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USNS Comfort Band Spans Languages and Cultures

Friday, May 22 2009 at 01:30 PM EDT
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 29

US Navy Hospital Ship Comfort - Washington - U.S. Navy hospital ship Comfort is on a four-month cruise through the Caribbean and Latin America on a humanitarian mission in support of "Continuing Promise 2009." Surgeons, nurses, dentists, physicians and even veterinarians on board - military and civilian alike - are bringing humanitarian assistance to people in five countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Colombia, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panama. The citizens of Haiti and the Dominican Republic already received multiple health services (leg surgeries, eye surgeries, dental care, prescriptions filled and eye glasses supplied) as well as veterinary assistance during the April visit of the USNS Comfort. Welcome too has been the U.S. Air Force Band South. The band members have performed at a variety of venues since the mission began in April. School groups, a women's prison, and worshippers at an Easter Sunday service were recipients of the talent of the Air Force band. Concerts and informal workshops met with enthusiastic responses.

(more): http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/2009052213302853

By sloopskipper on May 22, 2009, 12:34 in Friendly Talkzone.

miamimike says on May 22, 2009, 15:11:

SS--that ship, the Comfort, was part of the Fleet for Military Sealift Command. I worked for that Fed Govt branch better part of the 80s as a Civmar(civilian mariner) That Ship shown in the below link, an Underway Replenishment Tanker fueling a Carrier, is typical of the Ships I worked on. Pretty interesting operation, sending over those big refueling hoses to the ship to be fueled up, all the while dealing with high waves and cruising at speeds up to 18-20 knots.And as the Pic(one of them, they keep changing) shows, sometimes we fueled two ships at the same time, port&Starboard.

http://www.msc.navy.mil/

Bésame, bésame mucho Como si fuera esta noche La última vez Bésame, bésame mucho Que tengo miedo a perderte Perderte después Bésame, bésame mucho Como si fuera esta noche La última vez Bésame, bésame mucho Que tengo miedo a perderte Perderte de

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sloopskipper says on May 22, 2009, 16:47:

I "think" she has visited Panamá before, not so long ago.

Refueling at sea is a dangerous operation (especially with the big bow wave from a carrier). We lost one crewmember on our "tin-can".

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miamimike says on May 22, 2009, 17:17:

The Comfort, in 2007 I believe, made a tour of the Americas, visiting many countries in the americas. Panama was probably on the list, as at the very least they transited the Panama canal to access some of these countries deepwater ports.

SS--it always seemed many of our underway Refueling Ops were performed at Night and this increased thedegree of danger 100%. Add some rain and it was a disaster on the Fueling deck as some Rigs(located there) always lost a little fuel on deck so with some watermixed in, the deck became a dark slippery skating rink.Lots of accidents! Not to mention, if the waves got too high and the ship got to rolling and pitching and a Rig operator lost control of his Rig, the 1 inch steel cable making fast the Large fuel hose to the ship being fueled sometimes snapped and whipped back towards the fueling rig station. This cable was under a LOT of tension and could amputate the legs or head of of a seaman in a flash as it whipped. They(steel lines) sounded like 10 gauge shotguns when they parted and you took cover when that happened.Much safer now as they have self tensioning Rigs as compared to many of the old slackwire rigs under human control I used on some of the older MSC Tanker Ships..

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