HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Nov. 22, 2023) Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Lt. Kan Ikegami, an ear, nose, and throat specialist, performs surgery aboard the hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) with U.S. Navy and local Solomon Islands doctors to remove a mass from a patient’s neck during Pacific Partnership 2024-1 in Honiara, Solomon Islands, Nov. 22, 2023. Pacific Partnership, now in its 19th iteration, is the largest multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific and works to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Gavin Arnoldhendershot)