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| HMNZS Canterbury MRV (Wiki Info - File Photo) |
By LT CDR Vicki Rendall RNZN
Developing relationships, enhancing capability, and making lives better for Pacific nations—these are the aspirations of the Pacific Partnership team in 2013. This year’s NZDF contribution is larger than previously. New Zealand has provided two deputy mission commanders over the duration of the mission: GPCAPT Darryn Webb and CAPT Tony Millar. There are three ships participating, operational divers and EOD teams, over 120 NZDF personnel involved in ground operations and supporting RNZAF flights throughout the Pacific.
“Pacific Partnership 13 is a four-month operation spanning six Pacific nations,” says Deputy Mission Commander, CAPT Tony Millar, RNZN. “It is a large-scale regional operation designed to provide real world help to local people whilst simultaneously building relationships and cooperation between regional partners in order to be ready deal with a natural disaster or other emergency.
Pacific Partnership originated as a means of improving regional cooperation after the December 2004 Banda Aceh earthquake and tsunami. “We are all Pacific peoples who live along and within the infamous ring of fire. We have needed to deal with natural disasters in the past and we will have to do it again,” says CAPT Millar.
Pacific Partnership is now in its eighth year and continues to evolve. Previously, all missions have been US-led. However this year a variety of nations lead individual phases. Australia has successfully completed the Papua New Guinea phase and the US led the way in three PP13 mission ports—Samoa, Tonga and the Marshall Islands. And New Zealand relishes the opportunity to lead in Kiribati and Solomon Islands; There has been full support and participation from all partner nations involved, including, Canada, Columbia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea.
Lead nations take responsibility for the planning and coordination of multinational assets and resources to achieve tasks as identified and agreed to by the host nation government. Although the NZDF is regularly involved in regional capacity building activities in our backyard, PP13 offers a new challenge for us to step up, enhancing our coordination with a wide range of regional partners on a larger scale.
In each phase there are military personnel, civilian employees and volunteers from non-government organizations such as Project Hope and World Vets (amongst others) working alongside host nation staff and enthusiastic crowds of residents. The PP13 team supports a variety of medical, engineering, and community projects targeted towards the needs of each host nation. The projects are designed to enhance local capacity and encourage sustainable knowledge into the future. In 2013, there has been a tangible shift from provision of direct care (such as hands-on medical clinics), towards education, discussion and workshops which are designed to empower local staff to sustain progress long after the PP13 teams have left town.
The amphibious dock landing ship USS PEARL HARBOR is the primary platform for PP13 with the Mission Commander Commodore Wallace Lovely, USN and his PP13 team embarked. The PEARL HARBOR provided the only naval ship support in the US led mission ports of Samoa, Tonga and the Marshall Islands during June and July. In August, CDRE Lovely will move his flag to HMNZS CANTERBURY and command from NZ ‘soil’ for two weeks.
In Papua New Guinea, HMAS TOBRUK and JS YAMAGIRI supported personnel from the Australian Defence Force, United States Armed Forces and Japanese Self Defence Force as they provided medical, dental, veterinary, environmental health and engineering assistance to the townships of Wewak and Vanimo which have combined populations of approximately 40,000.
Concurrently, in the Solomon Islands in July, HMNZ Ships WELLINGTON and MANAWANUI were supporting divers and explosive disposal teams from Australia, Canada, and the United States to find and render safe explosive remnants from World War II, improving the safety of the environment for local populations. Further Pacific Partnership activities will occur in Solomon Islands in August, when both USS PEARL HARBOR and HMNZS CANTERBURY will be supporting operations in the Georgia and Choiseul island groups.
PP13 is an ambitious programme of humanitarian support and capacity building in Pacific Island nations. It provides real time assistance to host nations, whilst regional partners enhance relationships and understanding of one another’s capabilities. There are excellent opportunities for development as PP13 team members experience and embrace the differences in culture. CAPT Millar best acknowledged the overarching influence of each host nation, thanking each for “your hospitality and your willingness to teach us, and help us to learn from your experiences.”