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Humanitarian Mission Commanding Officer Briefs Surface Navy Association

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080728-10
Release Date: 7/28/2008 2:57:00 PM

By Walter T. Ham IV, Naval Base San Diego Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The commanding officer of the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) briefed the Surface Navy Association's (SNA) San Diego Chapter July 24 on the ship's Latin American humanitarian deployment at Naval Base San Diego (NBSD).

Capt. Matt McCloskey shared best practices and lessons from the two-month deployment that took the NBSD-based Boxer to El Salvador, Guatemala and Perulearned with the surface warriors.

Humanitarian deployments like Continuing Promise 2008 are part of the Maritime Strategy's emphasis on building partnerships.

"Trust can't be surged," McCloskey said. "That is what this is all about."

Working together with health care professionals, non-governmental organizations and host nation officials, the ship helped 24,000 patients during the 28 days it spent in the three countries. McCloskey added that Boxer provided veterinarian care, and embarked Seabees worked on eight schools, two roads, a clinic and a church.

McCloskey described the evolution of NBSD-based ships involvement in humanitarian relief missions since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) was a first responder in Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami; USS Tarawa (LHA 1) provided relief in Pakistan following a devastating earthquake there, and USS Peleliu (LHA 5) took part in a Southeast Asian humanitarian deployment in 2007 during which the ship made a historic stop in Vietnam. The NBSD-based hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) has made three humanitarian deployments during this same time frame, including their current deployment as part of Pacific Partnership 2008.

McCloskey said no mission provides more of an immediate sense of satisfaction than helping people through humanitarian deployments.

"It's a lot of hard work. You will feel good when you're done. It was worth it."

Formed in 1985, the SNA promotes coordination and communication among military, business and academic leaders who share an interest in naval surface warfare and supports the activities of surface naval forces.

One of the Navy's principal surface warfare installations, Naval Base San Diego supports 53 ships, more than 120 tenant commands and more than 35,000 servicemembers and civilian employees. NBSD is home to the majority of the Pacific Fleet's surface combatants, all of the Navy's west coast amphibious ships and a number of Coast Guard and Military Sealift Command vessels.

For more news from Naval Base San Diego, visit www.navy.mil/local/NBSD/.