Vietnam, U.S. set to begin Pacific Angel mission

  • Published
  • 13th Air Force Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --  The United States is scheduled to provide humanitarian assistance in cooperation with local authorities to residents of Can Tho, Vietnam, from May 10 to 17 as part of Operation Pacific Angel 2010.

Operation Pacific Angel is a joint and combined humanitarian assistance operation conducted in the Pacific area of responsibility to support U.S. Pacific Command's capacity-building efforts. This humanitarian and civic assistance program is aimed at improving military civic cooperation between the United States and countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

More than 50 U.S. military members will travel to Vietnam for the operation, the majority of which will travel via a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules from the Alaska Air National Guard. They will join Vietnamese military, non-governmental organization, and civil health and engineering personnel in medical and engineering efforts.

The medical team will provide family practice, dental, optometry, pediatrics and women's health care to Can Tho area residents. Engineering efforts will include plumbing, electrical and structural work on two area medical clinics.

This is the second iteration of Operation Pacific Angel 2010. The first was held in the Philippines from Feb. 5 to 22. Two more iterations of Pacific Angel 2010 are planned, including missions to Bangladesh in June and Sri Lanka in August.

Operation Pacific Angel is a Pacific Air Forces program led by 13th Air Force here.