The Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) has docked in Sihanoukville for its two-week humanitarian civic assistance mission. The Kingdom is the fourth country that the USNS Mercy has visited as part of its Pacific Partnership 2012 mission, after Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam.
Now on its seventh year, the Pacific Partnership is aimed at building stronger ties and disaster response capabilities in Asia-Pacific.
“Our crew of more than 1100 highly trained military, government, and civilian/NGO personnel representing eight partner nations are excited to be in Cambodia,” says Mission Commander, Navy Capt. James Morgan. “Our mission here provides yet another opportunity to work with our Cambodian counterparts in order to be better prepared to respond together to natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies, not if but when they happen.”
“We sincerely appreciate the invitation to conduct the mission here during what will be the second time Pacific Partnership has taken part in activities in Cambodia,” Morgan says.
PP12 staff will carry out tailored civic assistance projects to form relationships and potential capabilities and capacity in various areas like civil engineering, veterinary, dental and medical. They will also perform community service and subject matter expert exchanges to emphasize the importance of mutual support and learning about cultures, practices and capabilities.
