News

Archive: 2025

South Dakota National Guard Soldiers with members of the Surinamese Armed Forces during a first-of-its-kind jungle warfare exchange that concluded July 18, 2025.

July 31, 2025

South Dakota Guard, Suriname Armed Forces Strengthen Partnership

PARAMARIBO, Suriname — The South Dakota National Guard and Suriname Armed Forces, or SAF, strengthened their partnership during a first-of-its-kind jungle warfare exchange that concluded July 18.

Soldiers from the D.C. National Guard hone marksmanship skills at Twickenham Park Range in St. Catherine, Jamaica, on July 17, 2025.

July 31, 2025

D.C. Guard Tests Skills With Jamaican, Barbadian Forces

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Soldiers from the District of Columbia National Guard; Jamaica Defence Force, or JDF; Jamaica National Reserve; and Barbados Defence Force Reserves recently participated in the Caribbean Regional Training Camp 2025, a joint exercise aimed at bolstering regional security, enhancing disaster response capabilities and strengthening interoperability among the participating nations.

Image of Senior Airman Adrese Atkins, 931st Aerospace Medical Squadron medical administration technician, watches as local medical staff replace a hospital bed at Academic Hospital Paramaribo, Suriname, July 17, 2025. Atkins described AMISTAD 2025 as a valuable learning opportunity since he was challenged with fixing equipment while patients were actively being treated in the same room, or patching rusted gear with paint instead of being able to replace it outright. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Elora J. McCutcheon)

July 29, 2025

Making it work: Airman brings maintenance grit to medical mission in Suriname

PARAMARIBO, Suriname — While patients waited in crowded clinics and medical staff in crisp uniforms moved from room to room, a small maintenance shop tucked into the corner of Academic Hospital buzzed with a different kind of energy: One less visible, but no less essential.

July 24, 2025

USNS Comfort Arrives in Limón, Costa Rica for CP25

LIMÓN, Costa Rica — The Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) arrived in Limón, Costa Rica, July 24, 2025, for the fifth mission stop of Continuing Promise 2025 (CP25). This visit marks the sixth CP mission stop to Costa Rica since its inception in 2007, and the third visit aboard Comfort in support of CP.

PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic (July 17, 2025) Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Abby Marvin, assigned to the Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), takes a Dominican patient’s temperature at a medical site in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic during Continuing Promise 2025, July 17, 2025. Continuing Promise 2025 is the 16th iteration of the U.S. 4th Fleet/U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command-led mission since 2007, which aims to foster goodwill, strengthen existing partnerships with partner nations, and form new partnerships between host nations, non-federal entities, and international organizations. (U.S. Army photo by Cpl. William Hunter)

July 22, 2025

USNS Comfort Departs Dominican Republic After Fourth CP25 Mission Stop

PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic — The Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) departed from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, July 21, 2025, after a four-day mission stop during Continuing Promise 2025 (CP25). At the Dominican mission stop, Comfort’s team provided medical and dental care, veterinary subject matter exchanges, medical subject matter exchanges, a humanitarian aid and disaster response workshop, band performances, and a beach clean-up event.

An overhead shot of a group of uniformed officials sitting around a table.

July 16, 2025

25th Infantry Division works alongside Panamanian security personnel and the Joint Security Cooperation Group-Panama

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA — U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, arrived in Panama to support the combined security effort between the U.S. and Panama.

PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic (July 15, 2025) Sailors assigned to the Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) load medical site cargo aboard Comfort in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic during Continuing Promise 2025, July 15, 2025. Continuing Promise 2025 is the 16th iteration of the U.S. 4th Fleet/U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command-led Mission since 2007, which aims to foster goodwill, strengthen existing partnerships with partner nations, and form new partnerships between host nations, non-federal entities, and international organizations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alfredo Marron)

July 16, 2025

USNS Comfort Arrives in Dominican Republic for CP25

PUERTO PLATA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC — The Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) arrived in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic for the fourth mission stop of Continuing Promise 2025 (CP25), July 15, 2025.

An Air Commando assigned to the 27th Special Operations Wing performs a pre-flight check on a U-28A Draco in Santiago, Chile, June 4, 2025, as part of exercise SOUTHERN STAR 25

July 14, 2025

SOUTHERN STAR ’25: 27th Special Operations Wing projects power with partners in Chile

SANTIAGO, Chile — SANTIAGO, Chile — From the sunbaked airstrips of Antofagasta to the bustling port of Valparaíso and the icy channels of Punta Arenas, elite troops from six nations dove into SOUTHERN STAR ’25, Latin America’s premier multinational special operations exercise. Designed around a simulated United Nations stabilization mandate, the event brings together special forces from Chile, the United States, Spain, Argentina, Colombia, and Paraguay, with ten additional nations participating as observers.

July 14, 2025

571st MSAS leads Belize Defence Force in historic airdrop, redefines regional security

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — Deep in the jungles of Belize, where clandestine airstrips fuel the flow of illicit drugs between South American producers and North American consumers, the strengthened partnership between the U.S. and Belize has reached new heights.

250709-N-BP862-1140 MANTA, Ecuador (July 9, 2025) Hospitalman Christopher Olheiser and Logistics Specialist 3rd class Daniel Clerge, both assigned to the Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), load medical supplies onto Comfort in Manta, Ecuador during Continuing Promise 2025, July 9, 2025. Continuing Promise 2025 is the 16th iteration of the U.S. 4th Fleet/U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command-led mission since 2007, which aims to foster goodwill, strengthen existing partnerships with partner nations, and form new partnerships between host nations, non-federal entities, and international organizations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Thomas Boatright)

July 14, 2025

USNS Comfort Departs Ecuador After Third CP25 Mission Stop

MANTA, Ecuador — The Mercy-class hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) departed Manta, Ecuador following the third mission stop of Continuing Promise 2025 (CP25), July 10, 2025.