Military personnel from the United States, Vietnam, Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom is conducting disaster response and humanitarian training drills in the Da Nang Province in Vietnam as part of the Pacific Partnership 2017 exercise, the US Navy announced in a press release on Monday.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The Da Nang province is known in military history as being the place where the US Marine Corps 9th Expeditionary Forces landed in March 1965. They Marine Corps were the first US combat troops to arrive in Vietnam during the US military agression against that country.
"Pacific Partnership includes the traditional humanitarian aid and disaster relief, medical, engineering and community relation projects," US officer in charge of the mission Lt. Cmdr. Greg Dusetzina said.
The training was officially kicked off when the Navy’s fast transport ship Fall River arrived, the statement noted. This year marks the fourth consecutive year in which Vietnam has participated in the Pacific Partnership exercise.
"Natural disasters don't recognize borders, so Vietnam, the United States and other Pacific nations must be prepared to respond quickly," US Ambassador to Vietnam Tedd Osius said.
This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.