USNS Comfort Arrives in Dominican Republic for Continuing Promise

Hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) anchored off the coast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in support of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet’s Continuing Promise 2022 (CP22) mission, November 27.

The Comfort will hold subject matter expert exchanges with Dominican partners; Women, Peace, and Security seminars; humanitarian assistance and disaster relief trainings; and community relations engagements.

This visit marks the fourth of five mission stops as part of CP22 and the sixth visit to the Dominican Republic as part of Continuing Promise since 2007.

“I am extremely happy to be providing assistance to my home country of the Dominican Republic,” said Logistic Specialist Second Class Max Michel, from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. “I’ve always wanted to contribute to my native country, and Continuing Promise provides me the opportunity to interact and assist the people of Dominican Republic while making a difference on this amazing mission.”

During the fourth stop of CP22, Comfort will provide medical surgeries aboard the ship and medical services at the Centro Olympico in Santo Domingo and the Polideportivo in Azua. Services at these two sites will include adult care, pediatric care, dental, optometry, women’s health, and various auxiliary support services.

One highlight during the Comfort stay will be the performance of the U.S. Fleet Forces Band at the Cultural Center Mauricio Báez and Instituto Cultural Dominico Americano. The band will also conduct musical exchanges with local students. CP22 crew members will take time to visit a school to engage with local students and paint the building as part of a restoration project.

The crew of the Comfort also includes military personnel from other partner nations including Canada, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and more than a dozen nongovernmental organizations.

Since its inaugural mission in 2007, Continuing Promise missions have treated more than 582,000 patients and conducted over 7,000 surgeries in the region. Comfort’s current mission is be the 12th Continuing Promise mission conducted in the Caribbean, Central and South America.