacific Partnership team that had worked so hard caring for the people of her community. She expressed her reluctance to speak to such a large group. I got the sense that she was uncomfortable speaking in public to such a diverse group. I explained to her that just as she was a leader of her nursing team at Wampar Health Centre — and a leader in her community – she was a leader of our team as well, and that we would all appreciate hearing her speak to our collective efforts.

As leaders, it is important for us to represent our group and to encourage positive attitudes, high motivation and persistent enthusiasm. This was her opportunity to demonstrate to her staff and our team her leadership skills – a key element to effective management of large groups of people working toward a similar end. Sister Patricia took up the challenge, and she received thunderous applause from both the Pacific Partnership team and her staff. A woman of the cloth, a caregiver, and a leader demonstrated poise and courage in only a few moments time.

Although Sister Patricia and I represented different groups of people at the Wampar Health Centre Pacific, we were able to empower each other for a common good. We learned from each other. We helped each other. We listened and we lead. Through effective communication to our groups and to each other, we were able to accomplish the mission goal as one – and perhaps show our collective teams that women not only have a right to lead but the skills to do it.

I learned a great lesson that day.

Thank you for reading my blog post. The next blog post should be up in a few days.

Sincerely,
LCDR Dawn Freeman, USN

LCDR Freeman is the Assistant Director for Medical Operations for Pacific Partnership 2011. She is responsible for the execution of the medical services portion of the mission, assigning teams to locations, and tracking work done at each site.

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Disaster Response…”You No Wait Wait”

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

One of our primary objectives during Pacific Partnership is to increase interoperability with our host and partner nations to respond to natural and man-made disasters that may occur in the region. The 2004 tsunami that struck Indonesia and the Indian Ocean basin was the genesis for this effort.

To support this objective, in each country of our mission we conduct a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response Conference. Most recently we held one in Lae, Papua New Guinea where Pacific Fleet and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Management Center of Excellence representatives provided the attendees with very valuable insights and training.

In all the conferences that we’ve held, the first milestone met was to get the right people in the room talking about the issue and reflecting on the deposition of the current local disaster response plan. The discussion revolves around international assistance procedures, NGO involvement, and how the U.S. and partner nations would plug in to the local plan during a time of crisis…for starters. There is no wonder that fruitful conversation ensues as this would be the case even in our own country when talking about current disaster response plans.

Natural disasters more times than not, come as if a thief in the night, and do not give you the luxury to prepare a disaster response plan on your own timeline. I’m reminded of a verse in Matthew, “But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.” This informs us of the importance of preparation.

In Vanuatu, they have a saying, “You No Wait Wait” (don’t wait around for something to happen…take action). When it comes to disaster response planning…”You No Wait Wait”.

President Kennedy once said, “The time to fix the roof is not when it’s raining.” During Pacific Partnership 2011 we are not only fixing the roof, but along with our host and partner nations, we are building the entire classroom as well. “We No Wait Wait”.

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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Conversations with Papua New Guinea

