COLOMBIA NATIVE PARTICIPATES IN CARIBBEAN-BASED MILITARY EXERCISE

Photo By Staff Sgt. Leia Tascarini | Sgt. Maryi Burnside, Florida Army National Guard (FLARNG) Security Forces Assistance Brigade (SFAB) participates in Tradewinds 2019. In its 35th year, 22 nations are participating in the Tradewinds exercise to promote regional security as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Leia D. Tascarini)  

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

06.01.2019

Story by Sgt. Leia Tascarini 

107th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

LAS CALDERAS, Dominican Republic (June 1, 2019) - Sgt. Maryi Burnside, a Security Forces Assistance Brigade (SFAB) hazardous explosive advisor, a Medellin, Colombia native assigned to the Florida Army National Guard, Gainesville, FL, is participating in exercise Tradewinds 2019, a military exercise that takes place annually in the Caribbean.
Burnside is a 6-year veteran of the armed forces. She is joined by approximately 1,700 military and civilian personnel from 22 partner nations in the exercise. During the Caribbean-focused exercise, Burnside, a combat engineer with a focus on hazardous materials and explosives advises partner nations on the importance of identifying explosives, detonating them and being safe while doing it. Burnside is one of the first members of the newly formed SFAB team.
“I’m honored to be a part of this team, it’s a great opportunity.” said Burnside. “We get to come to places like this and train with other nations from the lowest rank to the highest rank. We learn from each other and take away things that help us become better Soldiers.”
This year, Tradewinds will take place in three phases. The first phase will take place in the Dominican Republic May 30 – June 8. The second phase will take place in St. Vincent and the Grenadines June 14-21. The final phase will take place in Doral, Florida July 16-18.
Tradewinds, sponsored by U.S. Southern Command, is a joint, multinational, and interagency training exercise focused on building increased regional cooperation in complex multinational security operations, as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.
Nations participating in the exercise include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Colombia, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, France, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, the Netherlands, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom and the United States.

• Date Taken: 06.01.2019
• Date Posted: 06.06.2019 11:59
• Story ID: 325754
• Location: DO