Military and civilian personnel from Central America and the United States concluded CENTAM Guardian 2026, a multinational exercise aimed at enhancing regional security cooperation, disaster response, and interoperability among partner nations.
During the CG26 Closing Ceremony, participants from all partner nations came together to mark the successful completion of the exercise. They celebrated the collaboration and combined achievements over the course of the exercise. Leaders shared remarks highlighting the importance of multinational coordination, readiness and their enduring partnerships across Central America. They emphasized that the relationships strengthened by the exercise will continue to support regional security and coordinated responses to future challenges. Hosted by El Salvador, the exercise ran from April 16 to 27 across the country, bringing together more than 1,000 participants from the seven partner nations of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, the Dominican Republic and the United States.
CG26 focuses on preparing forces to respond to a range of shared challenges, including international security threats, humanitarian crises and natural disasters, while strengthening partnerships across Central America.
“I recognize the commitment of the United States Southern Command to fostering contributions to the shared security of regional partners to counter constantly evolving threats,” said René Francis Merino Monroy, El Salvador Minister of National Defense. “Therefore, initiatives like CENTAM Guardian are consolidated as essential platforms to guarantee regional stability, peace, and the security of our communities.”
Participating forces trained across air, land and sea domains, integrating multiple mission sets into one coordinated effort. Events included live-fire infantry training, aviation operations, special forces training and humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HA/DR) scenarios.
In Chalatenango, Salvadoran and U.S. infantry units conducted live-fire exercises, refining their marksmanship, small-unit tactics, and battlefield communication. Their training emphasized shared techniques and interoperability between partner forces operating in complex environments.
Special operations forces, including U.S. Army Green Berets from the 7th Special Forces Group and El Salvador’s Comando Especial Antiterrorista (CEAT), trained together in Ilopango, focusing on tactical combat casualty care, sniper operations and close-quarters combat. These exchanges were designed to improve survivability and effectiveness in high-risk scenarios while strengthening professional relationships between elite units.
U.S. Marines trained alongside Salvadoran marines in a series of physically and technically demanding training exercises, focused on building unit proficiency and interoperability. Training included Tactical Combat Casualty Care, physical fitness assessments and combat conditioning, as well as deep-water assessments to improve capabilities.. They also conducted communications training, close-quarters battle drills and static-line training, ensuring partner forces could effectively accomplish the mission across multiple domains. Their combined training strengthened readiness and enhanced their ability to operate together.
Joint Task Force-Bravo’s 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment, supported the exercise with air mobility operations, transporting personnel and equipment across training sites and enabling rapid-response scenarios such as medical and casualty evacuations. The integration of JTF-B’s assets highlighted the role of aviation in both combat and humanitarian missions, particularly in a disaster-impacted environment.
The exercise also covered areas such as cybersecurity, law enforcement and joint command structures, expanding the scope of training beyond traditional military operations.
CG26 reflects U.S. Southern Command’s broader strategy of building partner capacity and enabling regional allies to respond to shared security concerns. Integrating multiple training tracks, from special operations and infantry tactics to aviation operations and disaster response, CG26 creates an agile, adaptable force capable of responding to a rapidly changing threat.
“As we conclude CENTAM Guardian, let us carry forward the lessons learned, the strengthened relationships and the spirit of cooperation that defined this time together,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Thomas Vickers, commander, 167th Theater Sustainment Command. “Let us remain vigilant, adaptable and united in confronting the challenges of today and tomorrow.”