Friendships Endure: Charlotte Native Supports Pacific Partnership 2022

By Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach

MILLINGTON, Tenn. - Lt. j.g Jessica Jennings, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, is serving aboard Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) as part of Pacific Partnership 2022 (PP22), deployed in the Pacific Ocean.

Mercy departed its homeport in San Diego May 3, with more than 800 personnel aboard, including military medical and engineering personnel, support staff, partner nation representatives and civil service mariners to participate in the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission in the Indo-Pacific. Each year the Pacific Partnership staff works collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships. 

Jennings is a Navy Nurse Corps officer responsible for sterile processing in the operating room on board Mercy.

"I ensure the sterility of all the instruments for surgery," said Jennings.

"I am so proud to be serving alongside Lt. j.g. Jennings and this outstanding group of sailors as we support this important mission on the largest floating hospital in the world,” said U.S. Capt. Hank Kim, PP22 mission commander. “I’m looking forward to watching this incredible team forge new friendships and strengthen existing relationships with the nations in Oceania and the Western Pacific.”

At the invitation of host nations, Jennings and the Pacific Partnership team work together to conduct tailored medical, dental, veterinary, engineering civic action projects, and subject-matter-expert exchanges.

"I am proud to serve in the Navy in helping others around the world," said Jennings.

Pacific Partnership assists local communities with a wide range of services enhancing host nation capabilities, building regional relationships, and exercising a collective ability to respond to situations, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts.

"Serving in the Navy means being able to help others at any given time in any way possible," added Jennings.