ABOARD USS BOXER (LHD 4), San Diego – USS Boxer (LHD 4) USS Boxer (LHD 4) along with various embarked units and non-governmental organizations (NGO) departed Naval Base San Diego April 28 in route to Latin America nations for the Pacific Phase of Continuing Promise (CP) 2008. CP is an equal partnership mission designed to combine partner nation and U.S. relief capabilities to demonstrate the lasting bonds and shared interests among neighbors. Specific locations for the ship’s relief operations include Guatemala, El Salvador and  Peru.  The deployment is scheduled to last through June.

The Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HCA) mission provides partner nations in the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of focus a mobile, flexible and rapidly responsive medical and engineering capability for a number of missions and training opportunities in Central and South America.  This is Boxer’s first deployment since returning from the Western Pacific in May of 2007.The Pacific Phase of CP is one of two HCA deployments planned for the USSOUTHCOM area of focus for 2008.  The second CP deployment will be conducted by USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) in the Caribbean.  The deployments are modeled in part on last year’s USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) deployment to the region that delivered substantial medical and dental support to a large number of people in remote locations. They carry the capabilities of a well-trained medical staff of more than 30 doctors, nurses and corpsmen. Boxer is well suited for providing an array of medical aid…as well as bring comfort to the frightened or hurting children brought aboard through the “hugs” of over 250 teddy bears from Hugs Across America.