U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command > Press Room

221031-N-DF135-1023 PUERTO BARRIOS, Guatemala (Oct. 31, 2022) – Chief Hospital Corpsman Shawn Burnette, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, shows systems used to monitor people on anesthesia, used to perform endoscopies, to members from the Japan-Guatemala Friendship Hospital aboard to the hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), Oct. 31, 2022. Comfort is deployed to U.S. 4th Fleet in support of Continuing Promise 2022, a humanitarian assistance and goodwill mission conducting direct medical care, expeditionary veterinary care, and subject matter expert exchanges with five partner nations in the Caribbean, Central and South America. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Deven Fernandez)

Nov. 22, 2022

Puerto Barrios, Guatemala — It was another humid day in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, and there was the smell of a rainstorm brewing in the air. The light beige and aged building of the Japan-Guatemala Friendship Hospital became more prominent as Chief Hospital Corpsman Shawn Burnette, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Rolly Domingo, from Ewabeach, Hawaii, passed the front gate and arrived at the entrance to the hospital. They walked down the dimly lit hallways, hearing the echoes of footsteps as staff members crossed their paths while entering and leaving rooms.

PUERTO BARRIOS, Guatemala (Oct. 29, 2022) Thiago Palencia, a two-year-old boy from Guatemala, waits outside of the operating room prior to his hand surgery aboard the hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) off the coast of Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, Oct. 29, 2022. Comfort is deployed to U.S. 4th Fleet in support of Continuing Promise 2022, a humanitarian assistance and goodwill mission conducting direct medical care, expeditionary veterinary care, and subject matter expert exchanges with five partner nations in the Caribbean, Central and South America. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Juel Foster)

Nov. 22, 2022

SEPARATE AND WHOLE: THIAGO PALENCIA’S LIFE-CHANGING SURGERY ABOARD USNS COMFORT

PUERTO BARRIOS, Guatemala — The orange tiger toy danced and fell across the white sheets of the hospital bed, as two-year-old Thiago Palencia played while waiting impatiently for something to happen. He spent half an hour surrounded by the tan walls and dark red floor of the pre-operation waiting room. People continued to walk past him in their dark-blue scrubs and white lab coats. Some stopped to speak to him, but he just hugged the right corner of his bed in an attempt to avoid them. His mother, Ms. Palencia, smiled at him gently and tussled his hair in an attempt to calm him down. But Thiago whined in protest, moved his head away and continued to play with his toy. Why would his mother bring him from home, to a small boat, to a large boat, and to the hospital within? What was going on?

221026-N-MY642-1017

PUERTO BARRIOS, Guatemala (Oct. 26, 2022) An MH-60S Seahawk, assigned to the "Chargers" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 26, carries cargo nets from the coast of Puerto Barrios after the hospital ship USNS Comfort's (T-AH 20) arrival, Oct. 26, 2022. Comfort is deployed to U.S. 4th Fleet in support of Continuing Promise 2022, a humanitarian assistance and goodwill mission conducting direct medical care, expeditionary veterinary care, and subject matter expert exchanges with five partner nations in the Caribbean, Central and South America. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Donald R. White Jr.)

Nov. 18, 2022

USNS COMFORT COMMENCES CONTINUING PROMISE 2022 IN GUATEMALA

PUERTO BARRIOS, Guatemala — Hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) anchored off the coast of Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, in support of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet’s Continuing Promise 2022 (CP22) mission, Oct. 26.

Gen. Laura J. Richardson, commander of U.S. Southern Command, speaks to media on the pier before embarking the hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), Oct. 23, 2022. Comfort is deployed to U.S. 4th Fleet in support of Continuing Promise 2022, a humanitarian assistance and goodwill mission conducting direct medical care, expeditionary veterinary care, and subject matter expert exchanges with five partner nations in the Caribbean, Central and South America.

Nov. 18, 2022

USNS COMFORT COMMENCES CONTINUING PROMISE 2022 IN MIAMI

MIAMI — Hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) departed from Miami after commencing Continuing Promise 2022, Oct. 23, 2022.

USS Wichita (LCS 13) trains with Dominican Republic ships in the Caribbean Sea.

Nov. 18, 2022

USS Wichita Returns Home Following a Successful 4th Fleet Deployment

MAYPORT, Fla. — The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS 13) returned to Mayport, Fla., on Oct. 21st following her second successful deployment to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations.

An FVR-90 autonomous delivery drone from L3 Harris Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems prepares to land onto the flight deck of the Spearhead-Class expeditionary fast transport vessel USNS Burlington (T-EPF-10), amongst distinguished visitors from the Scientists-to-Sea program as part of the Navy’s Fleet Experimentation Program (FLEX), in the Atlantic Ocean, Oct. 16, 2022.

Nov. 3, 2022

Navy’s Fleet Experimentation Program at Forefront of Emerging Unmanned Technologies

Atlantic Ocean — The Navy’s Fleet Experimentation Program (FLEX), featuring unmanned aerial and surface vehicles, was held on the Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport vessel USNS Burlington (T-EPF-10) in the waters around Key West, Fla. Oct. 16-21, 2022.

The Freedom-variant littoral combat ships USS Wichita (LCS 13), left, USS Billings (LCS 15), and an MH-60s Sea Hawk helicopter participate in a photo exercise in the Caribbean Sea, Sept. 10.

Oct. 8, 2022

USS Billings (Gold Crew) Returns Home After 4th Fleet Deployment

MAYPORT, Fla. — The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS 15) Gold Crew returned to Mayport, Fla., Oct. 7th, following its second successful deployment to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations.

Sept. 28, 2022

Jacksonville Sortie Area Ships and Aircraft Ahead of Hurricane Ian

Mayport, Fla. — U.S. 4th Fleet has ordered all ships and aircraft to make preparations for Hurricane Ian’s expected arrival.

Sept. 22, 2022

UNITAS Concludes After Successful Exercise

Rio De Janeiro — UNITAS LXIII (63), the world’s longest-running multinational maritime exercise concluded with a closing ceremony in Rio De Janeiro, Sept. 22, 2022.

RIO DE JANEIRO (Sept. 8, 2022) Brazilian Navy Adm. Marcos Sampaio Olsen, Commander Naval Operations, and U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro greet each other prior to the opening ceremony for UNITAS LXIII, Sept. 8, 2022. UNITAS is the world’s longest-running maritime exercise. Hosted this year by Brazil, it brings together multinational forces from Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Namibia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, South Korea, Spain, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and the United States conducting operations in and off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. The exercise trains forces to conduct joint maritime operations through the execution of anti-surface, anti-submarine, anti-air, amphibious and electronic warfare operations that enhance warfighting proficiency and increase interoperability among participating naval and marine forces. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Ethan Craw/Released)

Sept. 16, 2022

U.S. Secretary of the Navy Kicks Off UNITAS LXIII in Rio De Janeiro

RIO DE JANEIRO — More than 5,500 military personnel from 19 partner nations kicked off UNITAS LXIII (63) during an opening ceremony Sept. 8, 2022.

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