Military to send USNS Comfort to Colombia amid refugee crisis

[nitpicker]

1. More from the DoD transcript of Mattis talking to reporters

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript-View/Article/1606141/media-availability-by-secretary-mattis-en-route-andrews-afb/

(snip)
Another example of how they have come of age, our neighbors will be shoulder to shoulder. Colombia is hosting UNITAS this September. Those who are not aware of it. It's the longest running annual multinational maritime exercise, and it is one where the hemisphere's navies work together, and that is now going to be hosted by UNITAS in September, next month.

Of course we do have the robust counter-narcotics missions. That's one where we're working together to strengthen the effort, and we -- and to support President Duque's re-energized campaign, and to deepen further already strong military-to-military relationships.
(snip)

SEC. MATTIS: Refugees are refugees. I don't know if you've ever been around them. I've been around them in Europe. I've been around them in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Mideast. It is difficult for those of us who live knowing we can flip a switch and turn on the lights at home, we can reach into the refrigerator and have chilled milk when we get up in the morning, to understand they have nothing, and they have poured over the borders. We know that the Colombia health care system, you can't add a million people in the one part of the country, even as they start to filter through, and not upset the apple cart; it's impossible.

So we're going in, defining the problem that we're -- I think we're doing -- where best could the ship be employed, and that's what we're doing. I mean, this is a very clear -- a very clear problem, and with a very specific to try to help our neighbors, who are doing their best, I think, to help these refugees.
(snip)