FORWARD OPERATING SITE IGUANA, Dominican Republic - The US military and Dominican Republic Army held a closing ceremony for this year’s multi-national Beyond the Horizon humanitarian mission at Forward Operating Site Iguana, Dominican Republic, Monday, June 16.
The annual joint military training exercise, sponsored and planned by US Army South Command and Army South, is designed to provide humanitarian assistance to various nations throughout the Caribbean and Central America. The conclusion of Monday’s ceremony marked the end of the three-month collaboration between US military and the Dominican Republic’s 5th Infantry Brigade, stationed at Barahona, and the 1st Infantry Brigade out of Santo Domingo, as well as military representatives from Canada, Chile, Brazil, Colombia and Peru.
“This exercise clearly demonstrates how well joint combined interagency partners can successfully come together to achieve common goals and objectives,” said Army Lt. Gen. Ken E. Tn providing educational and medical facilities to citizens of the Barahona Province. US Army and Air Force engineers constructed additional classrooms for schools at La Guázara and Pescadería, as well as policlinics at Invicea Villa Central, Palo Alto, and Hospital Vicente Noble. Task Force Larimar also provided free general and specialized medical services at Escuela Primaria Anaima Tejeda, Centro De Capacitación Progresando, Escuela Inicial y Básica Tamayo Batey Cinco and at Programa Asistencia Paraíso, as well as dental services at Hospital Vicente Noble and a prior US military-built policlinic in La Lista.
“Our goal was to improve the quality of life of the Dominican people,” said Tovo to US service members at the closing ceremony. “With your hard work, I believe we did just that.”
All building projects are scheduled for completion by the end of June, at which time the building sites will be handed over to people of the Dominican Republic.