A team of Public Health and Preventive Medicine experts deployed from San Diego aboard USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) in support of Pacific Partnership 2016 (PP-16), May 11.

Ten Sailors assigned to San Diego's Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit Five (NEPMU-5) began their five-month journey to conduct the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

The team included members from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, and allied nation public health professionals. Cmdr. Derek Gagnon, officer in charge of Forward Deployable Preventive Medicine Unit Team 4, is currently serving as the director of Public Health aboard Mercy. He relayed his confidence in his team's ability to provide services while underway and as part of the greater mission.

"We have a dedicated team consisting of outstanding personnel from the U.S. Armed Forces, our allied military partners, and a Forward Deployed Preventive Medicine Unit capable of providing a wide variety of public health services while on Pacific Partnership 2016," said Gagnon. "With our team's superior credentials and proven ability to engage in Global Health Engagement, I am excited to lead the public health mission both ashore and afloat."

The public health mission during PP-16 is multifaceted. While aboard the ship, the team is responsible for ensuring the food and water are safe for consumption, dining and berthing facilities are inspected and are in compliance with health regulations, and disease surveillance and reporting are conducted to minimize the risk of an outbreak. Other programs, such as health promotions, hearing conservation, and occupational health are part of the team's mission as well. While in mission ports, the FDPMU will also partner with allied nation public health services.

"This is the first time that an FDPMU will be utilized in a GHE mission," said Cmdr. Shelton Lyons II, NEPMU-5 officer in charge. "From improving host-nation public health capacity, to building relationships with allied nations, the FDPMU's support of PP-16 by providing an advanced team to man, train, and equip our partners in their own backyard is in line with where the Navy is going."

"All of the preventive medicine technicians that were selected for this mission are ready, capable, and eager to be part of the Global Health Engagement missions," added Senior Chief Leonardo Carbonel, NEPMU-5 senior enlisted leader. "The opportunity to conduct these types of missions where they can teach and help host nations improve their quality of life is one of the many reasons PMTs get excited about their job."

FDPMUs provide health services support to Navy and Marine Corps forces by rapidly assessing, preventing, and controlling health threats in the theater of operations to enhance organic preventive medicine assets. Pacific Partnership 2016 will be the first time in its 11 year history an FDPMU is utilized as part of the mission.

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For more news from Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center, visit http://www.navy.mil/.