By Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Russell
Project HOPE Aislnn Magnan and William Hoff, hospital corpsman, clean a wound of a ni-Vanuatu girl at a remote medical assistance site for Pacific Partnership 2011. Pacific Partnership is a five-month humanitarian assistance initiative that will make port visits to Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and the Federated States of Micronesia. (Photo By Kristopher Radder)
ABOARD USS CLEVELAND, AT SEA – Aislinn Mangan, a resident of Mackay, Idaho, is serving as registered nurse with Project HOPE in support of Pacific Partnership 2011 aboard amphibious transport dock ship USS Cleveland. Cleveland is the lead vessel for Pacific Partnership 2011. Pacific Partnership is the Pacific Fleet’s annual mission to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands to engage in partnerships with host nations by improving dialogue, effecting a lasting, positive change, and employing subject matter expert exchanges in order to improve the capabilities and interoperability of the U.S. and partner nations when dealing with natural and man-made disasters. “I think this mission has gone really well,” said Mangan. I have met a lot of the locals from the islands, many military members and my fellow NGO's [non-government organization].” Cleveland completed its mission in Tonga and will continue in Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and the Federated States of Micronesia, and the military group will be accompanied by non-government organizations like Project HOPE, Vets Without Borders, and the University of California, San Diego Pre-Dental Society. One of the main things that Mangan enjoyed doing was learning and operating CHIME (Civil Humanitarian Information Management Experiment) and watching as the medical team worked in various settings. “I am going to miss the people I worked with and the locals the most," said Mangan. Pacific Partnership developed as a mission following the tsunami in 2004 which devastated Indonesia and much of the South Pacific. Since 2006, Pacific Partnership has treated 150,000 patients in 15 countries, and is supported by all U.S. uniformed services and partner nations that include Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. Other nations providing teams include Canada, Spain, Malaysia, and France. Mangan is a 2009 graduate of Boise State University in Boise, Idaho.
No comments:
Post a Comment