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El Salvador Welcomes Continuing Promise 2008

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080521-28
Release Date: 5/21/2008 5:26:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW) Porter Anderson, USS Boxer Public Affairs

SONSONATE, El Salvador (NNS) -- Salvadoran military leaders ceremoniously welcomed USS Boxer (LHD 4) to the country's Sonsonate region, May 19, marking the official beginning of operations in El Salvador as part of the Pacific phase of Continuing Promise (CP) 2008.

CP is a collaborative effort between U.S. military services to work with non-governmental organizations and partner nations to build strong partnerships which can be called upon in the event of a regional situation that requires cooperative solutions.

Throughout the operation in El Salvador, CP's medical teams will work side-by-side with partner-nation military and medical professionals to provide basic outpatient healthcare at two sites ashore, while also performing a number of basic surgeries aboard Boxer.

"We will provide a wide array of medical aid from dental, internal medicine, medications and vitamins to biomedical repairs," said Capt. Peter Dallman, who serves as Commander, Amphibious Squadron 5.

Along with the medical aid, CP provides for the reconstruction of two schools as well as road and drainage repair by Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 303.

"We are proud that service members from both countries can work together on this humanitarian project," said Gen. Oswaldo Rubio, chief of the Salvadorian Army.

After exchanging greetings with the Mayor of Sonsonate, Jose Roberto Aquino, and exchanging greetings and gifts with the Mayor of Acajutla, Casimiro Sosa Mejia, Dallman was asked to sign the golden guest books for both Sonsonate and Acajutla, an honor reserved for special guests.

Dallman then invited El Salvador's Minister of Health, Dr. Jose Guillermo Maza, to Boxer to take a tour of the ship's medical facilities.

"I am very impressed with the medical facilities and capabilities of Boxer," said Maza. "We can see that any type of medical problem can be tended to here with cutting-edge technology, which will be a big assistance for us in El Salvador."

Boxer's mission exemplifies the U.S. maritime strategy which emphasizes deploying forces to build confidence and trust among nations through collective maritime security efforts that focus on common threats and mutual interests.

Embarked units and organizations aboard Boxer for CP include Amphibious Squadron 5, Fleet Surgical Team 5, U.S. Public Health Service, Project Hope, Project Handclasp, Navy Seabee Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 303, Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 764, Tactical Air Control Squadron 11, Special Marine Air Ground Task Force 24, Helicopter Sea Combat Support Squadron 23, Assault Craft Unit 1, Fleet Survey Team, Maritime Civil Affairs Team 205 and Beach Master Unit 1.

For more news from USS Boxer, visit www.navy.mil/local/lhd4/.