An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

News from around the Fleet

USNS Comfort Completes Its Final Mission Stop of CP 2022 in Haiti

20 December 2022

From Petty Officer 3rd Class Sophia Simons, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / U.S. 4th Fleet

JEREMIE, Haiti - U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) completed its fifth and final mission stop of Continuing Promise 2022 in Jeremie, Haiti, Dec. 17, 2022.

During the 7-day mission stop, the medical team, comprised of professionals from the U.S., Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Canada, U.K. and Chile, provided medical, dental, optometry and pediatric care for 1,035 patients and filled 14,012 prescriptions at the medical site located at Wharf de Jeremie.

After completing two days of medical operations, the ship experienced an incident on the night of December 12, resulting in 19 personnel overboard. All personnel were safely recovered. Two Sailors were treated for minor injuries and made full recoveries. Leadership onboard conducted a safety standdown on December 13 to reevaluate transportation. Operations resumed on December 14, with the U.S. Coast Guard providing safe and reliable transit, via rigid-hull inflatable boats, to and from the medical site.

“No mission stop will have a greater or long-lasting impact on Continuing Promise than Jeremie,” said Capt. Bryan Carmichael, commodore of Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 4. “This mission stop in many ways was the most difficult to execute. Mother Nature and logistical challenges provided for a mishap on day three of operations. However, this team never gives up. It took some time to get the momentum running again, but by the final day of medical site operations, the mission was running smoothly on all cylinders. The great work and lessons learned in Jeremie will positively shape future Continuing Promise missions.”

With the continuation of operations, personnel at the medical site were able to positively impact the lives of over 1,000 people, to include the donation of two wheelchairs, the facilitation of a pediatric cataract surgery through a non-governmental organization (NGO), New Century International, and new physicians from Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population received the opportunity to perform side-by-sides with Comfort medical professionals.

Additionally, this stop allowed Hospitalman Christie Guerrier, a Haitian native, to reunite with her sister, who lives in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. They conducted patient administration and interpreted at the medical site. This was the first time Guerrier had seen her sister in five years.

The ship also conducted a distinguished visitor tour with Daniel P. Erikson, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Western Hemisphere and Ambassador Eric W. Stromayer, the Chief of Affairs/Deputy Chief of Mission at embassy Port-au-Prince to showcase ship capabilities and operational status.

During the closing ceremony on December 17, Comfort leadership met with local leaders with 26 media outlets in attendance for a gift exchange and the announcement of donations to local medical facilities. The Comfort team compiled 55 pallets of medical supplies and other non-perishable goods from the crew to donate to local NGOs to use in the area.

Since the inauguration of Continuing Promise in 2007, Comfort medical teams have treated more than 484,000 patients, which comprises over 83% of the patients treated during all Continuing Promise missions, and conducted more than 7,400 surgeries, including over 800 surgeries during the 2010 earthquake relief mission in Haiti. Comfort’s current mission is 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.

Learn more about USNAVSO/4th Fleet at
https://www.facebook.com/NAVSOUS4THFLT and @NAVSOUS4THFLT

 

Google Translation Disclaimer

  • Google Translate, a third party service provided by Google, performs all translations directly and dynamically.
  • Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea, cnrk.cnic.navy.mil has no control over the features, functions, or performance of the Google Translate service.
  • The automated translations should not be considered exact and should be used only as an approximation of the original English language content.
  • This service is meant solely for the assistance of limited English-speaking users of the website.
  • Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea, cnrk.cnic.navy.mil does not warrant the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information translated.
  • Some items cannot be translated, including but not limited to image buttons, drop down menus, graphics, photos, or portable document formats (pdfs).
  • Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea, cnrk.cnic.navy.mil does not directly endorse Google Translate or imply that it is the only language translation solution available to users.
  • All site visitors may choose to use similar tools for their translation needs. Any individuals or parties that use Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea, cnrk.cnic.navy.mil content in translated form, whether by Google Translate or by any other translation services, do so at their own risk.
  • IE users: Please note that Google Translate may not render correctly when using Internet Explorer. Users are advised to use MS Edge, Safari, Chrome, or Firefox browser to take full advantage of the Google Translate feature.
  • The official text of content on this site is the English version found on this website. If any questions arise related to the accuracy of the information contained in translated text, refer to the English version on this website, it is the official version.

Commander, U.S. Navy Region Korea   |   PSC 478 Box 1   |   FPO AP, 96212-0001
Official U.S. Navy Website