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Source: United States Air Force
In this week’s look around the Air Force, REFORPAC 25 concludes after 30 days of exercising across the Indo-Pacific, Deployable Combat Wings reorganize forces to meet requirements in any theater, and the Space Force approves an upgrade toward advancing Space Domain Awareness.
Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)
On August 15, 2025, the USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) arrived in Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia, in support of Pacific Partnership 25.
The arrival of the Harpers Ferry-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor to Chuuk marks another stop of Pacific Partnership 25, the largest multinational humanitarian and disaster relief mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific.
At the request of host nations, Pearl Harbor’s arrival to Chuuk allows Pacific Partnership team to collaborate with partners as well as develop operations, activities, and investments along the primary lines of effort (disaster management, engineering, medical, and host nation outreach).
The crew of USS Pearl Harbor and the attached Pacific Partnership team is working alongside allies and partners to strengthen relationships bolster host nation capacity while providing essential humanitarian and support efforts to reduce the risk of, prepare for, and respond to disasters. In addition The Pacific Partnership multinational band, comprised of musicians from the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band, the Royal Canadian Navy, Australian Army and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, which will embark U.S. Navy mission platforms to support Federated States of Micronesia, and the will perform in a variety of community engagements.
“Alongside our allies, partners and friends, this stop in Chuuk provides us the opportunity to learn from our partners here in Micronesia while also allowing us to better refine their preparedness to respond in time of crisis. This includes several engineering projects and medical care designed to enhance the capabilities already present throughout the region,” said mission commander, Commodore Mark B. Stefanik. “Now in its 21st year, Pacific Partnership 2025 is a very real demonstration of the commitment of the United States, our allies and partners as we prepare in calm for times of crisis.”
In addition to activities aboard Pearl Harbor, Pacific Partnership is focused on collective capacity building, which has evolved from the previous approach centering on providing direct care. Any direct care provided will be shoulder-to-shoulder with the host and partner nations to share knowledge and skills that are enduring and applicable well after the mission.
This year’s mission will also feature nearly 1,500 U.S., allied and partner nation personnel supporting the Pacific Partnership 2025 mission.
In the aftermath of the December 2004 “Boxing Day” tsunami that devastated parts of South and Southeast Asia, the United States mobilized numerous military assets and personnel to support the relief effort. Recognizing the opportunity to build on the goodwill and lessons learned from that initial mission, the U.S. Navy planned and executed the inaugural Pacific Partnership (PP) mission in 2006; its primary aim was to proactively prepare for a more effective response to natural disasters while strengthening relationships and security ties between nations.
Pacific Partnership, in its 21st iteration, is the U.S. Navy’s largest maritime humanitarian and civic assistance mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Each year, the mission team works alongside partners and allies to strengthen relationships, bolster host nation capacity to provide essential humanitarian services, and support efforts to reduce the risk of, prepare for, and respond to disasters. The PP25 team is led by U.S. Navy Capt. Mark B. Stefanik, commander of Destroyer Squadron 31, serving as the mission commander.
For more information about Pacific Partnership visit www.facebook.com/pacificpartnership, www.instagram.com/pacific.partnership/ or https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/PacificPartnership. Pacific Partnership public affairs can be reached via email at, sean.t.foertsch.mil@us.navy.mil.
| Date Taken: | 08.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.15.2025 02:24 |
| Story ID: | 545692 |
| Location: | FM |
| Web Views: | 3 |
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This work, USS Pearl Harbor Arrives in Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia, by CPO Julio Rivera, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
August 15 is recognized as the birthday of the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army Soldier program, or KATUSA. The program was created only weeks after the Korean War ignited, and to this day KATUSAs continue to serve side-by-side with Eighth Army Soldiers providing priceless support and friendship.
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii — Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, hosted senior Joint Force leaders at USINDOPACOM headquarters on Camp H.M. Smith in Hawaii for two days of engagements focused on strategy, capabilities and force posture in the Indo-Pacific region, Aug. 12-13, 2025.
