Partners in Preparedness: Pacific Partnership 2026 and Indonesia Advance Regional Disaster Response

SIBOLGA, Indonesia – Over the course of two weeks, 13 U.S. members assigned to Pacific Partnership 2026’s (PP26) disaster management line of effort (LOE) trained alongside Indonesian National Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia) and national first responders to exchange expertise, refine response procedures, and expand regional disaster preparedness capabilities through a series of subject matter expert engagements and disaster management workshops in Sibolga, Indonesia.

Starting July 20, participants including National Guardsmen from the Hawaii Army National Guard 7th Engineer Battalion and the Center for Excellence-Disaster Management worked side by side on disaster response planning, water rescue, and urban search and rescue training, which culminated in a two-day field training exercise. The events, which provided members the opportunity to review response procedures, familiarize one another with specialized equipment, and strengthen coordination, were structured to emphasize coordination before natural disasters occur through combining collaborative planning sessions with hands-on training across multiple disaster response disciplines and scenarios.

“The disaster management line of effort underscores Pacific Partnership 2026’s enduring commitment with Indonesia to strengthen disaster preparedness and response,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Robert Reyes, mission commander of PP26. “This is the 7th time the Pacific Partnership mission has returned to Indonesia since its inception. Our history is rooted in commitment and this year’s mission in Sibolga only deepens our collaborative capability and disaster preparedness.”

Indonesia’s position along the Mentawai subduction zone makes the region highly susceptible to complex natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, landslides, and extreme weather. Events such as the recent series of floods and landslides that impacted Sibolga and the surrounding Central Tapanuli Regency in 2025 highlight the importance of disaster preparedness in advance.

The two-week long event was designed as a progressive training pipeline. Building from foundational search and rescue techniques toward complex disaster management coordination, the water rescue and urban search and rescue training engagements aimed to bolster the country’s crisis response capacity and enhance interoperability between the U.S. and Indonesia.

“It was a great experience to work with our TNI counterparts and Indonesia’s national-level first responders,” said U.S. Army Cpt. Nathanael Wrye, PP26 Indonesia mission stop disaster management team lead. “These evolutions allowed us all to explore the individual capabilities of TNI and first responders to react to specific scenarios that can occur during disasters; and increase our collective ability to develop plans and strategic outlook.”

The exchanges were held on the Indonesian coast, where participants practiced shore-to-water extractions and water victim rescue techniques. The training scenario transitioned to a vertical lane rescue evolution, where personnel engaged in hands-on simulations involving advanced rope techniques, rigging skills, and technical equipment operation to extract casualties from elevated structures.

Simultaneously, disaster management specialists hosted a disaster response planning seminar alongside Indonesian National Disaster Response planners, bridging coordination gaps between military, civilian, and humanitarian responders to ensure that the various entities and organizations involved in a natural disaster response scenario are able to integrate into a unified command structure efficiently.

TNI Capt. Hisnindarsyah, TNI task force commander of PP26, said the joint work leaves behind practical, lasting benefits for the region.

“Disaster management implementation in Sibolga forms an integral part of Indonesia's national disaster management system, focusing on mitigation, preparedness, emergency response, and recovery,” said Hisnindarsyah. “Pacific Partnership serves as a platform for enhancing human resource capacity, improving interagency coordination, testing emergency response procedures, and increasing interoperability among the TNI, local governments, and international partners. Therefore, Pacific Partnership is not merely a military and humanitarian mission but also a strategic initiative for strengthening the disaster resilience of the communities of Sibolga and Central Tapanuli.”

Now in its 22nd iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the region. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.

For more information about Pacific Partnership visit www.facebook.com/pacificpartnership, www.instagram.com/pacific_partnership/ or https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/PacificPartnership.

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