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Pacific Partnership Concludes in Marshall Islands

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070910-11
Release Date: 9/10/2007 5:02:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Jason McKnight, USS Peleliu Public Affairs

NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- The Pacific Partnership team aboard USS Peleliu (LHA 5) concluded its four-month humanitarian mission and departed Marshall Islands Sept. 6.

The team, comprised of an international military and civilian volunteer force, conducted medical and dental outreach missions, provided engineering assistance, and performed several all-volunteer community relations projects during the Marshall Island visit.

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class (SW) Shanelia Dasher, Peleliu's medical records custodian, said she enjoyed the deployment and can not wait to be on another humanitarian mission.

During the mission, Dasher registered, tracked, and helped patients get the treatment they needed both aboard Peleliu and in the field. She said had never been anywhere she sensed more appreciation for doing her job.

Pacific Partnership helped more than 5,000 patients in the Republic of the Marshall Islands by providing prescriptions, immunizations, and eyeglasses. Additionally, nearly 900 dental extractions were performed, 65 surgeries, and more than 150 pets were helped by embarked veterinary personnel.

"I've never felt better about helping people," said Dasher. "Aside from thanking me, they made me feel as I did something big in their lives, even if it was just helping them get medicine for a cold."

Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 7 and Amphibious Construction Battalion 1 conducted eight engineering civil assistance projects while in the Marshall Islands, bringing this summer's total to 34.

The projects included rebuilding damaged community buildings, fixing roads, building playgrounds, and many other tasks assisting the neighborhoods the Pacific Partners visited.

"We [the Seabees] felt different about this mission because rather than coming in and picking up where another group of Seabees left off, we got to see a project through from start to finish," said Utilitiesman 1st Class (SCW/SW) Mike Gibson, NMCB-7's operations chief. "It felt really rewarding to be able to complete a whole project and to meet the beneficiaries of our work.

Gibson said the villagers in most places they went to pitched in to help out where they could.

"In Papua New Guinea for example, at Modilon Hospital, the patients tried to get out of their sick beds and help us paint," Gibson said. "That they were willing to do that meant a lot to me, and made us all go the extra mile to help them."

Peleliu and the Pacific Partnership left Marshall Islands en route to Hawaii to drop off embarked partners and pick up friends and family members for a Tiger Cruise back to Peleliu's homeport of San Diego.