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Comfort Departs Tumaco, Heads for El Salvador in Support of the Maritime Strategy

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090618-15
Release Date: 6/18/2009 3:28:00 PM

By Airman 1st Class Danielle Grannan, Continuing Promise Public Affairs

TUMACO, Colombia (NNS) -- Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) departed Tumaco June 17 after spending 12 days in the city and surrounding areas as part of Continuing Promise 2009 (CP09).

While in Tumaco, Comfort medical personnel triaged 13,385 patients and performed 248 surgeries. The optometry section distributed 4,237 pairs of eyeglasses, and the dental department conducted 2,296 dental exams.

"I work in the intensive care unit on the ship performing post-surgical care for patients," said Leading Seaman Robert Morgan, a member of the Canadian Armed Forces currently assigned aboard Comfort. "When I'm not working on the ship, I'm at the medical sites working with the public. My time in Tumaco has been very good. This has been a very different experience for me – I've never been out in this part of the world before. This has been a real eye-opening and rewarding experience for me."

The training department aboard Comfort also had a hand in the success of the ship's stay here, conducting 171 training sessions for 4,150 people during the visit.

The veterinary team assigned to Comfort performed 3,967 services for animals at various locations throughout the local area as well.

Navy Seabees attached to the ship built a school and cafeteria from the ground up in Exporcol and also contributed to a community relations project in Chilvi.

In addition to medical services, patients and crew members alike had the opportunity to see Colombian natives and Latin American music stars Juanes and Carlos Vives. Juanes performed with members of the Air Forces Southern Band in concert at the Max Seidel school and aboard Comfort June 7, and Vives performed with his own band at the Max Seidel school June 16.

"It's a great opportunity for us to play with musicians from other countries, not to mention someone at the level of Juanes," said Airman 1st Class Aaron Kursterer, a guitar player with the band. "On top of that, it's an honor to play with him in this humanitarian setting."

As part of the maritime strategy's goal to provide opportunities to enhance cooperation between militaries, foster mutual understanding and further develop lines of communication, Comfort hosted four Chinese medical observers from the People's Liberation Army Navy to observe operations on board the ship which supports CP09.

"Interactions such as this are consistent with our efforts to build a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship with China," said Capt. Tom Negus, CP09 mission commander. "Cooperation on humanitarian assistance missions is an important part of that effort and a primary goal of CP09."

Comfort's next stop is La Union, El Salvador.

CP09 is a four-month humanitarian and civic assistance mission through Latin America and the Caribbean and is a joint partnership with host nations to provide a variety of medical, dental, veterinary, educational and engineering services and projects to citizens.