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COLÓN, Panama – (Aug. 25, 2024) – Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Burlington (T-EPF 10) departed from Colón, Panama following its final mission stop as part of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet’s Continuing Promise 2024 (CP24).
“We were excited to work in Panama again for Continuing Promise,” said Lt. Cmdr. Zachary Smith, CP24 mission commander. “We successfully collaborated with multiple national agencies, and we hope that our impact in Colón will be remembered fondly for a long time.”
Panama was the fifth and final mission stop for CP24, concluding its seventh visit to the country since the mission’s inception in 2007. It was the first visit to Colón since 2019. Burlington served as the primary ship for CP24, as well as last year in 2023 when it visited Almirante, Panama. Previous CP24 mission stops included Jamaica, Costa Ricsa, Honduras, and Colombia.
While in Panama, CP24 medical professionals treated 796 primary care patients and 430 dental patients, provided 327 eye examinations, filled 8,215 prescriptions, and assessed and repaired medical equipment valued at $47,000. The humanitarian assistance and disaster relief personnel onboard Burlington also visited the clinic to train 108 firefighters and other non-government officials on emergency response techniques.
“Integrating with the Panama medical team really allowed us to regain some critical skills for being a Hospital Corpsman that we use every day,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Timothy Russell. “We all understood that there was a job to do, there’s patients to be cared for, so we just buckled down and we got it done together.”
The mission’s veterinary team, consisting of one veterinarian and three veterinary technicians from the U.S. Army’s 248th Medical Detachment Veterinary Service Support, coordinated with the Panamanian Ministry of Security and co-led animal care events throughout the mission stop. The events included treating 571 animals with wellness checks and sterilization surgeries, along with training 218 working dog handlers.
The U.S. Fleet Forces Band “Uncharted Waters” was another group from the mission that directly interacted and impacted the Panamanian public. Eleven U.S. Navy musicians participated in eight engagements, including master classes with young music students that concluded with a joint performance at Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua. They also performed at various venues including Colón 2000, allowing shoppers to stop, enjoy, and dance along with the music.
“The youth orchestra… was really talented and had a strong baseline ability level,” said Musician 1st Class Benjamin Fodor, a trombone player and leading petty officer of U.S. Fleet Forces Band, “Uncharted Waters.” “It’s cool to take that innate ability and feed it information and technique and see what can come of it.”
Ten U.S. Navy construction specialists, known as Seabees, from Naval Construction Battalion One completed 339 total man-hours of labor at Centro Reintegra de Colón, a center for children with disabilities, where they installed a water heater, fixed doors and electrical outlets, and completed a concrete slab for better access to facilities.
U.S. Navy Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) professionals hosted multi-day seminars centered around the topics of human rights and gender-based violence, which saw 104 Panamanian participants from the Panamanian National Police and National Firefighters.
USNS Burlington will return to the United States to conclude Continuing Promise 2024.
USNAVSOUTH/FOURTHFLT is the trusted maritime partner for Caribbean, Central and South American maritime forces leading to greater unity, security and stability. Learn more about USNAVSOUTH/4th Fleet at https://www.fourthfleet.navy.mil, https://www.facebook.com/NAVSOUS4THFLT, and @NAVSOUS4THFLT.
| Date Taken: | 08.26.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.26.2024 20:26 |
| Story ID: | 479472 |
| Location: | COLON, PA |
| Web Views: | 73 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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