thedrifter
04-29-08, 09:42 AM
U.S. warship takes on a peaceful Latin American mission
The last time the USS Boxer deployed, it was to take 2,200 Marines to the Persian Gulf to be ready for combat in Iraq in the fall of 2006.
On Monday, the amphibious assault ship set sail again, with a different crew and different purpose: taking Navy doctors, nurses, dentists, medical technicians, veterinarians and Seabee construction sailors to Guatemala, El Salvador and Peru for a mission called Continuing Promise 2008.
Though such missions — to Latin America and elsewhere — are not new to the Navy, the top brass has promised an increased emphasis on humanitarian efforts under an updated global strategy approved last fall.
The Boxer and its crew of 1,500 will be gone for two months. Navy personnel will work with their counterparts in the three countries to deliver medical care, improve the health of farm animals and build schools and roads.
The medical facilities aboard the Boxer are second only to those on the Navy's hospital ships. Several nongovernmental agencies are also part of the project to deliver services and supplies to remote areas.
From the U.S. perspective, the mission is an attempt to improve the country's image and strengthen alliances.
"It's amazing sometimes the misperceptions that people have of America and the American people," said the Boxer's skipper, Capt. Matt McCloskey. "They think of America as 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous' or 'Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County.'
"This is a chance to show them the real America and the real Americans, trying to be good neighbors."
Once the Boxer returns, it will begin training and maintenance for deployment early next year to the western Pacific, taking Marines for possible deployment to Iraq, Afghanistan or another hot spot.
— Tony Perry in San Diego
Ellie
The last time the USS Boxer deployed, it was to take 2,200 Marines to the Persian Gulf to be ready for combat in Iraq in the fall of 2006.
On Monday, the amphibious assault ship set sail again, with a different crew and different purpose: taking Navy doctors, nurses, dentists, medical technicians, veterinarians and Seabee construction sailors to Guatemala, El Salvador and Peru for a mission called Continuing Promise 2008.
Though such missions — to Latin America and elsewhere — are not new to the Navy, the top brass has promised an increased emphasis on humanitarian efforts under an updated global strategy approved last fall.
The Boxer and its crew of 1,500 will be gone for two months. Navy personnel will work with their counterparts in the three countries to deliver medical care, improve the health of farm animals and build schools and roads.
The medical facilities aboard the Boxer are second only to those on the Navy's hospital ships. Several nongovernmental agencies are also part of the project to deliver services and supplies to remote areas.
From the U.S. perspective, the mission is an attempt to improve the country's image and strengthen alliances.
"It's amazing sometimes the misperceptions that people have of America and the American people," said the Boxer's skipper, Capt. Matt McCloskey. "They think of America as 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous' or 'Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County.'
"This is a chance to show them the real America and the real Americans, trying to be good neighbors."
Once the Boxer returns, it will begin training and maintenance for deployment early next year to the western Pacific, taking Marines for possible deployment to Iraq, Afghanistan or another hot spot.
— Tony Perry in San Diego
Ellie