Exercise Tradewinds 2015 starts Sunday

CAMP SPRINGFIELD, SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS

05.29.2015

Courtesy Story

U.S. Southern Command

CAMP SPRINGFIELD, St. Kitts – Military and security forces from 17 Caribbean nations have joined the United States and Canada for maritime security and disaster response training here as part of Exercise Tradewinds 2015, which begins Sunday, May 31.

This year’s Tradewinds will be conducted in three phases: The Phase I will include maritime and land operations and it will take place in St. Kitts and Nevis through June 9; Phase II, will include maritime and land operations, including U.S. Marines in Belize June 15-24; Phase III, a Key Leader Seminar will be conducted July 14-16 in Miami for key stakeholders and decision makers from within the region.

Phase I and II are designed to conduct joint, combined and interagency participating nation capacity building that focuses on increasing regional cooperation in complex multinational security operations and humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.

The exercise supports the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), a U.S. Department of State regional security partnership.

“Tradewinds provides the opportunity to develop and strengthen our partnerships and allows all the participants to collaborate together to ensure regional security," said Gen. John F. Kelly, commander, U.S. Southern Command, adding, "Like the other countries participating in Tradewinds, we value this collaboration as well as the awareness and teamwork it cultivates.”

The 19 nations taking part in Tradewinds 2015 are Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Dutch Caribbean, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Participating regional organizations include the Regional Security System (RSS), Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Caribbean Disaster Response Unit (CRDU), CARICOM (IMPACS), and the Regional Intelligence Fusion Center (RIFC).organizations include the Regional Security System (RSS), Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Caribbean Disaster Response Unit (CRDU), CARICOM (IMPACS), and the Regional Intelligence Fusion Center (RIFC).

• Date Taken: 05.29.2015
• Date Posted: 05.29.2015 15:51
• Story ID: 164942
• Location: CAMP SPRINGFIELD, KN