U.S. Army Pacific boosts mental health resilience and community support across the Federated States of Micronesia

The U.S. Army Pacific Oceania Engagement Team and the USARPAC Chaplain Directorate have concluded a two-week community mental health and religious leader engagement across all four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, working with local leaders to bolster community resilience.

Traveling to Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae, the team met with religious leaders, U.S. military veterans, youth groups and other community stakeholders to discuss mental health, resilience and ways trusted leaders can better support individuals and families. The effort emphasized listening and sustained presence as the foundation for long-term partnerships.

“The strength of this engagement came from being present in each community and listening to the people who serve them every day,” said Col. J.P. Smith, USARPAC Command Chaplain. “Religious leaders often know their communities at a deeply personal level. Our role was not to replace that knowledge, but to share tools that can complement what they are already doing.”

Training highlighted how to recognize signs of distress, encourage healthy coping strategies, strengthen community connections and identify when individuals may need professional assistance. The engagement also created opportunities to connect with the FSM’s U.S. military veteran community. Generations of Micronesians have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, creating personal ties between the United States and FSM that extend beyond formal agreements, and conversations with veterans helped the team better understand challenges facing veterans and their families while linking to existing support networks.

“The most valuable thing we can do is continue to show up, listen and demonstrate credible action,” said Capt. Samantha Lacroix, OET-FSM Team Leader. “The FSM is made up of distinct states, islands and communities. OET’s persistent presence across all four states allows us to build relationships over time rather than through a single engagement.”

Recognizing the central role religious institutions play in many Pacific communities, the engagement sought to strengthen existing networks so clergy, lay leaders, veterans and other stakeholders could carry new skills and information forward within congregations, families and neighborhoods.

For the OET, a USARPAC Civil Affairs Company sourced from the 351st Civil Affairs Command and deployed across Oceania to support regional security, the effort builds on a series of programs in the FSM, including ASVAB tutoring in Pohnpei, promoting physical fitness in Kosrae schools and first-aid instruction in Yap.

“Many new interfaith coalitions are forming across the FSM, enabled by conversations with the USARPAC Chaplain Team, and town halls are becoming a forum for these issues and opportunities to be communicated,” said Capt. Lacroix. “Our goal is to be there consistently, listen to what communities are telling us and help strengthen the relationships and local networks that already exist. That’s how we build partnerships that last.”