The hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) arrived in Subic Bay, Philippines, Aug. 4, for the second half of its mission stop in the host nation for Pacific Partnership 2015.
While in Subic Bay, medical staff aboard Mercy will perform surgical procedures working in conjunction with Operation Smile aboard the ship, and PP15 personnel will work and train side-by-side with the community on civic service events, safety topics, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, water search and rescue, veterinarian care, and community outreach projects.
The Mercy crew will host partnership events such as a multilateral leadership forum on gender and development, biomedical repair exchanges, and a disaster risk reduction forum intended to enhance international response to natural disasters.
PP15 participants on the ship and on the ground include personnel from the U.S., Australia, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, and New Zealand. All PP15 personnel will work together with the Philippine government and local community on various medical, dental, veterinary and civic action projects.
Mercy will depart Subic Bay Aug. 14, and transit to Da Nang, Vietnam to continue the PP15 mission.
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Image: US Navy