VP-16, El Salvadorian Military Personnel Host Holiday Festival

By AZ1 (AW/SW) Natalia Luchetti, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command & U.S. 4th Fleet Public Affairs

COMALAPA AIR FORCE BASE, El Salvador (NNS) -- Patrol Squadron (VP) 16 and Comalapa military service members hosted 49 children and the founders of the Exodus Foundation at a holiday festival aboard Comalapa Air Force Base Nov. 22.

The Exodus Foundation, founded in 1996, is a non-governmental organization created to restore the lives of boys and girls in situations of risk, providing them academic and physical care, and developing them emotionally, spiritually and socially in a home environment.

The hosted group was given a tour and history brief of the P-3C Orion aircraft, in which they got to experience the different communication and navigation systems.

The guests were treated to a pizza party and received candy from a "Jack Frost" pinata. The party concluded with a surprise visit from Santa Claus.

"I am so grateful for the work you have done," said Patricia de Parras, Exodus Foundation founder. "For you have put a memorable smile on these children's faces, and as the Bible says: start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they would not turn from it."

This event was made possible by voluntary contributions from Comalapa and VP-16 detachments. These Sailors were all key in ensuring safety was number one priority at all times and that an unforgettable memory was stamped in each one of the kid's heart.

"Getting to see the kids so excited and thankful for what we did for them," said Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Jonathan Castillo. "This experience was one of the most humbling of my career."

CSL Comalapa is a cooperative security location located on a Salvadoran air base near the San Salvador Municipal Airport. The CSL is a regional monitoring center for the control of drug-trafficking, which stood up in 2001.

COMUSNAVSO is the naval component command for U.S. Southern Command and is responsible for all naval personnel and assets in the area of responsibility. COMUSNAVSO conducts a variety of missions in support of the U.S. maritime strategy, including theater security cooperation, relationship building, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, community relations, and counter-illicit trafficking operations.