by Nutan Patel Civilian/Military Affairs, Pacific Partnership 2011
We officially left Papua New Guinea four days ago, and I still find myself thinking back to the many conversations we had there. At this point in our deployment, there are a couple things I have come to realize. First, the level of gratitude and wealth of interaction with our host nation colleagues never fails to amaze me. Second, everywhere we go in Oceania, the U.S. is framed by the heroic actions of our fathers and grandfathers that fought the Axis during WWII. And third, viewing each country through the lens that is Pacific Partnership is always revealing.
As we traveled from Polynesia to Melanesia, I noticed a distinct difference in culture…to me, a culture defined by a unique character, complexity and spirit. This was apparent our first day, when we stepped ashore onto Lae, Papua New Guinea, and were greeted by two tribal groups singing and dancing with spears in hand. According to tradition, when foreigners arrive in PNG, they are “greeted” with a spearing ceremony. However, upon discovering that they come in peace, the spears give way to a welcoming song and dance. It was unlike anything I have ever seen, and to me, was demonstrative of an age-old culture that has so remarkably survived the passage of time.
The country has had a tumultuous history. Yet the people of Papua New Guinea are working hard to improve their quality of life. Despite a resource-rich country, I saw people in need of assistance and others stepping forward to help. Some of those people stepping forward to help comprised the multinational crew of Pacific Partnership. Indeed, the Lord Governor of the Morobe Province expressed his desire that the mission return every year, explaining that the world is a small place and that PNG cannot do it alone. A humble admission. But that is the beauty of enduring partnerships- you don’t have to do it alone.
He also spoke of needed assistance in the areas of healthcare and education; something which was illustrated in our conversation with a prominent NGO dedicated to encouraging reading among the youth population, Buk bilong Pikinini. I was momentarily stunned when we were informed that the country does not have a single library. Especially because some of my most vivid childhood memories are of times spent roaming the stacks of the local library, trying to figure out how to decipher the dewey decimal system – not to mention the infamous librarian “shhhhh.” Yet if you step back and think about it, some areas of the U.S. don’t have libraries either. We all can do more to educate our fellow citizens.
In Papua New Guinea, most schools don’t have a working bathroom. On days when there is bad weather, class is simply canceled because of a lack of classroom space. This is one of the issues we took up during our time here, as our engineers worked with the engineers of Papua New Guinea to build four new classrooms for two of their schools.
Commodore Wilson also visited a number of secondary schools and a university to emphasize the value of education to the future leaders of Papua New Guinea. The reaction we received during our visits was surreal. We entered some of these schools in what can be described as nothing less than a procession. A sea of children surrounded us, eager to take pictures with us and hand over letters expressing their desire to join the U.S. Navy or become pen pals. Their enthusiasm was both uplifting and heartbreaking, because although our presence may inspire, you could see challenges they have endured on their faces.
A third major issue became apparent through conversations at a U.S. Embassy-run Healthy Women, Healthy Economies Policy Dialogue in the nation’s capital. There, women from all over the Pacific Islands convened to discuss issues that plague each of their respective countries. For Papua New Guinea, this was primarily gender-based violence and maternal mortality. Next to Afghanistan, PNG has the second highest maternal mortality rate in the world.
I was impressed by the women at the Policy Dialogue who spoke about their determination to gain adequate representation in Parliament. They adamantly asserted that gender-based violence is not a norm within their culture, but a problem that has emerged from poverty and lack of education. Although this could be said about all countries ridden by this problem, I admired the tenacity with which they defended the honor of their culture.
And I was equally impressed by the dedication of the staff at the University of Technology, who so desperately wanted to know how they could communicate with future Pacific Partnership missions – all in an effort to assist the people of their country.
After nearly two weeks in Papua New Guinea, the Pacific Partnership team not only delivered needed services to thousands, but also learned more about the country, and it’s people, so as to better prepare for our next visit. I thank the people of Lae for letting us into their world, and for inspiring us to exceed expectations in our next mission country, Timor Leste.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Our next blog will be posted in a couple of days.
Sincerely,
Nutan Patel
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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I Love Music…I’m Not Alone.

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

The Coral Sea is tranquil as we sail away from yet another successful country stop on our Pacific Partnership 2011 mission. We all will not soon forget the culture, laughs, discussions, pictures, and time we spent with the beautiful people of Papua New Guinea.

Our PP11 Team, once again working side-by-side with the doctors, nurses, and engineers of PNG were, in the end, able to see nearly 11,000 patients, issue over 6,000 pairs of glasses, construct 2 classroom buildings (both containing two classrooms), bring lighting to the classrooms of a primary school for the first time in addition to providing a sustainable water source, and also added an extra 18,000 liter water capacity to the local hospital. As stated in previous times, the performance and selflessness of this group of multi-national, multi-service professionals continues to be eye-watering.

The warm greeting that we received on day one of our mission was somewhat anticipated. After all, this was Pacific Partnership’s fourth visit to Papua New Guinea in the six years of the mission’s existence and everything had always been positive. But what I did not anticipate was the strong bond of friendship that would develop over our two week stay. The Lord Governor of Morobe Province said to me himself, “There will be a lot of people here in Lae that will be sad to see you all leave.” From the outpouring of gratitude and the capacity crowds that showed up for the various PP11 events, I do not doubt the Governor’s words.

One of the MVP’s of our mission outside of our medical and engineering professionals is our Pacific Fleet Band. I call them “the PP11 Force Multiplier”. They say that music is the international language and the people of Papua New Guinea and the city of Lae were hearing loud and clear what the band was saying. Over 4,000 attendees came out for the second concert held at Kilage Stadium, and they could not get enough. Additionally, during the school visits, the children were very energized in hearing about the Pacific Partnership mission, but it was when the band hit their first note that they really came alive.

As the Governor also commented, “Our people think of the U.S. military as just about fighting, but when we see all that you do in the area of humanitarian assistance, and the band…our people are crazy about the band. You do it all.”

The musical group the O’Jays said it best when they said, “I love music…any kind of music.” I love music too, but I am not alone. The people of Papua New Guinea love music too…and they love our band.

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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