Reserve Forces dentist Major Mark Worthington performs dental checks while dentist assistant Private Megan Baxter write
down the name of patient Loleta Fea'o.
Media Release
29 August 2012
NZ Hosting ‘Pacific Partnership’ Preparation
For the first time, the NZ Defence Force is co-hosting the international working group behind Exercise Pacific
Partnership, which delivers a humanitarian aid programme through the Pacific.
Around 60 personnel from the Australian Defence Force, French Armed Forces New Caledonia (FANC), the United States and
Japan, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and a number of non-governmental
organisations, are taking part in the international planning conference from 28 – 30 August.
Exercise Pacific Partnership 2013 is a US Navy-led annual multinational humanitarian relief exercise which conducts
medical, dental and engineering civic aid projects in the Asia-Pacific region. New Zealand has been a participant for a
number of years and the exercise is conducted as a partnership with nations from across the Pacific.
Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, Major General Dave Gawn, says Exercise Pacific Partnership is designed to strengthen
regional partnerships in the Pacific and also improve multi-national interoperability.
“It is significant that the NZ Defence Force is co-hosting an international working group for Pacific Partnership 2013.
The NZ Defence Force has a great team of planners who are playing a key role in the preparations for Pacific Partnership
2013.
“Activities like Pacific Partnership and the recent Exercise Tropic Twilight not only contribute to development in the
Pacific, but they are key to ensuring the NZ Defence Force is capable, prepared and well rehearsed to conduct actual
disaster response missions.
“This week NZ Defence Force personnel will be working alongside a range of international partners to familiarise and
develop plans to ensure Pacific Partnership 2013 is a resounding success.”
Pacific Partnership 2013 will be conducted in the host nations of Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Tonga,
Samoa and Marshall Islands.
The NZ Defence Force is planning to contribute HMNZS CANTERBURY, medical and dental teams as well as a team of
engineers. It is likely that a mixed team of Navy Divers and Army Engineers will provide critical disposal of World War
II Remnants of War in South Tarawa, Kiribati.
New Zealand’s projects will be supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade who provide essential development
advice and funding through the New Zealand Aid Programme.
The NZ Defence force regularly contributes to Exercise Pacific Partnership and earlier this year a team of eight health
specialists from Navy, Army and Air Force embarked on USNS MERCY for the Vietnam phase of Pacific Partnership 2012. Last
year, over 100 NZ Army and Air Force personnel were embarked on HMNZS CANTERBURY and conducted a number of engineering
and medical tasks as part of Pacific Partnership 2011 in the remote Tongan Island of Niuatoputapu and also Vanuatu.
Approximately 2,700 Samoans recently benefited from a range of healthcare services delivered by the NZ Defence Force as
part of Exercise Tropic Twilight, a three-week humanitarian aid and disaster relief exercise which shares similar
objectives to Pacific Partnership.
ENDS