Bruce McQuain took a special trip last week and it inspired him to tell us the story of the men and women who make Operation Continuing Promise possible.
It is an operation that will continue in various forms in the future. It is a tremendous and praiseworthy effort that I think needs to be given the visibility it richly deserves.
But there is an irony here you can’t escape. And it has to do with a warship on a humanitarian mission. On the surface, it doesn’t seem to be a fit. But when you dig into it a little you realize that the Kearsarge is a perfect instrument for this sort of work, but not for the reason you might think.
Because she was built to carry United States Marines to war and support them, she has the hospital facilities necessary to treat children and change their lives forever.
Because she was built to carry United States Marines to war and support them, she has the equipment such as Landing Craft and heavy lift helicopters, to move construction materials and equipment to build instead of destroy.
Because she was built to carry United States Marines to war and support them, she provides a platform for humanitarian non-governmental organizations to reach areas in need that they never previously were able to reach.
Because she was built to carry United States Marines to war and support them, she is superbly capable of providing the humanitarian care so many in the developing world so badly need and perhaps, by doing so, she may not have to carry those Marines to war as often as they might otherwise have to go.
That is the hope of Operation Continuing Promise, and that is why it is both an important and worthwhile mission.
The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Thanks to Matt, Bruce is now on board and we are lucky to have him as part of the show.
There is more information on Bruce’s trip here . Danny Glover of Eyeblast.tv was rolling,
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