Wewak, Papua New Guinea (October 22, 2023): It is one of the bright spots of Navy service, using your training and lifesaving skills to help those less fortunate. In this photo by MC1 Kegan E. Kay, Navy Lieutenant Anna Rayne conducts a wellness check on a young Papua New Guinean patient during Pacific Partnership 2023, the largest humanitarian mission in the Indo-Pacific. Lt. Rayne and her colleagues are visiting Papua New Guinea as part of an annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness program.

The Pacific Partnership series was created after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that killed over 230,000 people. To improve coordination between non-profit relief agencies, local governments, and regional military forces in the future, Pacific Partnership strengthens relationships and security ties to be better prepared. Each year, the U.S. Navy sends medical teams and civil affairs units throughout the Indo-Pacific to work with local military and civilian relief agencies to ensure the smooth delivery of goods and services.

In addition to providing medical care, participants held subject-matter exchanges covering disaster response and humanitarian assistance while Navy civil engineers did repairs at a local schoolhouse. Additionally, the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band, accompanied by a Japan Maritime Self Defense Force singer, performed for a variety of enthusiastic audiences.

This year, nearly 1500 personnel participated on behalf of Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.