Limón, Costa Rica. (July 28, 2044): Costa Rica is a beautiful country that, like many nations in the southern hemisphere, suffers from national disasters and often finds itself in need of humanitarian help. In this photo by Chief Petty Officer Mark Logico, Petty Officer 3rd Class Jefferson Arpi Ordóñez assesses a patient’s vision in a temporary medical facility set up by the U.S. Navy. Sailors are participating in Continuing Promise 25, an exercise hosted by the Southern Command to foster goodwill and strengthen partnerships with Jamaica, Costa Rica, Honduras, Colombia, and Panama. The exercise seeks to improve medical readiness to respond to public health disasters and humanitarian crises. 

Since 2007, American medical personnel treated more than 600,000 people including approximately 7,300 surgeries to citizens of host nations free of cost. This year’s event featured subject matter expert exchanges, engineering projects, community relations events, and even band performances. For the next few months, medical teams will be working alongside partner nation medical personnel to provide direct patient care and technical expertise through community clinics. The Navy dispatched thirty medical professionals including general practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, radiologists, dentists, optometrists, and biomedical technicians to collaborate with local experts. The teams will focus on disaster preparedness topics like medical evaluation and treatment, preventive medicine, and pharmacy services.

Each visit concludes with a concert by the Fleet Forces Navy Band, “Uncharted Waters,” which also conducted classes at community schools. The U.S. Navy says Continuing Promise has positively impacted more people in partner nations than any other deployment series in its history.