News and Policy
USNS COMFORT experts talk to university students and ship’s band wows Colombia
USNS COMFORT Began Activities in Buenaventura
On its first day in Colombian waters, COMFORT’s 16-piece show band joined local band “Grupo Foclorico de Universidad de Pacifico” for 700 residents in Cisneros Park. Then the COMFORT band joined local band “Ancestros” in a concert for approximately 150 community representatives and university students.
While Buenaventura’s residents were receiving medical attention nearby, 120 area university students crowded into a health seminar led by three medical professionals from the COMFORT. Lt. Jason Mangnum, Capt. Philip Rapp and Lt. Lorenzo Sproul discussed health issues ranging from environmental health and water safety to sanitation and disease prevention, including toxins, proper waste disposal and risk management in food production.
The students barraged the COMFORT experts with questions on prevention issues and how they as students could make a difference. Many wanted to know specifically what they could do to improve community sanitation, the role of recycling in environmental preservation, and asked what role multinationals are playing in the maintenance of international health standards.
Summarizing the reaction of the entire group, one student commented, “It’s truly great that you brought this information to Buenaventura.”