Pacific Angel 18-3 Under Way in Vanuatu

THE US military and Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF), along with service members from Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines, kicked off Pacific Angel (PAC ANGEL) 18-3 in Luganville, Espiritu Santo this week.

Now entering its eleventh year of operation, PAC ANGEL ensures that the region’s militaries are prepared to work together to address humanitarian crises.

PAC ANGEL Vanuatu, the second of four humanitarian assistance engagements taking place in 2018, brings together medical and civil engineering personnel from multinational partner nations to provide healthcare and structural assistance for the residents of Santo and Tanna.

“PAC ANGEL provides a platform for the US and our Ni-Vanuatu partners to increase interoperability and cooperation by exchanging best practices in engineering and medicine, while giving back to the community,” said Lt. Colonel Benjamin Doyle, PAC ANGEL 18-3 mission commander.

Medical clinics are offering optometry, dental, pediatrics, family practice, pharmacy and physical therapy services. So far, more than 1600 patients were treated over the first three days of the health services outreach in Luganville.

The optometry team handed out 228 pairs of eye glasses and 534 pairs of sunglasses during the first two days of the clinic.

Concurrently, a civil engineering team, comprised of 14 US Airmen, 1 US Marine and multinational partners is leading renovations of four schools and two medical clinics. The scope of the renovations includes structural repairs, roofing, plumbing and electrical work.

The close partnerships and collaboration shared throughout the exercise provides invaluable educational opportunities for both the US and Ni-Vanuatu participants.

This year marks the 11th year of the PAC ANGEL mission, with four iterations held in different countries throughout the year.