Comfort is scheduled to visit Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Haiti. During these mission stops, Continuing Promise medical teams will focus on working alongside partner nation medical personnel to provide care aboard and at land-based medical sites to increase medical readiness, strengthen partnerships, and enhance the combined capabilities of the U.S. Navy and partner nations to respond to public health disasters and humanitarian crises.
“I’m excited to work with such an enthusiastic and professional medical team,” said Capt. Kathryn Elliott, commanding officer of USNS Comfort. “This is the Comfort’s seventh deployment in support of Continuing Promise, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to work with our partner nations, exchange knowledge, and provide assistance to those in need, furthering the lasting legacy of the Continuing Promise mission.”
Comfort will also conduct a resupply mission stop at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the only Main Operating Base in the USSOUTHCOM AOR and the oldest overseas U.S. Naval Base.
While deployed to the USSOUTHCOM AOR, CP 2022 will be under the operational control of Rear Adm. Jim Aiken, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet (USNAVSO/FOURTHFLT) and under the tactical control of Capt. Bryan Carmichael, commander, Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) Four, who will serve as the mission commander for this deployment.
“It’s an honor to work with the Comfort team and our partner nations personnel, as we strengthen our partnerships and help those in need in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions,” said Carmichael. “Medical services are a big part of the mission, but we are also building relationships with these nations and their people that will have a lasting impact.”
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 U.S. Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility.
U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet supports U.S. Southern Command’s joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American region.
