HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Nov. 29, 2023) U.S. Navy Capt. Marco Ayala, left, from Washington D.C., and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Lt. Kan Ikegami remove a mass from a patient's neck during surgery aboard the hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) while anchored off Honiara, Solomon Islands, as part of Pacific Partnership 2024-1, Nov. 29, 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)