BASIAO, Philippines (July 23, 2015) Steelworker 3rd

BASIAO, Philippines (July 23, 2015) Steelworker 3rd Class Steven Neer and Armed Forces of the Philippines engineer, finish painting a classroom at Basiao Elementary School during Pacific Partnership 2015. Engineers attached to the hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), to include Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force Engineers, are working on various projects in Capiz Province. Mercy is currently in the Philippines for its third mission port of PP15. Pacific Partnership is in its tenth iteration and is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. While training for crisis conditions, Pacific Partnership missions to date have provided real world medical care to approximately 270,00 patients and veterinary services to more than 38,999 animals. Additionally, the mission has provided critical infrastructure development to host nations through more than 180 engineering projects. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt. Araceli Alarcon/RELEASED)