Hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) anchored off the coast of Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, in support of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet’s Continuing Promise 2022 (CP22) mission, Oct. 26.
This visit marks the first of five mission stops as part of Continuing Promise 2022 and the ninth visit to Guatemala as part of Continuing Promise since 2007.
“No mission better demonstrates our enduring commitment to the region as we work collaboratively with likeminded nations to ensure a secure, free, and prosperous hemisphere,” said Rear Adm. Jim Aiken, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet. “Today, more than ever, our fates are inextricably linked in the Western Hemisphere. Continuing Promise provides valuable training for U.S. and partner nation personnel to learn from each other and to work side by side to improve the medical readiness of our neighborhood while also collectively being prepared to meet regional challenges.”
During the mission stop the Comfort will provide direct medical care and expeditionary veterinary care, conducting training and subject matter expert exchanges on various medical and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief topics, and leading seminars on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) to further strengthen U.S. partnerships with partner nations, improve our collective capacity to respond in support of medical assistance and disaster relief efforts in the region, and provide an invaluable opportunity to learn from partner nations.
Since its inaugural mission in 2007, Continuing Promise missions have treated more than 582,000 patients and conducted over 7,000 surgeries in the region. Comfort’s current mission will be the 12th Continuing Promise mission conducted in the Caribbean, Central and South America.
Additional countries with civilian and military personnel participating in CP 2022 include Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Netherlands the United Kingdom and more than a dozen non-governmental organizations.
Comfort is also scheduled to visit Colombia, Dominican Republic and Haiti during CP22.