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The U.S. military personnel working on the construction of two bridges and a culvert to connect the villages of Sre Sa and Oloy in Kampong Chhnang province.
Cambodians Get Medical Aid, English Lessons from U.S. Military
Sihanoukville, Cambodia
November 26 – December 02, 2007
Providing medical and dental care, teaching English, fixing buildings and strengthening military ties between the United States and Cambodia were among the projects the 2,500 Sailors and Marines of the USS Essex and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit attached to the ship undertook during a recent port visit to Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
"Essex sailors are honored to have the opportunity to visit the Kingdom of Cambodia as part of the broadening and deepening relations between our navies and our two governments," Captain Brian T. Donegan, the Essex's commanding officer, said during the ship’s arrival ceremony.
During their weeklong visit November 26-December 2, U.S. military personnel worked with Cambodian teams to provide medical services -- including cataract surgery -- and dental care to more than 7,000 Cambodians in Kampong Cham, Preah Vihear, and Kampong Chhnang provinces. Additionally, a contingent of Marines constructed two bridges and a culvert to connect the villages of Sre Sa and Oloy in Kampong Chhnang province.
"An important aspect of this visit is that thousands of Cambodians will have the opportunity to personally interact with some of America's finest ambassador's – not its diplomats, but its Sailors and Marines," stated Piper A. W. Campbell, Deputy Chief of Mission with the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh, in her remarks upon the ship’s arrival. "I can think of no finer symbol of the friendship between Americans and Cambodians than these people-to-people projects."
The Essex and the Marine unit also conducted military-to-military exchanges; participated in a three-day cultural exchange program at the National Defense University in Phnom Penh; and performed community relations projects such as making basic repairs to buildings, providing basic English classes and distributing donated materials such as books and clothing through the U.S. Navy's Project Handclasp program.
On the lighter side, sailors and Marines played duck-duck-goose, hopscotch, marbles and soccer (football) games with children at local primary schools; participated in a soccer tournament and barbecue with Cambodian army cadets at Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville; and attended the second annual Christmas lighting ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh. The U.S. 7th Fleet band also performed at free public concerts in Kampong Chhnang and Sihanoukville and with local musicians at a Sihanoukville orphanage.
"Having Essex come here allowed us to give something to the Cambodian people," Lieutenant Commander Ronnie Mangsat of Amphibious Squadron 11 said in a release from the Essex's public affairs office. "Coming here shows them what we are capable of and that we are willing to take the time to help our new friends."
Visits by U.S. Navy ships symbolize the deepening friendship and cooperation between our two nations and our military services. The Essex's visit was the second by a U.S. Navy ship to Cambodia in 2007; the USS Gary visited in February. Essex is the lead ship of the only forward-deployed U.S. Expeditionary Strike Group and serves as the flagship for Commander, Task Force 76, the Navy’s only forward-deployed amphibious force commander. Task Force 76 is headquartered at White Beach naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, with a detachment in Sasebo, Japan.
