JTF-Bravo unveils new Combined Joint Operation Center

By Staff Sgt. Tristan Biese / Published Feb. 21, 2025
SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras,

Joint Task Force-Bravo unveiled their new Combined Joint Operation Center in conjunction with a tabletop exercise where they worked with members from the Honduran air force, army, firefighters, Comisión Permanente de Contingencias, Forest Conservation Institute, Environmental Management Unit, and Friends of La Tigra Foundation, February 19, 2025.

The CJOC was created to better streamline and facilitate communication between JTF-Bravo leaders and local agency leaders when a crisis arises. 
“The Combined Joint Operation Center is a testament to our commitment to working side-by-side with our Honduran partners,” said U.S. Army Col. Daniel Alder, JTF-Bravo Commander. “This facility is a hub that allows us to plan and coordinate in response to crises, meaning we can react faster and more effectively, ultimately saving lives.”

The exercise simulated a forest fire in La Tigra National, Northeast of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Participants worked together to determine initial responses and how each agency would act as the crisis grew over time.

Alongside the exercise, members from JTF-Bravo and the Honduran conducted academic training on a collapsible water-carrying device that is used in aerial firefighting. The device is suspended from a helicopter to pick up water and drop the water onto wildfires. This equipment is extremely valuable in this region as many locations are inaccessible via roads.

With JTF-Bravo being the U.S. Southern Command’s regional rapid response force for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions and contingency response, the inception of the CJOC and this exercise are big steps towards JTF-Bravo and local agencies and military working together to better react during crises.