Tampa, Florida resident participates in Caribbean exercise Tradewinds

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Melissa Russell | U.S. Navy Reserve Operations Specialist 1st Class Patrick Billups, a Beaufort, South Carolina native, during Tradewinds 2017. Billups provided logistics support by helping arrange personnel, drivers, and translators, with partner nations. Military and civilians from over 20 countries are participating in this year’s exercise in Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago, which runs from June 6-17, 2017. Tradewinds is a joint, combined exercise conducted in conjunction with partner nations to enhance the collective abilities of defense forces and constabularies to counter transnational organized crime, and to conduct humanitarian and disaster relief operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Melissa K. Russell/Released)  

TAMPA , FL, UNITED STATES

06.10.2017

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Melissa Russell 

241st Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados– U.S. Navy Reserve Operations Specialist 1st Class Patrick Billups, a Beaufort, South Carolina native serving with U.S. Southern Command Headquarters, is participating in Tradewinds 2017, an annual, multi-national exercise in the Caribbean Sea.

Billups, a 15-year veteran, joined 2,500 other service members from 20 countries in Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago from June 6-17, 2017.

“You get to meet a lot of people from different cultures during Tradewinds and learn how they do things. It’s been good so far,” said Billups. “It’s been an interesting experience.”

Tradewinds, sponsored by U.S. Southern Command, headquartered in Miami, Florida, is a joint and combined exercise conducted in conjunction with partner nations to enhance the collective abilities of defense forces and constabularies to counter transnational organized crime and terrorism, and to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

During the Caribbean-focused exercise, Billups, a 2002 graduate of Battery Creek High School, trained with other service-members to ensure a better response to natural disasters and land and maritime threats, including illicit trafficking in the region.

Partner nations participating in the exercise include Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago as well as military personnel from the United States, Canada, France, Mexico, Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

• Date Taken: 06.10.2017
• Date Posted: 06.11.2017 15:55
• Story ID: 237297
• Location: TAMPA , FL, US
• Hometown: BEAUFORT, SC, US
• Hometown: TAMPA, FL, US