4 days ago
U.S. Naval Hospital Ship Comfort deploys for Continuing Promise 2025 mission
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The USNS Comfort set sail from Naval Station Norfolk Friday morning on a three-month deployment as part of the Continuing Promise 2025 mission.
The naval hospital ship is equipped with an initial 100 bed capacity that is scalable to 1000 beds if needed. It includes advanced medical facilities from x-ray and CAT scan units to dental and optometry suites and a blood bank.
'We have a full complement of medical services, both medical and surgical, as well as support services to cool to include laboratory, radiology, pharmacy and physical therapy,' said Capt. Stephan Arles, commanding officer of the USNS Comfort medical treatment facility. 'We have a tailored mission, with two operating rooms capable of completing 12 to 18 surgeries per day. we also have an expeditionary medical site off ship, capable of treating between 300 and 500 patients a day.'
Continuing Promise 2025 includes mission stops in Grenada, Panama, Columbia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic.
'Really excited to go down to the Caribbean and Central and South America in order to help some people down there,' said Capt. Ryan Kendall.
'We are working towards expanding our cooperation and integration with, with our regional partners in order to provide assistance in times of humanitarian crisis, disaster or regional conflict,' Arles said.
As the ship departed from Naval Station Norfolk, family members of sailors gathered along the pier, giving their loved ones a proper send off as they deployed.
'So, it's his first big, long deployment, since having kids,' said Lindsay Moore, the wife of a sailor on the USNS Comfort. 'We met while I was getting out of the military, so I'm used to the deployment part, but it's definitely been interesting with them two [the kids].'
'It's bittersweet, but I feel inspired because I know he's out there doing good things and helping people that need that need attention,' said Lincoln Sama, the son of a sailor on the USNS Comfort.
The Comfort is now headed to Miami, where it will later depart for Grenada, the first stop on the three-month mission.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
