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Dominican Republic air force A-29 Super Tucano participates in initiative between U.S., Colombian, and Dominican Republic air forces on procedures to detect, track, and intercept illegal drugs (U.S. Air Force/Justin Brockhoff)

June 19, 2017

The new National Military Strategy exists as a result of some fundamental changes in the geopolitical landscape. Leaving the Joint Staff and going to USSOUTHCOM, I had the benefit of spending several years listening as both General [Martin E.] Dempsey and then General [Joseph F.] Dunford began to develop this strategy, particularly General Dunford. The National Military Strategy focuses on multidomain security challenges that are now global security challenges. It provides a useful intellectual organizing construct by going to a regional geographic command and thinking through the role of a geographic combatant command as a member of an enterprise.

Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Col. Roger Carter, right, the assistant chief staff officer of Headquarters, Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, and U.S. Coast Guardsmen pose for a photo with students while at Carenage Boy Government Primary School as part of a community relations event during Phase II of Exercise Tradewinds 2017 in Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago, June 16, 2017. Tradewinds, sponsored by U.S. Southern Command, brings together security forces and regional civilian agencies from 20 participating countries to strengthen relationships, build partner nation capacity and conduct subject matter expert exchanges in security-related operations. U.S. Marines are providing providing training and logistical support for Phase II of the exercise. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Olivia McDonald)

June 19, 2017

Caring for Carenage: U.S., partner nations revitalize a school

U.S. Marines assisted with renovating the Carenage Boys Government Primary School in Carenage, Trinidad and Tobago, June 16, 2017, during Phase II of Exercise Tradewinds 2017.

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Joseph P. DiSalvo, the U.S. Southern Command military deputy commander, speaks to distinguished guests and service members from 20 nations during the closing ceremony for Phase II of Tradewinds 2017 in Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago, June 17, 2017. The overall objective of Tradewinds, an annual exercise sponsored by SOUTHCOM, is to enhance the collective ability of the participating nations to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations and counter transnational organized crime. U.S. Marines provided training and logistical support for Phase II of Tradewinds.

June 19, 2017

Phase II of Tradewinds 2017 exercise in Caribbean ends

Phase II of Exercise Tradewinds 2017, sponsored by U.S. Southern Command, concluded with a ceremony in Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago, June 17.

Completion of the new building at the Ladyville Health Clinic is officially marked at the ribbon-cutting ceremony June 9 in Ladyville, Belize. Shown cutting the ribbon (from left): Chief Warrant Officer 3 Herminio Romero, site project manager and member of the 448th Engineer Battalion from Puerto Rico; Col. John Simma, Beyond the Horizon 2017 Task Force Jaguar commander; Adrienne Galanek, Chargé d’Affaires for the U.S. Embassy Belize; Ramon Figueroa, CEO of the Belize Ministry of Health; Lance Cpl. Gladden of the Belize Defence Force and Lt. Col. Robert Ramsey, Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché for the U.S. Embassy. Construction was accomplished during Beyond the Horizon 2017, a collaborative training event between U.S. Army South, the Belize Defence Force, other Central American nations and local and international NGOs, providing medical and engineering services throughout Belize.

June 19, 2017

Beyond The Horizon 2017: New clinic in Belize lays foundation for future

LADYVILLE, Belize — Members of the Beyond the Horizon Task Force and the Belize Ministry of Health hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 9 for a newly constructed addition to the Ladyville Health Clinic in Ladyville, Belize. BTH 2017 is a partnership exercise between U.S. Army South and the Government of Belize providing five construction projects and three medical events throughout the country.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - A member of the Maritime Tactical Operators Group (MTOG) mentors Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG) members as they conduct infiltration drills for boarding party training at the TTCG base in Chaguaramas, Trinidad as part of Exercise TRADEWINDS 17 on June 8, 2017. (Canadian Forces Combat Camera photo by Leading Seaman Zachariah Stopa)

June 12, 2017

Second phase of Tradewinds exercise hosted by Trinidad and Tobago

The second phase of a yearly U.S. Southern Command-sponsored joint combined exercise is set to take place in Trinidad and Tobago, June 13-17.

