• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Indonesian Navy Participates in Pacific Partnership 2008

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080725-13
Release Date: 7/25/2008 5:57:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW) James Seward, Pacific Partnership 2008 Public Affairs

DILI, Timor-Leste (NNS) -- The Indonesian Navy embarked seven health and medical officers aboard USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) during the Pacific Partnership mission in Timor-Leste. The Indonesian team arrived in Singapore on July 6 and departed from Dili July 22.

By providing specialists like dentists, pharmacists and anesthesiologists, the Indonesian Navy aided the international efforts to help the new country of Timor-Leste with its civic and medical needs.

For 20 days, U.S. military and non-governmental organization medical personnel worked alongside their Indonesian counterparts aboard the ship. They spent 11 of those days on the ground in Timor-Leste, providing humanitarian assistance throughout the country.

"We were pleased when the U.S. Embassy in Timor-Leste gave us the invitation to come and provide assistance for this mission," said Lt. Cmdr. Andy Prabowo, an Indonesian Navy dentist. "The opportunity to work with the Mercy in Timor-Leste is one we would not have passed up."

Although the Indonesian military worked with the Mercy in the past during the Thailand tsunami relief in 2004, this is their first Pacific Partnership mission.

"It's been a great experience sharing professional knowledge with all the different nations aboard the ship," said Lt. Heri Yanto. "We will take back everything we learned and apply it to our technique aboard our hospital ship."

The Indonesian team aboard Mercy say they look forward to working together in the future with their Timorese neighbors.

"We are on good terms with our brothers in Timor-Leste," said Lt. Pardjono, Indonesian Navy anesthesiologist. "By participating in this mission we wish to strengthen our new relationship."

"We were able to share useful information about Mercy's capabilities," said Cmdr. Scott Lawry, Pharmacist aboard Mercy. "They will be able to take this experience with them and apply it to the way they do business on their hospital ship."

The mission in Timor-Leste involved many different countries working together with the Mercy team. Australia, India, Portugal, Canada and the Republic of Korea worked with Mercy and the government of Timor-Leste to make this mission a success.

For more news from Pacific Partnership 2008, visit www.navy.mil/local/PP08/.