Boxer Deploys to Latin America for Continuing Promise 2008

SAN DIEGO: USS Boxer (LHD 4) along with various embarked units and non-governmental organizations (NGO) departed Naval Base San Diego April 28 in route to Latin America nations for the Pacific Phase of Continuing Promise (CP) 2008.

CP is an equal partnership mission designed to combine partner nation and U.S. relief capabilities to demonstrate the lasting bonds and shared interests among neighbors.

Specific locations for the ship's relief operations include Guatemala, El Salvador and Peru. The deployment is scheduled to last through June.

The Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HCA) mission provides partner nations in the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of focus a mobile, flexible and rapidly responsive medical and engineering capability for a number of missions and training opportunities in Central and South America. This is Boxer's first deployment since returning from the Western Pacific in May 2007.

The Pacific Phase of CP is one of two HCA deployments planned for the USSOUTHCOM area of focus for 2008. The second CP deployment will be conducted by USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) in the Caribbean. The deployments are modeled in part on last year's USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) deployment to the region that delivered substantial medical and dental support to a large number of people in remote locations. Boxer's deployment is planned with a more robust capability for engineering operations ashore.

"This is what the Navy has always done," said Boxer's commanding officer, Capt. Matthew J. McCloskey. "It's always been about diplomacy and it's always been about helping people. I think the prospect of being able to go down there and do something focused on helping people just fits Boxer."

Wasp-class amphibious assault ships like Boxer are designed with a variety of expeditionary mission capabilities, including rapid, projected humanitarian assistance worldwide. It also has the physical capacity to transport large amounts of medical and engineering supplies and equipment to most locations around the globe.

Boxer's CP deployment has been coordinated through Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 5 with partner nations in the region and planned hand-in-hand with a variety of governmental and NGOs to creatively address the level and scope of care that will be needed to support regional medical needs. A key objective of this deployment is to address regional health service support requirements and promote clinical information sharing across the region.

"We are partnering with our neighbors to provide construction capabilities ashore, basic primary health care, dentistry, environmental health care, optometry, biomedical repair, training and even veterinary care," said Commander of PHIBRON 5, Commodore Peter K. Dallman. "We are also planning to provide a limited number of surgeries on board the ship which is a unique capability that Boxer brings."

The embarked Fleet Surgical Team (FST) 5, will work with Latin American medical teams and NGOs in treatment, training and infrastructure support across the host countries.

Navy Seabee Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit (CBMU) 303 will support Boxer and FST 5's medical mission by bringing robust construction capabilities, civic action repairs and minor construction projects to nations in the region.

"The variety of training and capabilities Continuing Promise will take into the region clearly demonstrates our nation's commitment to fostering cooperative partnerships," said Dallman. "This is a diverse mission that demands a diverse ship and crew. The same flexibility that makes Boxer an effective warship also makes it an extraordinarily effective platform for performing humanitarian assistance missions."

"America is a country interested in freedom, our own personal freedom and everyone else's freedom," added McCloskey. "We're a country that's willing to reach out and help with no strings attached. I want to thank these nations for partnering with us."