Lending a helping hand in the Pacific

The Sibolga phase of Exercise Pacific Partnership wrapped up with a spectacular closing ceremony that celebrated the work completed as part of the community outreach activities.

HMAS Choules committed about 40 personnel to Pacific Partnership efforts during the course of the Sibolga phase.

These members spent a number of days attending local outreach engagements as well as assisting in the completion of renovation works at a local primary school.

On July 28, a team of 20 ADF personnel visited SMA Negeri 1 Sibolga, a high school, where they watched local school students dance, explain concepts they’ve been studying, witness a mini-debate by the school’s debate club and even join in for a game of soccer.

The following day, another 20 ADF personnel assisted in completing the final stages of the handover of renovated classrooms for SD Negeri 158490 AEK Tolang 2 primary school.

After completing a long and hot day of painting, SBLT Lily Joesika said the experience was rewarding.

“I really appreciated the opportunity to go ashore. The kids at the school were so excited to meet us,” SBLT Joesika said.

“I feel really fortunate to have had the chance to help out; it’s the kind of thing you join the Navy to do.”

The Sibolga phase concluded with the closing ceremony on July 30, which was attended by members from Indonesia, the United States, Australia, Canada and Germany.

Commander of the Australian Contingent CMDR Eddie Piekusis joined members from Choules for the ceremony.

While proud of the efforts so far, CMDR Piekusis said there was still more work to be done during the deployment.

“Even though this phase of the deployment has concluded, there is still plenty of work to do,” CMDR Piekusis said.

“Once we leave Sibolga, our partner nation colleagues will fly to another mission stop, while we take a contingent of US personnel to Malaysia to join US Navy and Australian Army engineering specialists for the next phase of the Pacific Partnership mission.”

Pacific Partnership was established in 2006 as a response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Since then, the United States has led this multinational exercise, which is now the largest annual humanitarian disaster preparedness exercise in the Indo-Pacific.