Source: United States Coast Guard
| News Release |
U.S. Coast Guard Northwest District PA Detachment Astoria |
08/14/2025 08:42 PM EDT
The Coast Guard suspended its search for a missing 65-year-old fisherman off the coast of Oregon and Washington, around 1:30 p.m., Wednesday. Coast Guard crews searched over 18 hours, scouring an area of 2,100 sq. miles, including over 430 miles of trackline. The man departed alone on his fishing vessel, the Karolee, the week prior and was last heard from at 7:30 a.m., Friday, Aug. 8. The boat could be seen via its automatic identification system (AIS) and was traveling a constant southerly course at approximately four knots for several days.
Source: United States Coast Guard
08/14/2025 02:35 PM EDT
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Source: United States AFRICOM
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) have formally released the first Joint Communiqué to emerge from the African Chiefs of Defense Conference (ACHOD), marking a new phase of coordinated action among African and international defense leaders.
The communiqué, co-signed by General Charles M. Kahariri, Chief of Defence Forces of Kenya, and General Michael E. Langley, Commander of U.S. Africa Command, distills the priorities agreed upon by 38 African delegations during ACHOD 2025 in Nairobi. While the conference concluded in May, this communiqué signals the start of a sustained effort to turn dialogue into concrete steps.
“This is more than a record of what was discussed,” said Gen. Langley. “It is a shared commitment to move forward together, build on progress, and deliver results that strengthen security across Africa.”
The five focus areas outlined in the communiqué are:
Gen. Kahariri emphasized, “This communiqué focuses our collective energy. It identifies where we must act and where we can lead together.”
The joint communiqué will guide military engagement, innovation, and institutional reforms in the coming year, providing a framework for measuring progress.
Please follow the link for the full document: ACHOD25 Joint Communique.pdf
Source: United States Coast Guard
U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 08/14/2025 10:15 AM EDT
08/14/2025 10:00 AM EDT
Source: United States AFRICOM
U.S. Africa Command publishes quarterly reports on the command’s unclassified, publicly accessible website that provide information on the status and results of reviews, assessments, and investigations relating to civilian harm in accordance with Department of Defense Instruction 3000.17 “Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response.”
In the latest quarterly civilian harm assessment report period ending March 31, 2025, U.S. Africa Command did not receive any new reports of civilian harm, closed one assessment, and carried over one open report from previous quarters
U.S. Africa Command takes all reports of possible civilian harm seriously and has a process to conduct thorough reviews and assessments using all available information.
Discrepancies between U.S. Africa Command Civilian Harm Assessment Report and Other Organizations’ Reports
U.S. Africa Command civilian harm assessment reports occasionally differ from other organizations’ reports, including those by non-governmental organizations, for a number of reasons. The command’s reviews rely on a variety of sources, including open-source information and information from reliable and multi-layered intelligence sources, as well as classified operational reporting, some of which is not accessible to the public. This can contribute to perceived discrepancies between the command’s assessments and those of others
Definition of “civilian” and “combatant”
When assessing reports of civilian harm, DoD considers whether any members of the civilian population were wounded or killed as a direct result of U.S. military operations. For the purposes of such assessments, DoD does not include members of the civilian population who have forfeited the protections of civilian status by engaging in hostilities. Information about different classes of persons under the law of war, including “civilians” and “combatants,” can be found in Chapter IV of the DoD Law of War Manual (June 2015, Updated December 2023), which is available at: https://ogc.osd.mil/Portals/99/Law%20of%20War%202023/DOD-LAW-OF-WAR-MANUAL-JUNE-2015-UPDATED-JULY%202023.pdf?ver=Qbxamfouw4znu1I7DVMcsw%3d%3d
U.S. Africa Command 2nd Quarter FY2025 Civilian Harm Assessment Report Summary of Results
It is U.S. Africa Command’s policy to reevaluate reports of civilian harm should previously unassessed relevant information become available and a review of the new information indicates it could change the previously approved results or if other issues emerge that cast significant doubts on the accuracy of the previously approved assessment’s results. Absent new information, the below assessments are final and complete.
