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U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Andres Flores-Perez conducts an after action review with Guatemalan soldiers from the 6th Army Brigade on their land navigation practical exercise on Feb 28, 2012. U.S. Southern Command is prepared to conduct joint and combined full-spectrum military operations within the Area of Responsibility, in order to support U.S. national security objectives and interagency efforts that promote regional security cooperation. 

Our Vision

U.S. Southern Command is a joint military command supporting U.S. national security objectives throughout the Western Hemisphere in cooperation with domestic and international partners, in order to foster security, ensure stability, and promote prosperity throughout Central and South America, the Caribbean and the global community.

Missions & Focus Areas

Below are links to detailed descriptions of the major focus areas that help us accomplish our mission: 

 

 
WESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA – A Costa Rica Coast Guard vessel interdicts a suspected drug smuggling vessel stopped by a Coast Guard Law Enforcement detachment precision marksman aboard a U.S. helicopter launched from the USS Elrod, July 3, 2012.
 
 

Countering Transnational Organized Crime

U.S. Southern Command works with its partners to counter and deter illegal activities associated with illicit trafficking, which is a significant threat to security and stability in the Western Hemisphere.  Drug trafficking represents the epicenter of illicit trafficking, serving as the predominant means by which Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) obtain money and increased influence in the region.
 
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U.S. Southern Command’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief missions and programs are central to efforts to enhance security and stability in the region.  Humanitarian assistance focuses on the provision of health care, infrastructure improvements and aid to populations temporarily or chronically underserved.  Disaster relief is the response to reduce human suffering associated with natural disasters.
 
Army Maj. Gen. Robert E. Livingston, Jr., left, the adjutant general of South Carolina, speaks with Colombian Army Maj. Gen. Jorge Salgado
 
 
 
Supporting Regional Security Initiatives
Active engagement with partner nations is a key component to effectively counter transnational criminal activities.  U.S. Southern Command supports U.S. Government security initiatives in Colombia, Central America, and the Caribbean.
 
SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras (July 20, 2012) – A U.S. Army paratrooper exits a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during a combined airborne exercise with Honduran forces at Joint Task Force-Bravo.
 
 
 
Training & Exercises
U.S. Southern Command annually sponsors a wide range of multinational exercises to strengthen regional partnerships and collective capabilities that are integral to U.S. national security and the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere.
 
A Joint Task Force-Bravo medic and Honduran Air Force members wait for a HH-60 Black Hawk during a combined personnel recovery exercise, Jan. 31, 2013.
 
 
 
Multinational Engagement
U.S. Southern Command is committed to being a trusted, reliable partner of choice in the region. The command’s success is dependent on the ability to engage effectively and transparently with regional militaries, partner nation governments, and interagency partners.
 
 
 
 
Human Rights
U.S. Southern Command’s Human Rights Division is an institutional statement of the Command’s commitment to maintain a robust human rights program. No other unified command has established a separate office to monitor and coordinate human rights issues.