Pacific Partnership 2026 Concludes Second Mission Stop in Sibolga, Indonesia

SIBOLGA, Indonesia – Pacific Partnership 2026 (PP26) concluded its second mission stop in Sibolga and the surrounding Central Tapanuli regency, Indonesia, with a closing ceremony at Simare-Mare Field, July 30, 2026.

Over the course of the two-week mission stop, the U.S. Navy’s largest annual multinational humanitarian and disaster preparedness mission in the Indo-Pacific enabled PP26 personnel composed of approximately 150 U.S. service members, together with Australian Defence Force, Canadian Armed Force, German Armed Force, and Singapore Armed Force service members, to work alongside the Indonesian National Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia), Indonesian experts and civilians across four lines of effort: engineering, disaster management, host nation outreach, and medical.

“This mission has been about more than training and engagements; it has been about people,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Macswayne Muralt, the officer in charge of the Indonesia Pacific Partnership 2026 mission stop. “As an American of Indonesian-Chinese heritage, it has been a privilege to work alongside our TNI and Indonesian partners, strengthening the relationships that help our communities prepare for future challenges together.”

While in Indonesia, the U.S. Navy Seabees, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5 and Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the Hawaii National Guard’s 230th Engineer Company, and TNI engineers conducted new construction of a two-classroom building at National Elementary School #158309 and classroom renovations at National Elementary School #158490. Their combined efforts improved public infrastructure, directly increasing students’ learning capabilities.

“Executing these new construction and renovation projects alongside our Army National Guard and TNI partners highlights our ability to seamlessly integrate diverse technical capabilities," said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Michael Hamilton, mission engineer for PP26. “From the first block laid to the final coat of paint applied, this mission represented a unified, team effort. Missions like this reflect the core of why we serve, leaving a lasting, positive impact on a community while strengthening our operational bonds.”

The disaster management team conducted a five-day urban search and rescue vertical lane rescue and patient evacuation training on Sibolga Naval Base, held a two-day disaster response planning at the Sibolga mayor’s office, and a two-day culminating field training exercise at Pandan General Hospital. The culminating exercise simulated a hospital fire and a ship collision designed to improve international interoperability and rehearse critical coordination between military forces and civilians. The hands-on, practical exercise consisted of a simulated building collapse, mass casualty drill, water rescue, and on-scene treatment and evacuation of casualties.

“It was a great experience to work with our TNI counterparts and Indonesia’s national-level first responders,” said U.S. Army Capt. Nathanael Wrye, PP26 disaster management line of effort (LOE) lead for the Indonesia mission stop. “These evolutions allowed us all to explore the individual capabilities of TNI and first responders to react to specific scenarios that can occur during disasters and increase our collective ability to develop plans and strategic outlook.”

Beyond technical and tactical exchanges, the mission stop featured host nation outreach events focused on community engagement and youth education. The Pacific Partnership Band performed a series of public concerts at local venues and school grounds, bringing together hundreds of residents through music.

“Music connects people instantly. It cuts across language and culture in a way nothing else does. The students were the highlight of this mission stop, hands down,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Joel Thiesfeldt, Pacific Partnership band master. “When kids who don’t speak your language are singing and dancing along with you, that’s cultural outreach doing exactly what it’s supposed to do: bringing our nations closer together.”

The medical team conducted a total of 79 engagements, consisting of seven veterinary exchanges, seven community health engagements, and 65 subject matter expert exchanges across the disciplines of nursing, dental, midwifery, general surgery, emergency medicine, internal medicine, and ophthalmology. PP26 medical personnel engaged with local professionals to enhance mutual medical capabilities and strengthen long-term capacity.

“We had great collaborative engagements with our host and partner nations in subject matter exchanges and side-by-sides,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Squires, PP26 medical LOE lead for the Indonesia mission stop. “The opportunity to share and exchange knowledge from our specialists to the community of health professionals is a truly rewarding experience. I realized working here that health is a universal language. No matter what culture, religion, language, or place we come from, our shared experiences broke down barriers and we found common ground in finding different solutions for similar challenges.”

Following the ceremony, Pacific Partnership personnel prepared to embark aboard the Royal Australian Navy Bay-class landing ship dock HMAS Choules (LSD 100) to continue the mission of strengthening regional security, enhancing cooperation, and improving disaster preparedness across the Indo-Pacific.

Now in its 22nd iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.

For updates and multimedia from Pacific Partnership 2026, follow #PacificPartnership, #PP26, and #PacificPartnership26 on social media or visit: https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/PacificPartnership

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