PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP
14 July 2009
Pacific Partnership 2009 lends a hand in Samoa
A multinational and multi skilled PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP 2009 team has been hard at work in Samoa. With the sound of singing children in the background, the team has refurbished a local primary school in the village of Sasina. Sasina is on one of Samoa’s northern islands Savai’i. Lieutenant Michael Collaros is the Commander of the Australian Contingent for the first Phase of the mission in Samoa and Tonga.
Deep Caption: PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP is an annual US sponsored training and readiness mission, which works through, with and by a diverse range of Militaries, Governments and non-government organisations to develop the capacity to deliver aid and disaster relief in the Pacific region.
The Australian Defence Force contribution to the 2009 mission includes 24 Australian Army Engineers, one Royal Australian Air Force Dental Hygienist and two Royal Australian Air Force Cooks, two Royal Australian Navy Landing Craft Heavy, a Royal Australian Navy Medical Officer and a Royal Australian Navy Civic Military Cooperation Officer.
The Australian Defence Force contingent is dedicated to working with the US, local Samoans and other mission partners to deliver aid to their regional neighbors.
| 090706-N-4033H-036 Australian Army Lieutenant Mick Collaros hands out little Australian flags to children of a local primary school he has been helping to renovate on the Island of Savai’i, Samoa. 12 Australian Army Engineers and a Royal Australian Air Force Dental Hygienist have been working in Samoa as part of the Humanitarian Civic Assistance mission PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP 2009. (Date taken: 06 July 2009) low res | high res |
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| 20090702adf00000_020 Royal Australian Air Force Dental Hygienist Corporal Diane Beningfield examines a young Samoan girl’s teeth. Corporal Beningfield worked long days at a Community Centre in Apia Samoa as part of the Humanitarian Civic Assistance mission PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, determined to provide dental hygiene services to as many people as possible while the mission was in town. (Date taken: 02 July 2009) low res | high res |
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| 20090705adf00000_008 Australian Army Sapper Josh Fuller works with local Samoans to renovate a primary School in Savai’i as part of the PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP 2009 Humanitarian Civic Assistance mission. (Date taken: 05 July 2009) low res | high res |
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| 20090706adf00000_004 Sapper Mark Passmore is incredibly proud to be an Australian Soldier. Working within a multinational and multi skilled team, the Coffs Harbour local man improved the lives of Samoans this July by helping renovate a primary school on the island of Savai’i as part of a US lead Humanitarian Civic Assistance Mission called PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP 2009. Mark is by plumber both by trade and within the Australian Army Reserve, but he’s not your typical Army solider on deployment; Mark is 58 years old. After running his own successful pluming company Mark decided to add a little something more to life and joined the Army when he was 50 years old. Mark is known as ‘pops’ by his Army team mates and is a stable and respected influence amongst the younger soldiers. He’s also one of the boys. “I am the same rank so we’re all equal, but I do like it when they call me pops or grandpa because they do so affectionately,” said Mark. (Date taken: 06 July 2009) low res | high res |
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| 20090708adf00000_015 Australian Army Engineers visit a school for disabled children in Apia while part of Humanitarian Civic Assistance mission PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP 2009. The Aussie engineers are renovating the National Hospital in Apia and took some time out to play and dance with the small children at the nearby school. (Date taken: 08 July 2009) low res | high res |
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| 20090709adf0000_009 Australian Army Engineers arrive by SA 330 PUMA helicopter on the Island of Savai’i, Samoa, to undertake their first construction project on Humanitarian Civic Assistance mission PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP 2009. Six of the 12 Australian Army Engineers have lived and worked alongside local Samoans and US ‘SEABEES’ renovating a primary school in the village of Sasina. (Date taken: 09 July 2009) low res | high res |
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| 20090710adf00000_024 Australian Army Sappers enjoy the celebrations at the Ribbon Cutting ceremony celebrating the completion and handover of the local school they had been helping renovate in Samoa as part of Humaniatrain Civic Assistance Mission PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP 2009. (Date taken: 10 July 2009) low res | high res |
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| 20090902adf0000_025 Australian Army Sapper Ross Paine discusses the finder details of the job at hand with US Navy ‘SEABEE’ Petty Officer Ferguson at the National Hospital construction site in Apia Samoa where a multinational and multi skilled team worked together on Humanitarian Civic Assistance mission PACIFIC PARTNERSIP 2009. (Date taken: 02 July 2009) low res | high res |
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