News

Two people wearing American military uniforms drag a man wearing a dark blue uniform while a group of people wearing the same dark blue uniform watch. The dark blue uniform says “Policia” on the back.

April 4, 2025

U.S. Special Ops Conduct Combined Training With Panama, Formalize Commitment

Recent security engagements between U.S. and Panamanian forces culminated in the first official U.S.-Panama special operations forces talks, underscoring a decades-long bilateral partnership.

U.S. Army Joint Task Force-Bravo Headquarters Support Company Soldiers hook up cargo containing construction material to a HH-60 Blackhawk during PANAMAX-Alpha Phase 0 in Panama, March 29, 2025.

April 4, 2025

JTF-Bravo completes PANAMAX-Alpha Phase 0 2025

PANAMA CITY, Panama — Fifty-one Soldiers, Airmen and Marines from Joint Task Force-Bravo conducted PANAMAX-Alpha Phase 0 in Panama, from March 24 to April 4, 2025. PANAMAX-Alpha is a bilateral exercise between the United States and Panama conducted by JTF-Bravo and supported by the U.S. Southern Command. The exercise allows both countries to work alongside each other to strengthen relationships in security, humanitarian and logistical fields.

April 4, 2025

United States and Panama Expand Security Cooperation

The United States and Panama will co-host the Central America Security Conference (CENTSEC), in Panama April 8-10. Through CENTSEC, SOUTHCOM seeks to promote and facilitate dialogue and cooperation among regional security partners focused on common challenges and objectives. This year's conference will focus on regional defense through joint operations and cybersecurity.

April 1, 2025

Leaders Describe Host of Threats to Homeland, Steps to Mitigate Them

The Defense Department's No. 1 priority is defending the homeland, said Rafael F. Leonardo, who is performing the duties of assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and hemispheric affairs.

The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) conducts a passing exercise with Guyana Defense Force Defiant-class patrol ship GDSF Shahoud in the Caribbean Sea, March 27, 2025. Normandy is scheduled to protect U.S. interests in the region and strengthen maritime partnerships through bilateral and multinational maritime operations and Theater Security Cooperation port visits. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet is the maritime component of U.S. Southern Command and the trusted maritime partner for Caribbean, Central, and South American maritime forces, leading to improved unity, security, and stability. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Dylan M. Kinee/Released)

March 28, 2025

USS Normandy and GDFS Shahoud Conduct Maritime Exercise

CARIBBEAN SEA — CARIBBEAN SEA -- U.S. Navy Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) conducted a passing exercise (PASSEX) with the Guyana Defence Force Defiant-class patrol vessel GDFS Shahoud (1039) March 27. The two ships conducted formation-maneuvering events supported by Normandy's embarked MH-60R Seahawk helicopter from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 50; the aircrew conducted a photo exercise as the final event of the maneuvers.

U.S. Air Force Reserve Citizen Airmen from the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) 2025 mission interact with local school children at Celina Clouden Smart Hospital, Union Island, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, March 20, 2025.

March 21, 2025

LAMAT 25 Brings Essential Dental Care and Training to Union Island, St. Vincent

UNION ISLAND, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — Dental professionals from the 433rd Aerospace Medicine Squadron and the 349th Medical Squadron partnered with Air Forces Southern (AFSOUTH) to support the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) 2025 mission in Union Island.

U.S. and Honduran personnel pose together for a group photo following the conclusion of a JTF-Bravo medical mission in La Paz, Honduras, March 12, 2025. These medical missions have become a hallmark of JTF-Bravo's enduring legacy in the region, demonstrating their unwavering dedication to building a stronger and more resilient Honduras and Central America. (U.S. Army courtesy photo)

March 14, 2025

US and Honduran Forces Team Up to Provide Medical Care in La Paz

LA PAZ, Honduras — U.S. Army medical personnel from Joint Task Force-Bravo joined forces with Honduran organizations to provide essential healthcare to 261 people in La Paz, Honduras, March 12, 2025.

Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, welcomes Brig. Gen. Omar Randall, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South deputy commander to U.S. 4th Fleet Headquarters onboard Naval Station Mayport. The two leaders discussed exercise Integrated Advance 2025, where Sailors and Marines are serving together for the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander (JFMCC), working through a contingency scenario in the USSOUTHCOM Area of Responsibility (AOR) to validate warfighting functions and clarify phase transitions at the operational level of war. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet is the trusted maritime partner for Caribbean, Central and South America maritime forces leading to improved unity, security and stability.

March 13, 2025

Sailors and Marines Team Up for Integrated Advance 2025

NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. — Sailors from U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet (NAVSOUTH/FOURTHFLT) and Marines from U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South (MARFORSOUTH) are serving together on the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander (JFMCC) staff during Exercise Integrated Advance 2025.

U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Knoll, 349th Medical Squadron commander and vascular surgeon, conducts a Arteriovenous Fistula procedure on a patient during the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission at St. Jude Hospital in Vieux Fort, Saint Lucia, March 4, 2025. Knoll, a vascular surgeon, is addressing a critical shortage of specialized care by performing life-saving vascular surgery in St. Lucia, simultaneously honing essential skills for future U.S. military deployments. The LAMAT mission seeks to strengthen U.S. partnerships within Latin America and the Caribbean region by providing relief to overwhelmed medical facilities through collaboration with host nation medical practitioners and respective Ministry of Health officials. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andrea Jenkins)

March 12, 2025

LAMAT 25 delivers critical vascular surgery, strengthens readiness in Saint Lucia

VIEUX FORT, Saint Lucia — The arrival of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission 2025 has brought a wave of relief to the island nation of St. Lucia. The mission, which began Feb. 24, represents a collaboration between U.S. Air Force medical professionals and their St. Lucian counterparts.

The Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) 2025 stand outside Owen King European Union (OKEU) Hospital for a group photo at Castries, Saint Lucia, Feb. 26, 2025. LAMAT stands as a symbol of partnership through medical readiness, offering real-world benefits to achieve positive outcomes through collaboration with partner nations. (US Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Green)

March 10, 2025

LAMAT 2025 Readiness, Delivers Care in Saint Lucia

CASTRIES, Saint Lucia — U.S. military medical professionals and their partner nation counterparts launched the latest iteration of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) mission in Saint Lucia Feb. 24, 2025, underscoring the ongoing commitment to strengthening partnerships and enhancing military readiness.