MIAMI—U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South will be conducting a field-training exercise at Camp Blanding in Starke, Fla., which will begin Sept. 3.
The 13-day training exercise, known as Partnership of the Americas, is led by MARFORSOUTH and is part of a larger exercise known as UNITAS, which is conducted annually by U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command.
Partner Nation forces from the following countries will participate in UNITAS-Partnership of the Americas 2012; Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.
The following U.S. military commands and government agencies are scheduled to participate in UNITAS-Partnership of the Americas 2012; United States Southern Command, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South, Marine Corps Forces Reserve, 4th Marine Logistics Group, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Atlantic, Naval Expeditionary Combat Command Riverine Group, and the Florida Army National Guard.
The training exercise gives the participating countries’ troops the opportunity to walk through real-life scenarios which face our world today.
There are many highlights to the training schedule. Some of the more notable events are the ship-to-land movement portion of the exercise, military operations in urban terrain (MOUT), and the multiple live-fire ranges.
This USMC exercise began in 2006 as a company level, multinational exercise where a Marine Corps unit traveled to Chile and subsequently to Peru to conduct military-to military exchanges.
For more information please contact the exercise Public Affairs Officer, Master Sgt. Christopher Cox, Christopher.w.cox@usmc.mil. Comm: 504-208-6810. or the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South Public Affairs Officer, Staff Sgt. Earnest J. Barnes, Earnest.Barnes@hq.southcom.mil. Comm: 305-437-2554.