NORFOLK, Va. — Ten members of the Fleet Forces Band recently returned from a deployment aboard the USNS Comfort.
They made stops in Guatemala, Colombia, Honduras, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, playing music and building relations.
“Our mission really is to play for these people, use music as the universal language to connect and build partnerships,” said Lt. Justin Strauss, assistant fleet bandmaster.
Strauss told News 3 that while underway, the band had a dedicated practice space where they would rehearse, write music, and arrange tunes, typically in the styles of the countries they were visiting.
He said his favorite memory during the deployment was in Cartagena, Colombia, where the band played for local at-risk youth. On the last day, the youth surprised the sailors of the USNS Comfort with a performance of their own, right on the dock.
“We were watching just enjoying the music and at that point really knowing that what we did make a difference," Strauss.
Petty Officer Second Class Cesar Pimentel Ortiz was also a part of "Continuing Promise." He plays the trombone.
“Having the opportunity to see how we fit in the bigger picture and how important our job is in real-time is an experience that I wouldn’t change for anything else,” said Pimentel Ortiz.
To read more about the mission of "Continuing Promise" click here.
