As part of the multinational operation Continuing Promise 2025, the U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH-20), of the Mercy-class, has begun a new humanitarian deployment to Central and South America. The vessel departed on May 30 from Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, to carry out a mission focused on medical assistance and regional cooperation, under the coordination of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and the Fourth Fleet.
Over the course of three months, the Comfort will visit several countries across the Western Hemisphere with the objective of providing medical care, strengthening local capacities, and fostering ties in public health and emergency response. The Comfort’s itinerary includes stops in Grenada, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic, where joint activities will be conducted with civilian and military institutions from the host nations. This year’s deployment marks the sixteenth edition of the Continuing Promise mission since its launch in 2007, and the eighth time that the USNS Comfort serves as the main platform for the effort.
The mission aims to provide free medical care to vulnerable communities, offer public health education, and carry out trainings and seminars alongside local professionals. In addition to general healthcare services, the deployment includes veterinary assistance in coordination with local organizations, to improve animal health and reinforce response capabilities to zoonotic emergencies or natural disasters.
The Comfort’s crew includes doctors, nurses, dentists, technicians, and logistics support personnel from the U.S. Navy, as well as U.S. Army representatives—including veterinary elements from the 248th Medical Detachment—and personnel from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11 (Seabees). Also on board is the official U.S. Fleet Forces Band, Uncharted Waters, which will provide cultural outreach and music education activities in schools and community centers.
The USNS Comfort is one of two U.S. Navy hospital ships capable of conducting complex surgical procedures. Alongside its sister ship, the USNS Mercy, it has been deployed on numerous humanitarian assistance missions around the world, including emergency responses such as its deployment to New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its primary role is to serve as a mobile medical platform, capable of supporting humanitarian operations, stabilization missions, or disaster relief efforts.
In this regard, Rear Admiral Carlos Sardiello, Commander of U.S. Fourth Fleet, stated: “Comfort’s participation in Continuing Promise 2025 reflects the Navy’s enduring commitment to our allies and partners in the Caribbean, Central, and South America. This mission will forge lasting partnerships and deliver meaningful assistance, leaving a legacy of goodwill throughout the region.”
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