The U.S. Navy will deploy its hospital ship USNS Comfort to Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic by the end of the year as part of the Continuing Promise 2022 mission.
During these port calls, medical teams will focus on working alongside medical personnel from friendly nations to provide care on board and at shore-based medical sites to increase medical readiness, strengthen partnerships and enhance the combined capabilities of the U.S. Navy and friendly nations to respond to public health disasters and humanitarian crises.
“No mission better demonstrates our enduring commitment to the region as we work in partnership with like-minded nations to ensure a safe, free and prosperous hemisphere,” said U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. Fourth Fleet Commander Rear Adm. Jim Aiken.
He added, “Today, more than ever, our destinies are inextricably linked in the Western Hemisphere. Continuing Promise provides valuable training for U.S. and friendly nation personnel to learn from each other and work side by side to improve the medical readiness of our neighborhood while collectively preparing to meet regional challenges.”
Meanwhile, Amphibious Squadron 4 commodore, who will serve as the Continuing Promise 2022 mission commander, Capt. Bryan Carmichael, said he looks forward to “going out with Comfort and doing great things for America and its partners in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility.”
Continuing Promise’s mission includes providing direct medical care and expeditionary veterinary care, training and exchanging knowledge on various medical and humanitarian assistance topics, disaster relief, and conducting Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) seminars.
WPS is a United Nations initiative that began with UNSCR 1325 signed in 2000 and was a public recognition that women are more affected by conflict and crisis and that including women in security planning will lead to a more peaceful world.
With information from InfoDefensa