Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Burlington (T-EPF 10) spent one week in Cartagena, Colombia, starting August 5, as part of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet’s Continuing Promise 2024 (CP24).
Cartagena is the fourth mission stop for CP24, during which time the crew worked hand-in-hand with professionals from the Colombian Navy, government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to host seminars, trainings, and medical care sites. Continuing Promise has visited Colombia on every iteration of the mission since its inception in 2007. Burlington visited Santa Marta and Riohacha during Continuing Promise 2023.
“The relationship between our two nations stretches over two centuries of shared values of democracy, prosperity, freedom, and maritime and regional security,” said U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Zachary Smith, Continuing Promise 2024 mission commander. “Continuing Promise is a prime demonstration of the power of example, which in many cases is stronger than an example of power.”
Thirty U.S. Navy medical professionals with a variety of medical specialties, including dental, family, and geriatric medicine, optometry, nursing, pharmacy, biomedical repair, laboratory, and radiology, participated in multiple partner-led medical care events and subject matter expert exchanges across four locations in Cartagena. Additionally, the medical team worked with nine medical professionals from the South Carolina Army National Guard as part of the State Partnership Program, which carries out more than 1,000 events in partner nations every year to increase partner capacity and improve interoperability.
A detachment of four U.S. Army veterinary professionals also provided working dog subject matter expert exchanges and surgical support to the Colombian Navy and partner-led veterinary events.
Along with medical personnel, the CP24 team also included a detachment from the U.S. Fleet Forces Band called “Uncharted Waters.” The band performed and conducted music clinics at seven separate events throughout the visit.
“Continuing Promise is such a wonderful way to connect with our allied partners,” said U.S. Navy Musician Second Class César Pimentel-Ortiz, a trombone player for the U.S. Fleet Forces band. “Not only from the musical standpoint, which is the one I represent, but through all the things like medical, veterinary; it’s so much impact that we bring to these communities.”
A team of 10 U.S. Navy engineering professionals supported partner-led small-scale construction projects at the Europa Educational Institution and the La Candelaria Health Center.
Multiple NGOs and interagency partners supported CP24’s mission stop to Colombia through Colombian Navy-led humanitarian assistance and disaster relief classroom and field training exercises. Santa Alianza, Pacific Disaster Center, University of Miami, and Pacific Response Group represented some of the NGOs supporting these efforts.
U.S. Navy Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) professionals hosted two multi-day seminars, a joint sports day, and a military-to-military roundtable discussion on the topic of gender-based violence.
USNS Burlington is making its last mission stop of Continuing Promise 2024 in Panama.
