Programs & Events
USS Essex Arrives for Historic Visit to Cambodia
Sihanoukville
November 26, 2007
USS Essex (LHD 2) and its embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU), arrived in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, today for a scheduled port visit. USS Essex (LHD 2) is commanded by Capt. Brian T. Donegan and is forward deployed to Sasebo, Japan.
This port visit will provide the crew with the opportunity to participate in community relations events, medical and dental events and professional military exchanges. The ship’s crew members and embarked 31st MEU will also have the chance to meet local citizens and experience local customs and traditions of the Cambodian people.
Visits by U.S. Navy ships symbolize the continued friendship between our two nations and our military services. This visit marks the second visit of a U.S. Navy ship that has visited the Kingdom of Cambodia. USS Gary visited in February 2007.
The Essex and 31st MEU Medical and Dental Departments will conduct medical and dental civic action programs (MEDCAP and DENCAP) in Kampong Chhnang and Preah Vihear with Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. There will be several military to military engagements during the visit: conducting training with the National Counter Terrorism Task Force; providing English language training at the National Defense University in Phnom Penh; and conducting damage control training at Ream Naval Base.
The Essex crew will also distribute several pallets of Project Handclasp material to various non-governmental agencies in the Sihanoukville area. Project Handclasp is a U.S. Navy program that provides donated items (e.g. books, clothes, toys, medical items, etc.) to agencies and organizations in countries that could benefit from those materials.
Operating in the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans, the U.S. 7th Fleet is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with approximately 50 ships, 120 aircrafts and 20,000 sailors and marines assigned at any given time. For more information, visit the U.S. 7th Fleet web site at http://www.c7f.navy.mil/.
USS Essex Projects in Cambodia: November 26 – December 1, 2007
Medical and Dental Civic Action Program, Kampong Cham, November 27-29
The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces are partnering with the United States Marine Corps and United States Navy in an effort to bring medical and dental care to the Cambodian people in Kampong Cham province. A combined medical and dental team, using helicopters from the U.S. Marine Corps’ 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the USS Essex, will transport personnel and supplies needed to perform a three-day medical and dental service mission in the village of Piem Gos Na. Medical and dental services planned during this project range from routine heath maintenance and physical examinations to limited minor procedures. Additionally, several charitable organizations will also be participating in this three-day event, including an eye surgery team that can perform cataract surgery.
Medical and Dental Civic Action Program, Preah Vihear, November 27-29
The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces are partnering with the United States Marine Corps, and United States Navy in an effort to bring medical and dental care to the Cambodian people in the Preah Vihear province. A combined medical and dental team, using helicopter assets from the U.S. Marine Corps’ 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the USS Essex, will transport personnel and supplies needed to perform a three-day medical and dental service mission in the village of Kulean. Medical and dental services planned during this project range from physical examinations and tooth extractions, to acute care and limited minor procedures. Additionally, several charitable organizations will also be participating in this three-day event, including an eye surgery team that can perform cataract surgery.
Engineering Civic Action Program, Kampong Chhnang, November 26-30
The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and local Gendarme are partnering with members of the United States Marine Corps and United States Navy stationed aboard the USS Essex to construct two bridges and a culvert that will link the villages of Sre Sa and Oloy in Kampong Chhnang province. In addition to the RCAF, local Gendarme and the U.S. Marines and Sailors, this project will utilize engineering expertise and labor from several NGOs and the local population. Two large truck loads of construction materials will be used for this week-long project.
Military-to-Military Training, Phnom Penh, November 27-29
The Royal Government of Cambodia’s National Counter Terrorism Task Force (NCTTF) will conduct military-to-military training with members of the United States Marine Corps at its facility in Kandal province near Phnom Penh. This training will highlight recent Cambodian military successes during peacekeeping operations in Sudan. Additionally, U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, stationed aboard the USS Essex, will train members of the NCTTF on field medical training, marksmanship and hand-to-hand combat.
National Defense University Exchange, Phnom Penh, November 27-29
Beginning November 27th, 20 U.S. Sailors and Marines from the USS Essex will be hosted by the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces at the National Defense University (NDU) in Phnom Penh. This three-day exchange is aimed at fostering better relations between the two countries’ young military leadership. The visiting group of U.S. service members will conduct English proficiency classes, demonstrate martial arts techniques, and engage in one-on-one cultural exchange with the NDU students.
Community Relations Events, Sihanoukville, November 27-30
Hundreds of U.S. Sailors and Marines from the USS Essex will conduct community relations (COMREL) projects at sites around Sihanoukville during the ship's visit. While specific activities will vary from site to site, overall plans include making basic repairs to buildings (painting walls and repairing/replacing doors and windows), sporting activities, basic English classes, and distribution of Project Handclasp materials. Project Handclasp is a U.S. Navy program that provides donated items such as books, clothes, toys and medical items to agencies and organizations in countries that could benefit from the materials. The COMRELs will take place at Hun Sen Krong Primary school, Hun Sen Mittapheap Primary and High School, Chamka Kaosu Primary School, and the Village d'Enfantes de Sihanoukville.
