180503-N-QV906-107 TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka (May 3, 2018) Lt. Cmdr. Zappata Valdez, assigned to the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH-19), delivers remarks during a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief symposium. Mercy is currently deployed in support of 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 1st Class Micah Blechner/Released)