On August 13th I'll be traveling with Operation Smile to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. This will be my thirteenth mission with Operation Smile and my second on a US Naval hospital ship. Most of my Op Smile experiences have taken place in the local hospital of whichever country we are visiting. Some are large and well-equipped, but some have lacked even basic things like sheets for the patient beds. Though the headquarters for Operation Smile is in Norfolk, Virginia, it is a huge international organization with centers and active sites worldwide. Equipment to conduct entire missions is stored at various sites around the world and can be transported to a smaller hospital, transforming the OR into a modern operating suite.
The US Navy has two hospital ships, the Mercy and the Comfort. My very first mission was to Sihanoukville, Cambodia on the USNS Mercy in 2010. The USNS Comfort is currently on an eleven month tour in Central and South America and Operation Smile is just one of several groups on board that will be providing medical care along the way. The USNavy also conducts medical clinics at each port of call. There are more than 1000 people on board including the navy personnel and civilians. To see more about the USNS Comfort's current tour, go to www.http//:southcom.mil.
As usual, I won't know about the availability or reliability of the WI-FI until I arrive, but will do my best to post daily. I will also put photos on Picasa (link to follow in email,) but there may be restrictions in that the captain of the Comfort has final approval on all photos taken on board.
Thank you for your continued interest in my travels. If you would like to be taken off of my Blog list, please let me know.
The US Navy has two hospital ships, the Mercy and the Comfort. My very first mission was to Sihanoukville, Cambodia on the USNS Mercy in 2010. The USNS Comfort is currently on an eleven month tour in Central and South America and Operation Smile is just one of several groups on board that will be providing medical care along the way. The USNavy also conducts medical clinics at each port of call. There are more than 1000 people on board including the navy personnel and civilians. To see more about the USNS Comfort's current tour, go to www.http//:southcom.mil.
As usual, I won't know about the availability or reliability of the WI-FI until I arrive, but will do my best to post daily. I will also put photos on Picasa (link to follow in email,) but there may be restrictions in that the captain of the Comfort has final approval on all photos taken on board.
Thank you for your continued interest in my travels. If you would like to be taken off of my Blog list, please let me know.
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