Pacific Partnership and Pacific Friendship team up to strengthen disaster response in Vietnam

QUANG TRI, Vietnam — A joint U.S.-Vietnam humanitarian assistance and disaster-response mission opened in Quang Tri Province on June 22, bringing together the U.S. Navy-led Pacific Partnership 2026 (PP26) and the U.S. Army-led Pacific Friendship 2026 (PF26) for the first time.

Planned with Vietnam’s government, the concurrent efforts aim to strengthen disaster-preparedness, expand multilateral cooperation, and deepen people-to-people ties in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“Our collaboration in Quang Tri is particularly meaningful because this province has long been the heart of our reconciliation and war legacy efforts. The work done here to address unexploded ordnance, support people with disabilities and build community capacity paved the way for the robust defense and security cooperation we share today,” said Chargé d’Affaires John McIntyre.

Over the next two weeks, about 270 U.S. personnel from both missions will work alongside the Vietnamese People’s Army, government officials, and local leaders, joined by members of the Canadian and German Armed Forces. The multinational team plans more than two dozen military-to-military and military-to-civilian engagements across engineering, medical, disaster management, and host-nation outreach.

During the opening ceremony, U.S. officials emphasized the mission’s role in bolstering regional stability and future readiness. “The unprecedented collaboration between Pacific Partnership and Pacific Friendship, together with our Vietnamese partners, demonstrates our unified commitment to regional resilience,” said Cao. “As we continue to develop the Golden Fleet, we are not just preparing for future crises together; we are forging stronger bonds of trust and cooperation that are the bedrock of a secure and stable Pacific region.”

Planned activities include construction of a new restroom facility and a safety renovation project; a community health engagement at the Quang Tri Provincial Center for Disease Control; health and dental outreach at local schools; and medical exchanges on stroke prevention, trauma care, veterinary health, and public health. The schedule also features a visit to the Gio Linh Rehabilitation Center for Children with Disabilities; a four-day disaster management workshop; exchanges on explosive ordnance disposal, use of small unmanned aerial systems for emergency response, and flood-response personnel recovery; a combined disaster scenario to test medical capabilities; a volunteer project with PeaceTrees Vietnam; sports, language and cultural exchanges; historical site visits; and performances by the Pacific Partnership band.

“Working shoulder-to-shoulder with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnamese People’s Army and local communities is a profound privilege as we deepen our ties with a vital regional partner,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. E. Darrin Cox, commanding general of the 18th Theater Medical Command and Army Forces (ARFOR) for PF26. “Our core mission is to build shared resilience. By aligning our Army medical, engineering and disaster response experts with the Navy’s Pacific Partnership, we are bringing a unified approach to this engagement, ensuring our nations are ready to respond to complex scenarios together.”

Quang Tri is the first of five PP26 stops this year, with additional engagements planned in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste. The 2026 mission marks the 20th anniversary of Pacific Partnership, launched after lessons from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Pacific Friendship is in its second year following its 2025 debut in Quang Tri, reinforcing 31 years of U.S.-Vietnam diplomatic ties through joint training designed to improve crisis coordination and underscore a shared commitment to regional stability.

The Pacific Partnership series, now in its 22nd iteration, is billed as the Indo-Pacific’s largest recurring multinational mission focused on humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness. Pacific Friendship is an annual U.S. Army Pacific-led bilateral effort centered on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, along with medical and engineering activities aligned with the shared goal of a free and open Indo-Pacific.