LAS CALDERAS, Dominican Republic (May 28 - June 09, 2019) - Cpt. Ryan A. Starkey, a Security Forces Assistance Brigade (SFAB) lead ground tactical trainer for Phase I, a Crystal River, Florida native assigned to the Florida Army National Guard, Pinellas Park, FL, has participated in exercise Tradewinds 2019, a military exercise that takes place annually in the Caribbean.
Starkey is a 12-year veteran of the armed forces. He was joined by approximately 1,700 military and civilian personnel from 22 partner nations in the exercise. During the Caribbean-focused exercise, Starkey, a team leader for the SFAB, coordinated with partner nations to establish training iterations to include the culminating event. These training cycles included range operations, patrol lanes, medical training and human rights training. Starkey joined the SFAB in June 2018 and is one of the first members of the newly formed team.
“Tradewinds is that rare opportunity for partner nations to come together in a permissive, non-combat environment that encourages cooperation, partnerships and the ability to build a cohesive team,” said Starkey. “The bonds that have been created here extend beyond politics, religion, and ethnicity. We are in the military for a short time but remain united as brothers and sisters for life.”
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.