 Continuing Promise is a mission based around the U.S.N.S. Comfort, traveling around the South Com AOR, specifically South America, Central America and the Caribbean, just providing medical aid to different communities and helping out in a number of other ways. I was born in Ways in Haiti and it meant a lot to me for me to come back to my home country and support this mission. It meant a lot because it is people you are proud and it does mean a lot to me. In Haiti, the civil affairs team was instrumental in populace and resource control outside the Killick Coast Guard base where the medical site number one was and also at St. Luke's Hospital which was medical site number two. We also coordinated with local NGOs on the ground for the transportation off the ship and onward distribution to communities in need within Haiti. My name is Gunnery Sarn Jean Francois, I'm the group Gunny for 4th Civil Affairs Group. Being of Haitian descent, I'm a first generation American. My parents were born in Haiti, I was born in New York, but being a first generation American it feels good to come back to Haiti and being able to give back. In 2010, I was actually coming back from deployment from Iraq. I was desperately trying to come here, earthquake just happened and I wanted to help out. I wanted to do whatever I can, whether it was interpreter, whether it was passing out at MREs, helping whatever could search and rescue, didn't get the chance then so now feels really good. I feel like I have attained a dream that I really wanted to do. That's important to me, I'm glad to be here. There's a lot of work that needs to be done. I felt that for what we've done here, I think we've done a good job. I think we've done a good job and I'd like to do more. Living Promise mission is definitely needed in countries such as Haiti and all throughout the Caribbean. As a civil affairs team leader, I'm responsible for overseeing engagement with the local community and being that liaison in between the military and the civilian populace, so that involves visiting several different areas in the community such as schools, orphanages and meeting with local leaders. One of the most memorable events during Continuing Promise was the visit to the school in Laoghan. This is an area that five years before had been the worst devastated by the earthquake that has struck Haiti and it was amazing to see kids coming out from the local community just full of enthusiasm, really looking to make a difference in their community and it was something I'm very proud of is that we were able to help them out. Life is what you make of it. Anything is what you make of it, so you can easily come out here and just kind of do your job and call it quits or you can come out here and actually learn the culture, embrace the culture at the same time, be proud that you do have the power to influence or cultivate change.