Medical professionals from the U.S. Air Force, Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Royal Australian Air Force traveled to Paaralang Elementary school to provide students information about oral heath, general hygiene and rabies prevention during Pacific Angel in Lila, Philippines, Aug. 17, 2015. Pacific Angel is a multilateral humanitarian assistance civil military operation, which improves military-to-military partnerships in the Pacific while also providing medical health outreach, civic engineering projects and subject matter exchanges among partner forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Aaron Oelrich/Released)
About 70 U.S. service members and five partner nations began work on a multitude of civil military relief operations here Aug. 17.
Thousands of people, young and old, are set to reap the benefits of Pacific Angel Philippines from medical outreach to engineering projects affecting six local schools.
However, those benefits, while important, are not the only ones derived from the operations.
Pacific Angel Philippines provides an opportunity to establish partnerships and capability building that takes place between U.S. service members and their host country, along with five other partner nations and Philippine non-governmental organizations.
The capacity building and civil military projects take place in and around the seaside town of Tagbilaran in Bohol province and will involve members of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy along with service members from the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea.
"The U.S. and the Philippines value the mutually beneficial alliance that has existed since 1951," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jamie Lindman, Operation Pacific Angel mission commander. "We share a rich history and a strong relationship. We are here with our Pacific counterparts to learn how military personnel from different countries provide aid and help to those in need. We learn a great deal about each other's mannerisms, and the relationships that we cement are used in future contingency operations around the world. The added benefit is that this this type of engagement experience also allows us to provide necessary aid to the great people of Bohol province. We are pleased to work with our multilateral partners to assist them."
The week's events are a culmination of months of coordination between the U.S., partner nations and Philippine non-government organizations. Planners identified opportunities for engagement, reviewed projects for implementation and established supply chains to aid in operation implementation.
"These activities were a big step towards the attainment of bringing peace, promoting safety, and winning the hearts of the people," said Philippines Lt. Col. Gerald Naldoza, Armed Forces of the Philippines commander. "The learning exchanges benefited all participants as they were able to understand how each organization works during calamities. By the end of the exercise, the response capability of the military participants and stakeholders will be enhanced; the school buildings and its facilities will be repaired, and the community will have been provided with medical and dental services. This endeavor truly brings the government closer to the hearts of the people."
Now entering its eighth year, the Pacific Angel program ensures that the region’s militaries are prepared to work together to address humanitarian crises. Since 2007, Pacific Angel Philippines operations have improved the lives of tens of thousands of people in nations throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/173607/pacific-angel-philippines-partnership-building-commences#.VdVCt8azbmQ
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