TAM KY, Vietnam -- The Vietnam People’s Army and United States forces will work together to conduct humanitarian assistance engagements from September 10-18, 2017, as part of Pacific Angel (PACANGEL) 2017.

PACANGEL 17 is a joint and combined humanitarian assistance engagement. During this exchange, approximately 65 members of the U.S. military, in partnership with partner nation support, local non-governmental organizations and host nation military forces will train together by providing medical, dental, optometric, and engineering assistance, and conducting subject matter expert exchanges in Tam Ky, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam.

Throughout the 8-day engagement, Vietnamese and U.S. forces will also partner with local schools and health clinics to repair and update infrastructure. U.S. and Vietnamese service members will increase interoperability by learning best medical practices from one another, while giving back to the community as friends, partners, and allies.

A media day will be conducted at the Tam Thai Commune People’s Committee Cultural and Community Center in Phu Ninh District, Vietnam, September 13, 2017, to include a press conference with Pacific Angel Vietnam mission commander, Lt. Col. Benjamin Doyle, and Maj. Thang Tat Mai, Vietnamese Ministry of Defense Foreign Relations.

Local media will also be invited to attend the engagement closing ceremony at Truong Thcs Phan Tay Ho School in Tam Ky, September 18, 2017.

This is the last of four humanitarian assistance engagements that make up PACANGEL 17. Pacific Air Forces conducted successful events in Northern and Western Divisions, Fiji, Northern Cebu Province, Philippines and Gorkha, Nepal.

Now entering its tenth year, PACANGEL ensures that the region’s militaries are prepared to work together to address humanitarian crises. Since 2007, PACANGEL engagements have impacted the lives of tens of thousands of people through providing health services ranging from dentistry, optometry, pediatrics and physical therapy to civil engineering programs, humanitarian aid and disaster relief and subject matter exchanges.