NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) -- The USNS Comfort's Medical Treatment Facility's senior enlisted leader was relieved Thursday following an alcohol-related incident while on liberty in Panama.
Command Senior Chief Aurelio Ayala has been temporarily reassigned to Military Sealift Command in Norfolk, pending the completion of an investigation.
There is no impact to USNS Comfort's ongoing deployment.
USNS Comfort is crewed by approximately 70 civil service mariners who operate the ship and supports 700 military personnel in the Medical Treatment Facility.
The ship and crew are deployed in the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet areas of responsibility supporting Continuing Promise, a humanitarian-civil assistance mission, visiting 11 Latin American and Caribbean countries.