Completed Assessments
In response to information provided by civil society organizations, and after an initial review of that information, U.S. Africa Command initiated a new investigation into an April 1, 2018 airstrike near El Burr, Somalia. U.S. Africa Command had previously acknowledged that two civilians were regrettably and unintentionally killed in the strike. The new investigation concluded that it is more likely than not that an additional civilian was killed in the strike, whose death was previously unknown to the command. U.S. Africa Command regrets this inadvertent loss of life and offers its sincerest condolences to the families and individuals affected. U.S. Africa Command remains committed to minimizing harm to civilians and will continue to take all feasible precautions to prevent such incidents in the future.
Additional details about this incident will not be publicly released to protect surviving family members.
Open Assessments
U.S. Africa Command had one open assessment during this quarter. Information on that assessment will be included in the quarterly report following its completion.
Source: NATO
The North Atlantic Council has appointed Mr. Sébastien Lepers as Chair of the NATO International Board of Auditors (IBAN) for a two-year mandate, effective 1 August 2025. Born in 1973 in Nouméa, New Caledonia (France), Mr. Lepers brings to this role a distinguished career in public administration, defence operations, and international auditing.
After completing academic studies in public administration and in economic and social sciences, Mr. Lepers served from 1999 to 2016 in the French Ministry of Defence, assuming responsibilities of increasing scope and complexity. His assignments covered audit, internal control, general administration, public procurement, finance and logistics, complemented by secondments abroad in support of external operations. From 2016 to 2023, he continued his professional path at the French Supreme Audit Institution (SAI), la Cour des comptes, where he conducted control, peer review and international cooperation activities. Throughout these roles, he managed the entire process of service delivery – from the design of work programmes to their operational implementation and follow-up – ensuring both rigor and efficiency.
Mr. Lepers began his career as Deputy Head of Infrastructure at Ventiseri-Solenzara Air Base 126, an advanced base in Corsica dedicated to tactical training and NATO aircraft deployments. He then served for four years as Head of administrative, financial and logistical support at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin Air Base 943. These responsibilities enabled him to develop strong leadership skills and contribute to strategic initiatives for pooling support services, while also taking part in major national operations such as the Maritime Pollution Plan (POLMAR), forest fire control under the Adapted Monitoring Module (MAS), disaster relief following the Lothar and Martin storms, and the VIGIPIRATE enhanced security system at Nice International Airport. He also participated in large-scale exercises, including OPÉRA at Creil Air Base 110 and EOLO in Portugal and Spain, and obtained specialist qualifications in explosive ordnance reconnaissance (Reco NEDEX) and in the command of measures against nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical threats (NRBC).
He subsequently served at the Central Directorate of the Air Commissariat in Paris, where he combined staff officer functions with operational deployments to Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Lebanon and India. In these complex multinational environments, he successfully led administrative, financial and logistical teams, demonstrating both adaptability and authority.
In 2016, Mr. Lepers was appointed financial magistrate at the Cour des comptes, where he carried out performance, financial and jurisdictional audits in critical sectors including environment, agriculture, energy and transport. From 2018 to 2023, he held the position of Deputy Director – and twice acted as Director – of the Directorate of International Relations, External Audit and Francophonie. In this capacity, he coordinated multilateral and bilateral cooperation initiatives with prominent international organisations such as the Forum of SAIs with jurisdiction, AISCCUF, INTOSAI, EUROSAI and the EU SAI Contact Committee. His responsibilities also encompassed supporting the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, overseeing projects financed by multiple donors, and contributing to the development of international audit standards.
Mr. Lepers holds several internationally recognised professional certifications, including Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Government Auditing Professional (CGAP), Certified Risk Management Assurance (CRMA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and Certified Financial Crime Specialist (CFCS). His extensive experience in both internal and external audit, combined with his operational expertise and managerial acumen, ensures that the IBAN will continue to operate in full alignment with the highest standards of professionalism, transparency and good governan