Florida Army National Guard 2nd lt. Ryan Noblitt, assigned to Delta Company, 1-124 Infantry, 53rd Brigade Combat Team, takes a selfie with schoolchildren and another Soldier in his unit, Staff Sgt. Edward Roseman during a community relations (COMREL) event on board Paragon Base. The students visited the base to participate in a Tradewinds 2017 COMREL event.

June 9, 2017

National Guard, sister services engage community during Tradewinds exercise

PARAGON BASE, Barbados - Most people envision the Caribbean as a vacation spot with sparkling waters and white sand beaches. For Soldiers, the Caribbean serves as the location for the annual Tradewinds exercise, directed by the Army's Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).

Patients exit the Regional Health Center in the Tepanguare village located in La Paz, Honduras, May 24, 2017 after receiving medical services from Joint Task Force-Bravo’s Medical Element personnel. The MEDEl staff supports the clinic by providing free consultations every four weeks at the understaffed center, caring for patients and providing medications.

June 9, 2017

MEDEL supports local health clinic

La Paz, Honduras — Personnel from Joint task Force-Bravo's Medical Element visited the Regional Health Center in the Tepanguare village located in La Paz, Honduras, May 24, 2017 to provide free consultations and medications for the local patients. Tepanguare is a village located in the mountains of La Paz where illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, respiratory

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Austin Blessard, Georgia Air National Guard 117th Air Control Squadron weapons and tactics non-commissioned officer in charge, introduces himself to members of the Colombian Air Force during a State Partnership Program Subject Matter Expert Exchange on Ground Control Intercept with the Georgia Air National Guard, May 30-June 2, 2017, at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia. During the weeklong engagement the Colombians worked with Air Controllers from 117th shaping Colombian Air Force training plans by pairing experts together to exchange ideas. The Georgia Air National Guard supported the South Carolina National Guard’s State Partnership Program during the engagement. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Capt. Stephen D. Hudson)

June 9, 2017

Georgia ANG engages with Colombian Air Force

HUNTER ARMY AIRFIELD, Ga. (AFNS) — The Georgia Air National Guard welcomed a group of visiting Colombian Air Force officers as part of a State Partnership Program engagement, May 30 - June 2, 2017. The weeklong exchange on Ground Control Intercept consisted of a tour of the unit and discussions with subject matter experts on how to improve the Colombian Air Force’s training plans for controllers.

Coast Guard Rear Adm. Daniel Abel, director of operations for U.S. Southern Command, and Linda Swartz Taglialatela, ambassador for the United States of America, depart the opening ceremony for Tradewinds 2017 in Bridgetown, Barbados, June 6, 2017. Tradewinds is a joint, combined exercise conducted in conjunction with partner nations to enhance the collective abilities of defense forces and constabularies to counter transnational organized crime, and to conduct humanitarian/disaster relief operations. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Melissa Leake/Released)

June 6, 2017

Tradewinds 2017 kicks off in Barbados

Exercise Tradewinds 2017, a multi-national maritime security and disaster response exercise in the Caribbean, began with an opening ceremony welcoming 20 partner nations in Bridgetown, Barbados, Tuesday.

A Coast Guard Cutter Diligence pursuit team interdicts a "go-fast" boat suspected of smuggling illegal drugs. From left to right in the in the "go-fast" is Lt. j.g. Edward Hobaica, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Jussen Gonzales, while from left to right on the Coast Guard response boat is Petty Officer 2nd Class Anthony Sanabria, Petty Officer 2nd Class Charles Murray and Petty Officer 1st Class Adam Mallard. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Cutter Diligence/Released)

June 2, 2017

Coast Guard Cutter Diligence crew returns to Wilmington after interdicting 375 kilos of cocaine

The Diligence crew was deployed in support of Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-South) and performed several Coast Guard missions, including counter drug operations and deterrence of illegal immigration.