Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Burlington (T-EPF 10) arrived in Puerto Cortes, Honduras, July 27, 2024 as part of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet’s Continuing Promise 2024.
Medical professionals from Burlington will be visiting four different sites during this visit including a joint medical brigade with the Honduran military at Franklin Delano Roosevelt School and subject matter expert exchanges at Puerto Cortes Hospital. Along with those events, U.S. Navy biomedical technicians will work with Honduran practitioners to assess and repair medical equipment.
“We’re excited to work with the military of Honduras, their medical professionals, their veterinary professionals, and see in what ways we can help the Honduran people,” said Lt. Cmdr. Zachary Smith, mission commander for Continuing Promise 2024.
Continuing Promise 2024 comes equipped to provide treatment not only to human patients, but to their animal companions as well. A U.S. Army veterinary team will be working with Honduran veterinary professionals to share knowledge and experience on providing treatment and vaccinations.
“The things that we’ve been learning thus far on the Continuing Promise mission are two-fold,” said Maj. Crystal Lindaberry, a U.S. Army veterinary clinical specialist and Continuing Promise 2024 veterinary officer-in-charge from the 248th Medical Detachment Veterinary Service Support. “It’s given us a chance to hone the skills that we need on our military medical side. It’s also been learning about the tropical diseases they have here and how the doctors here approach and cure them, because we don’t see a lot of these diseases at home.”
Being able to provide medical care in emergency situations is an important part of the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) initiative of Continuing Promise 2024, as U.S. Department of Defense personnel will train and exchange knowledge alongside personnel from the Permanent Contingency Commission of Honduras (COPECO) and non-government organization partners such as Pacific Disaster Group and Pacific Response Group.
Women, Peace, and Security is a major UN initiative aimed at promoting and understanding the disproportionate amount of violence women face globally. Continuing Promise is committed to supporting the initiative with two multi-day seminars at Ciudad Mujer, bringing together decision-makers and representatives of organizations to provide the community with the information and tools to combat gender-based violence and inequality.
U.S. Navy construction personnel, known as “Seabees,” will provide construction and engineering support at Ciudad Mujer, where they will be extending a concrete pad for ambulance offload and repairing an awning to provide shade for children at the site’s playground.
“My expectation is that my team should be able to get everything done in the time allotted,” said Builder 1st Class Gabriel Murga Altan, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion One, “I’m expecting that it’s going to be an improvement to the center and allow it to keep providing the services that it provides the patients.”
The U.S. Fleet Forces Band, called “Uncharted Waters,” will have multiple performances at schools around the Cortes Department.
Continuing Promise 2024 will be in Puerto Cortes and San Pedro Sula from July 27 until August 4.