Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Burlington (T-EPF 10) arrived in Colón, Panama on August 18, 2024, as part of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet’s Continuing Promise 2024.
Panama is the final stop on this iteration of the Continuing Promise mission, which has seen previous stops in Jamaica, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Colombia. This visit to Panama is the seventh such visit for Continuing Promise since the exercise first began in 2007, and first visit to Colón since 2019. Burlington served as the primary ship for Continuing Promise 2023, which stopped in Almirante, Panama.
“We are excited for Continuing Promise’s return to Panama,” said U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Zachary Smith, Continuing Promise 2024 mission commander. “We have seen so much success on this mission with our various partners and we aim to finish strong with our partners here.”
Thirty U.S. Navy medical professionals specializing in dentistry, family and geriatric medicine, optometry, nursing, pharmacy, biomedical equipment repair, and land radiology partnered with Panamanian Ministry of Health personnel and civilian medical professionals to provide care at the Dr. Hugo Spadafora Clinic and Juventud Park during the mission’s visit to Colón.
“My favorite part of this mission is working with host nation medical professionals and students,” said U.S. Navy Commander Brent Collins, an ophthalmologist with the mission. “It is really different from the regular grind working by yourself.”
A detachment of four U.S. Army veterinary professionals also provided working dog subject matter expert exchanges to the Panamanian Ministry of Security and partner-led veterinary events with local veterinary professionals.
Along with medical personnel, the CP24 team also included a detachment from the U.S. Fleet Forces Band called “Uncharted Waters.” The band performed and conducted music clinics at seven separate events throughout the visit.
“I enjoy seeing what we share in common despite not speaking the same language,” said U.S. Navy Musician First Class Benjamin Fodor. “I also enjoy seeing what’s different in how we see music and how we can learn from one another.”
Ten U.S. Navy engineers, known as Seabees, conducted renovations throughout the week on a clinic at the Colón branch of the Panamanian Ministry of Health’s Reintegra Center.
U.S. Navy Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) professionals hosted two multi-day seminars, on the topic of gender-based violence.
While in Panama, U.S. Department of Defense humanitarian assistance and disaster relief professionals partnered with nongovernmental organizations such as the International Federation of the Red Cross, University of Miami, and Deployed Logix to host a two-day training event. The first day featured a classroom training on disaster relief tactics with the second day being a field training day to put those tactics into action.
Panama is the last mission stop of Continuing Promise 2024. After departing Panama, USNS Burlington will sail back to the United States to complete the mission.
