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Continuing Promise Wraps Up Work In Guyana

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS101102-13
11/2/2010

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Travis J. Kuykendall, USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) Public Affairs

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (NNS) -- The Continuing Promise 2010 (CP10) team, comprised of service members and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), provided the people of Guyana assistance Oct. 18-26.

Medical, engineering and community relations sites were set-up at different locations throughout the New Amsterdam region.

Healthcare providers performed 38 surgical services on board the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), and helped more than 5,500 patients ashore.

"Guyana was definitely an amazing country to visit," said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (FMF) Ivin Philpott. "I was able to have a lot of interaction with the patients because there was no language barrier."

U.S. Army veterinarians traveled throughout the country helping local farmers by providing services to more than 500 animals at seven different locations.

At the three engineering sites, U.S. Navy Seabees renovated classrooms, repaired electrical fixtures, installed new lights and air conditioning, and worked with a local contractor to repair an incinerator that had been out of commission for two years.

"The people of Guyana were very receptive and understanding to what exactly we were trying to do and why we were there," said Philpott. "Providing services to so many people can almost seem chaotic, but it wasn't. Our time in Guyana went very smooth and was organized."

During the visit to Guyana, four CP10 members were giving the opportunity to be reunited with family living in the country.

"It was great to have a chance to see my grandmother, which was totally unexpected at the beginning of [CP10]," said Aviation Machinist's Mate 3rd Class (AW) Daniel A. Singh. "Having that opportunity made this an even more memorable deployment than it already has been."

CP10 is a humanitarian civic assistance mission, delivering medical, dental, veterinary, engineering, subject matter expert exchange and disaster response cooperation to host nations to include Haiti, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Suriname and Guyana.