Continuing Promise Reunites Mother, Son

  • Published
  • By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class William S. Parker
  • Continuing Promise 2008 Public Affairs
PUERTO CABEZAS, Nicaragua --  An Airman from the 5th Civil Engineer Squadron Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force was reunited with his mother and younger brother Aug. 16, while providing humanitarian aid to his homeland of Nicaragua during the Caribbean phase of Continuing Promise (CP) 2008.

CP is a collaborative effort between the United States and partner militaries, non-governmental organizations and partner-nation support organizations to build strong partnerships that can be called upon in the event of a regional situation requiring cooperative solutions.

Currently embarked aboard USS Kearsarge for the CP mission, Airman 1st Class Joel Mendoza, 5th CES entomology apprentice, left his home in Managua, Nicaragua almost three years ago when he married a U.S. citizen and moved to America. He joined the Air Force last year and received his U.S. citizenship in June.

Currently with the 5th CES at Minot AFB, Airman Mendoza never thought it would be the military who would take him back home to mom.

"I never thought in a million years I would return home and get the opportunity to help out," said Airman Mendoza. "With the help of my chain of command, I got a surprise visit from my mother as well." 

Mendoza's reunion took place at Juan Comenius High School, where joint-military and interagency medical personnel have set up a clinic and the engineers were making repairs to the school.

"It was a tremendously overwhelming feeling to see Airman Mendoza with his mother," said Maj. Thomas DeFazio, 5th CES contingency engineer forces commander. "It was a wonderful opportunity for him. He is everything you could want in an Airman. He gives us his all every day and it was the least we could do."

Capt. Fernandez "Frank" Ponds, Continuing Promise 2008 mission commander, and Capt. Walter Towns, Kearsarge commanding officer, made Airman Mendoza's mother and younger brother distinguished visitors for the day, flying them out to the ship for a special tour.

Captain Ponds expressed his gratitude by presenting Airman Mendoza's mother with a command coin and thanking her for all the support she has shown her son.

"This turned a short trip to Nicaragua into a once in a lifetime opportunity for Mendoza," said Captain Ponds. "This is yet another success for Continuing Promise 2008 - we have reunited a family."

The ship is scheduled to visit Nicaragua, Colombia, Panama, Dominican Republic, Trinidad, Tobago and Guyana.

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 in the Pacific.

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