5th CES Airmen, Kearsarge completes mission in Dominican Republic

  • Published
  • Continuing Promise 2008 Public Affairs
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic --  Local government and military officials hosted a ceremony at 27 Febrero Naval Base here Oct. 16 to commemorate the completion of USS Kearsarge's (LHD 3) Continuing Promise 2008 operations in the Dominican Republic. 

During the 14-day operation in Dominican Republic, embarked NGOs and military units worked side-by-side with partner-nation military and civilian professionals to provide medical, dental, optometry and veterinary care along with construction, renovation and civil engineering projects. 

Airmen from the 5th Civil Engineer Squadron Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force and engineers assigned to Navy Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 202, completed projects at four sites. The work included the construction of a modified SEA hut to house four new classrooms, expanding a local elementary school in Sabana Grande and the rehab of a medical clinic in Bonao. 

"This mission has been extremely challenging and rewarding," said Maj. Thomas Defazio, 5th CES contingency engineer forces commander. "The logistics of moving personnel, materials, and equipment ashore and accomplishing significant construction projects is amazing. It has been a total team effort with everyone flexing to meet others needs." 

5th CES Airmen and Kearsarge Sailors also participated at various volunteer community relations projects at the engineering sites, offering extra hands to help with landscaping, construction, painting and building playgrounds.

Medical specialists from Kearsarge, Fleet Surgical Team (FST) 4, the U.S. Public Health Service, Canada, Brazil, France and Project HOPE worked together with Dominican medical professionals to conduct nearly 750 dental exams and procedures, more than 2,100 optometry exams, 35 surgeries aboard Kearsarge, provide more than 16,000 patients primary medical care and filled more than 31,600 prescriptions at several sites in the area.

In addition to treatment, teams also conducted subject matter expert exchange workshops on personal hygiene, sexual education, and first aid. 

"In some places, we provided care that the citizens otherwise would not have received," said French Navy Master Chief Virginia Coste, a nurse embarked aboard Kearsarge for the Dominican Republic CP 2008 mission. "Whether they received medial treatment or just education, we made a difference, and they know they have our support." 

The Kearsarge CP mission now sails toward Curacao, Netherlands Antilles for a brief port visit. Then to Trinidad and Tobago where similar medical, veterinary, dental and engineering support will be provided. 

Kearsarge's mission exemplifies the U.S.' maritime strategy, which emphasizes deploying forces to build confidence and trust among nations through collective maritime security efforts that focus on common threats and mutual interests.

The CP Caribbean Phase is the second of two missions to the Southern Command area of responsibility for 2008. The first mission was conducted by USS Boxer (LHD 4) in the Pacific.

For more news on CP, log on to SOUTHCOM's Web site at www.southcom.mil.