The US Navy’s Pacific Partnership program will visit the Marshall Islands for two weeks later this year.
The visit by the US Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy will bring 700 sailors, doctors, nurses and others to the RMI starting October 30 who will be engaged in providing healthcare, renovating two elementary schools, conducting a disaster response exercise, and conducting community relations events with Navy musicians and the chaplains corps, said Master Sergeant John Phillips, who is the team leader for the US Army Pacific’s Oceania Engagement Team to the RMI.
The last Pacific Partnership visit to RMI was in 2019.
In addition to Navy construction engineer “Seabees” doing renovation work at Rita and Long Island Elementary Schools, they will also have “a subject matter expert exchange with the Ministry of Works, Infrastructure, and Utilities for an updated assessment of the Majuro Bridge,” Phillips said.
While the USNS Mercy will be based in Majuro, traveling teams of US Navy medical personnel will fly to Ebeye and sail to Aur aboard the hospital ship Liwatoon Mour to assist the Ministry of Health and Human Services with patient care.
The RMI Office of Commerce, Investment and Tourism and the Marshall Islands Chamber of Commerce are partnering with the Pacific Partnership Planners to organize a community concert, health and career fair, and night market on Saturday, November 4, Phillips said.
The US Army and Coast Guard are working with National Disaster Management Organization, International Organization of Migration, and Marshall Islands Red Cross Society to plan an all-hazards humanitarian assistance and disaster response workshop and exercise.