From U.S. Southern Command

ST. JOHN, Antigua – Military and security forces from 11 Caribbean nations have joined the United States and Canada for maritime security and disaster response training as part of Exercise Tradewinds 2014, which began earlier today.

This year’s Tradewinds has expanded to two main phases: Phase I, the maritime phase, in Antigua-Barbuda ongoing through June 10, and Phase II, the land portion, June 16-25 in the Dominican Republic, which has 16 participating nations. The exercise supports the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), a Department of State regional security partnership.

Taking part in maritime training are units from the host nation Antigua-Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF), as well as national police and coast guard units from Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Some of the participating vessels are interceptors and patrol boats provided to partner nations as part of CBSI’s “Secure Seas” program. The crews of these vessels will train alongside members of the United States Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy, which is also providing a fleet diving team and the Kingston-class maritime patrol vessel HMCS Summerside.

The training during Phase I will focus primarily on maritime security and countering transnational organized criminal groups on the high seas, as well as training to improve the ability to respond to natural disasters and provide humanitarian relief. The exercise will provide realistic simulated disaster events to test the Antigua-Barbuda National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) as well as the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).

“Tradewinds is vital to the nations of the Caribbean, Canada, and the United States in order to collaborate against common threats to our peoples and the way we live our lives, as well as to sharpen our collective responses to deal with humanitarian crises, natural disasters, and pandemics,” said Gen. John Kelly, commander of the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which administers the event. “The United States is one of many equal partners in the Caribbean, and SOUTHCOM is interested as much in human rights, developing deep and lasting partnerships across a large range of issues, diplomacy, economic development , and environmental matters, as it is in military topics. Like the other nations participating in Tradewinds, we place a very high value on this training and the understanding and cooperation it fosters.”

PHOTO: A boarding team from the Trinidad and Tobago Ship Gaspar Grande and an observing boarding officer from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Diligence conduct a boarding on FBI small boats role playing as possible smugglers as part of the fleet track of Exercise Tradewinds 2011, March 15. Tradewinds is an annual exercise composed of more than 20 nations designed to enhance stability and security in the Caribbean. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class George Degener)

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