Chief Musician Christopher Sams (left) and Musician 3rd Class Edwin Blake, members of U.S. Pacific Fleet Band, aboard Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19).

PACIFIC OCEAN (Mar. 10, 2018) Chief Musician Christopher Sams (left) and Musician 3rd Class Edwin Blake, members of U.S. Pacific Fleet Band, aboard Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), rehearse together in preparation for Pacific Partnership 2018 (PP18). PP18's mission is to work collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase stability and security in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships across the Indo-Pacific Region. Pacific Partnership, now in its 13th iteration, is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Caledon Rabbipal) File# 180310-N-MW694-0063