USNS Millinocket to visit Micronesia for Pacific Partnership

PACIFIC OCEAN—The Military Sealift Command joint high speed vessel USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3) will arrive in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, on June 21 for the ship’s second stop of Pacific Partnership 2015.

Millinocket and embarked Task Force Forager, led by an expeditionary command element from the Navy’s 30th Naval Construction Regiment (30 NCR) from Port Hueneme, California, are currently serving as the secondary platform for Pacific Partnership 2015. The primary platform for the mission is the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19).

“My crew and I are incredibly excited for our visit to the Federated States of Micronesia,” said Capt. James Meyer, Commodore, Task Force Forager. “We look forward to meeting with the national and local leaders as well as all the people of FSM. Military and civilian leaders all agree about the necessity of working together to respond quickly and effectively to natural disasters. This mission helps build that ability while simultaneously providing medical, dental, veterinarian, engineering and civic assistance.”

Meyer added, “This mission is also about the exchange of ideas. Unlike previous missions that focused on direct care, PP15 will focus on knowledge exchange and all direct care will be shoulder-to-shoulder with the host nation. The intent is to impart knowledge and skills that will last well after the mission is over.”

Now in its 10th iteration, Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region. While training for crisis conditions, Pacific Partnership missions have provided medical care to approximately 270,000 patients and veterinary services to more than 38,000 animals. Additionally, the mission has provided critical infrastructure developments to host nations through the completion of more than 180 engineering projects.

Public tours of USNS Millinocket will be available on June 27 from 9am to 11am and from 1pm to 3pm, please RSVP through the U.S. Embassy 320-2187 or email shedek@state.gov.

Additional information on the Pacific Partnership mission is available on the U.S. Pacific Fleet Pacific Partnership website at www.cpf.navy.mil/pacific-partnership/2015/. (PR)