The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson, visited Dominican Republic Nov. 28 – 30, meeting with Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader and military leaders to discuss security cooperation.
Richardson also visited the hospital ship USNS Comfort’s ongoing Continuing Promise 2022 medical assistance and humanitarian mission to Dominican Republic, where the crew is providing free health care and other services to Dominicans.
Richardson’s meeting with President Abinader took place Nov. 29 following the Military Academy of the National Army graduation at the Batalla de las Carreras Academy, which they attended along with senior Dominican military leadership. During the meeting, both leaders discussed security cooperation between the two nations.
Earlier on Nov. 29, Richardson met with the Dominican Republic’s Minister of Defense, Lt. Gen. Carlos Luciano Díaz Morfa, and senior military leaders to discuss strengthening the longstanding U.S.-Dominican security partnership
During her visits to the USNS Comfort’s mission, the general helped kick off a Women’s Health Fair and visited treatment sites where the hospital ship’s crew is providing free health care to Dominicans.
On Nov. 30, Richardson joined the U.S. Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Alexander Titolo, Morfa and other senior leaders for the opening ceremony for the USNS Comfort mission.
The U.S. and Dominican Republic share a longstanding security partnership. Both nations work together regularly during multinational and bilateral exercises, operations to counter transnational criminal organizations, humanitarian assistance and multiple exchanges of information and expertise.