FRIGATE BAY, Saint Kitts and Nevis –
U.S. Air Forces Southern and the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis concluded the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) 2026 engagement during a closing ceremony in Basseterre on March 6, marking the completion of a two-week medical collaboration across St. Kitts and Nevis.
During the mission, U.S. Air Force medical professionals worked alongside Ministry of Health providers in hospitals, clinics and community outreach events across both islands, conducting more than 3,500 patient encounters and over 2,000 medical, dental and surgical procedures while exchanging medical knowledge and strengthening partnerships between the two nations.
Dr. Shelisa Martin-Clarke, permanent secretary for the Saint Kitts and Nevis Ministry of Health, Nevis island administration, said the collaboration strengthened both healthcare delivery and professional relationships between providers.
“This collaboration has allowed our healthcare professionals to exchange knowledge, strengthen clinical skills and work side by side in service of our people,” Martin-Clarke said. “The partnership between Saint Kitts and Nevis and the United States continues to demonstrate how cooperation in healthcare can improve lives and strengthen our health system.”
Medical teams collaborated across specialties including surgery, dentistry, audiology, biomedical equipment maintenance and nutrition, sharing knowledge and approaches shaped by their respective healthcare systems.
U.S. Air Force Col. Brian Gavitt, Air Forces Southern command surgeon, said missions like LAMAT provide critical real-world experience that strengthens the readiness of military medical forces.
“LAMAT gives our teams the opportunity to operate in unfamiliar environments, adapt to different systems of care and work side by side with partner nation providers,” Gavitt said. “That experience helps ensure our medical forces are ready to deploy anywhere in the world to provide care during crisis, contingency or conflict.”
Gavitt noted the scale of collaboration achieved during the engagement.
“Together our teams completed more than 3,500 patient encounters and over 2,000 medical, dental and surgical procedures, while also repairing critical medical equipment and exchanging knowledge across multiple specialties,” Gavitt said. “At the same time, our Airmen logged more than 4,000 readiness skills, strengthening the operational capability of our medical force.”
U.S. Army National Guard Maj. Gen. Javier Reina, deputy commander for mobilization and reserve affairs at U.S. Southern Command, said engagements like LAMAT demonstrate how partnerships across the region strengthen collective readiness.
“Global health engagements show, in the clearest way possible, what true partnership looks like,” Reina said. “When medical professionals stand side by side sharing skills, exchanging knowledge and caring for patients together, you don’t just improve health outcomes. You build confidence, trust and a team that is stronger together.”
Reina added that relationships built during missions like LAMAT strengthen regional cooperation before crises arise.
“A secure Western Hemisphere isn’t built in moments of crisis. It’s built long before,” Reina said. “It’s built through medical capacity, interoperability and relationships that allow us to respond quickly and effectively when it matters most.”
“This marks our third year of working together, and each engagement builds upon the foundation laid before it, one rooted in trust, mutual respect and enduring friendship,” Reina said.
LAMAT 2026 in Saint Kitts and Nevis marked the first stop of this year’s mission, which continues across the Caribbean as part of U.S. Southern Command’s global health engagement efforts to strengthen medical readiness while reinforcing trusted partnerships throughout the region.