AUGUST 15, 2025 – The Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) departed from Port of Spain, Trinidad, August 11, 2025, the last mission stop of Continuing Promise 2025 (CP25). During the seven-day visit, the team worked alongside Trinbagonians to provide medical care and support construction projects, community relations events and side-by-side training in several subject matter exchanges.
“We came to Trinidad to share our skills and resources, but we leave with a far greater understanding of their culture, their resilience, and their community,” said Capt. Ryan Kendall, commodore of Destroyer Squadron 40 and CP25 mission commander. “The experience has been transformative for our team, reinforcing the importance of cultural exchange and the power of working together to address common challenges. This engagement has identified new avenues for partnership and further solidified our interoperability, paving the way for even more impactful collaborations in the future, not just with Trinidad and Tobago, but throughout the region.”
At the medical site, located in the National Academy for the Performing Arts in Port of Spain, 1,583 patients received general medical attention and 377 received dental care. Optometry services included 509 eye examinations and 650 pairs of glasses and 503 sunglasses issued. The dental team performed 212 extractions, 126 fillings, and 39 cleanings, while the pharmacy filled 2,825 prescriptions. Aboard Comfort, surgeons conducted 46 procedures, including critical surgeries for two young Trinbagonian boys. An eight-year-old received a laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, and a four-year-old underwent cleft lip repair.
“The Trinbagonian patients who came through were really grateful and kind when we treated them, they are the kind of people who only ask for what they need and some of the best interactions I’ve had in my nine-year naval career,” said Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Paula Haefner, assigned to Comfort. “We took care of the patients before and after surgery, administering medication, keeping them fed and comfortable while they waited for procedures and then were recovering before being discharged.”
Beyond direct patient care, the mission facilitated valuable knowledge exchange. Subject matter expert exchanges engaged 458 participants and included tactical combat casualty care training for Trinidad’s emergency response canine teams, equine care workshops, and preventative medicine focused on insect-borne diseases. Furthermore, Comfort team members shadowed caregivers at Port of Spain General Hospital, gaining insight into their operations and observing their capabilities to better prepare for future missions.
While medical care remained the core objective, service members also embraced opportunities to connect with the local community. A community relations soccer game brought together U.S. service members and the Trinidad Air Guard in friendly competition. The United States Fleet Forces Band “Uncharted Waters” fostered cultural understanding through music. Before their joint performance, the band took the time to learn about the unique musical instruments of the Trinidad and Tobago National Steel Symphony Orchestra. Then they shared the stage, delighting a combined audience of Trinbagonian citizens and U.S. service members. In total, the band performed at five events, reaching an audience of 1,070 people.
“This is my first time in Trinidad, and on the last night we played with the Phase II steelpan group,” said Musician 2nd Class Brendon Emerson, a trumpet player assigned to “Uncharted Waters.” “It was my first time hearing steelpans live, and it was one of the most amazing concerts I’ve ever been to. Before that, we had a subject matter exchange with the National Steel Pan Symphony, where we performed for each other several times before experimenting with each other’s instruments and learning about their unique playing techniques. I’m definitely looking forward to returning to Trinidad.”
Beyond medical care and training, the CP25 team also focused on community infrastructure. Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 11 carried out much-needed repairs at Lochmaben R.C. Primary School. Their work included patching up stairs, adding a concrete pillar for structural support, installing three electrical panels, and replacing the water pump with both a main and backup system, as well as addressing general plumbing repairs. These improvements created a safer and more comfortable learning environment for both students and faculty.
While CP25 operations were underway, Comfort team members also provided opportunities for Trinbagonian citizens to tour the ship and learn about its capabilities. Visitors walked through the operating rooms, the intensive care unit, patient recovery areas, and the “Blue Mile,” a hallway highlighting the ship’s achievements and history. Mementos and gifts from the mission stop in Port of Spain, Trinidad will soon be added to the “Blue Mile,” serving as a lasting reminder of this mission for service members, civilian mariners, and all who pass through.
As Comfort departed from Port of Spain, Trinidad – the final mission stop of CP25 – the crew will steam toward Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.
CP25 marks the 16th mission to the region since 2007 and the eighth aboard USNS Comfort. The mission will foster goodwill, strengthen existing partnerships with partner nations, and encourage the establishment of new partnerships among countries, non-federal entities, and international organizations.
U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet supports U.S. Southern Command’s joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American region.
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