MATRAS ENGLISH SIBOLGA, Indonesia – Pacific Partnership 2026 (PP26) concluded its second mission stop in Sibolga and the surrounding Central Tapanuli regency, with a closing ceremony at Simare-Mare Field, July 30, 2026. Over the course of the two-week mission stop, the Navy’s largest annual multinational humanitarian and disaster preparedness mission in the Indo-Pacific enabled approximately 150 U.S. service members, Australian Defence Force, Canadian Armed Force, German Armed Force, and Singapore Armed Force service members, to work alongside the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), Indonesian experts and civilians on four lines of effort: engineering, disaster management, host nation outreach, and medical treatment.
“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 stops. “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.”
As part of the exercise, U.S. Navy Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5 and Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, U.S. Army soldiers from the Hawaii National Guard’s 230th Engineer Company, and TNI engineers worked side by side to build a new classroom at a local public elementary school and renovate classrooms at another, helping create safer and more conducive learning environments for students.
U.S. and Indonesian teams also conducted five days of urban search-and-rescue training at Sibolga Naval Base, followed by two days of disaster response planning with the Sibolga mayor’s office. The training culminated in a field exercise at Pandan General Hospital simulating a hospital fire and ship collision, testing joint responses to mass casualties, water rescue, and evacuation scenarios involving military personnel and civilian first responders.
Beyond these technical exchanges, the mission also emphasized community engagement. The Pacific Partnership Band performed public concerts at local venues and schools, bringing together hundreds of residents through music and cultural exchange.
To strengthen medical coordination and build local capacity, the Pacific Partnership medical team conducted 79 engagements, including seven veterinary exchanges, seven community health engagements, and 65 subject matter expert exchanges covering nursing, dentistry, midwifery, general surgery, emergency medicine, internal medicine, and ophthalmology.
Following the ceremony, personnel prepared to embark aboard the Royal Australian Navy Bay-class landing ship dock HMAS Choules 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.
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