U.S. Southern Command > Media

Special Coverage of SOUTHCOM Engagements, Exercises and Operations

Operation Martillo
Operation Martillo (Hammer) is a U.S., European, and Western Hemisphere effort targeting illicit trafficking routes in coastal waters along the Central American isthmus. U.S. military participation is led by Joint Interagency Task Force South, a component of U.S. Southern Command.
Supporting Hurricane Matthew Relief
Joint Task Force-Matthew supported the critical, early stages of U.S. disaster assistance to Haiti led by USAID. U.S. military forces delivered more than 600,000 pounds of aid to areas devastated by Hurricane Matthew.
UNITAS 2016
UNITAS 2016 is a multinational maritime exercise conducted to enhance security cooperation and improve coalition operations. Held off the coast of Panama from Sept. 18 - 28, 2016, UNITAS will train forces from the Western Hemisphere in a variety of maritime scenarios. Ships, aircraft and personnel from the U.S. and 10 countries are participating in the exercise.
Beyond the Horizon | New Horizons 2016
From March - August 2016, U.S. military personnel deployed to the Dominican Republic and Guatemala to conduct humanitarian and civic assistance exercises. As part of the Beyond the Horizon & New Horizons exercise programs, troops specializing in engineering, construction and health care provided services to communities while conducting valuable deployment training and building important relationships with partner nations.
Tradewinds 2016
Tradewinds 2016 is a Caribbean-focused exercise which helps nations better respond to natural disasters and land and maritime threats, including illicit trafficking. The exercise is being conducted from June 5 - 28 in two main phases in Grenada and Jamaica. The exercise includes U.S. military and security agencies who are training alongside counterparts from 17 nations.
Fuerzas Comando 2016
Fuerzas Comando 2016 was a military exercise consisting of a skills competition between military and police Special Operations teams from the Western Hemisphere. The event was hosted by Peru May 2 - 12. Security forces from 20 countries, including the United States, took part in the challenging contest, which promotes military-to-military relationships, increases interoperability and improves regional security. Colombia finished first in the competition; the U.S. team placed fifth.
2016 Posture Statement to Congress
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Navy Adm. Kurt W. Tidd, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee March 10, 2016, as part of the command’s annual Posture Statement to Congress. This page provides information, multimedia resources, documents and testimony excerpts.
Continuing Promise 2017
Continuing Promise is a training mission which helped strengthen regional partnerships while improving the lives of thousands in Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia. From January – April 2007, U.S. military medical & construction personnel, private aid organizations and partner nation officials from USNS Spearhead will work with host nation counterparts to provide health care and community assistance projects in each nation.
CBSI Technical Assistance Field Team (TAFT)
The CBSI Technical Assistance Field Team (TAFT) is a small team comprised of U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Army engineers and logisticians who help select Caribbean coast guards and maritime-patrol units improve upkeep and operational readiness through technical assistance visits. The TAFT operations support U.S. efforts to strengthen regional security by bolstering the maritime security and interdiction capabilities of Caribbean partner nations.
2017 Posture Statement to Congress
Information and resources from Adm. Kurt W. Tidd's testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee April 6, 2017
Beyond the Horizon | New Horizons 2017
Info, news and imagery of the Beyond the Horizon and New Horizons humanitarian and civic assistance exercises in Belize and Dominican Republic.
Tradewinds 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.
Fuerzas Comando 2017
Security forces from 28 countries are expected to participate in Fuerzas Comando 2017 to be held in Paraguay from July 18-27. This year’s multinational special operations skills competition and fellowship program is being hosted by Paraguay’s armed forces. Special operations military and police forces from Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru
UNITAS 2017
Ships, aircraft, and personnel from 18 countries will participate in the annual UNITAS LVIII maritime exercise from 16 to 26 July, off the coast of Lima, Peru.
U.S. Military Support to Hurricane Irma Relief in the Eastern Caribbean
Joint Task Force–Leeward Islands is providing disaster relief support to areas in the Eastern Caribbean Sea affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The task force’s mission is to support USAID relief operations in order to save and sustain lives and reduce human suffering. The task force is primarily providing command and control, humanitarian assessment, water production, engineering, and aviation heavy lift.
U.S. Military Support to Argentina Submarine Search
Overview of U.S. military support to the ongoing international search for the Argentinean Navy’s submarine A.R.A. San Juan.
2018 Posture Statement to Congress
Navy Adm. Kurt W. Tidd, commander of U.S. Southern Command, testifies today before the Senate Armed Services Committee as part of the command’s annual Posture Statement to Congress. This page provides information, multimedia resources, documents and testimony excerpts.
Continuing Promise 2018
Continuing Promise is a training mission to help strengthen regional partnerships while improving the lives of thousands of people in Honduras, Guatemala, and Colombia. From March – May 2018, U.S. military medical personnel will be transported to each nation by USNS Spearhead (T-EPF 1) to work with host nation counterparts and aid workers to provide medical and dental care, preventive medicine, and veterinary consulting.
Tradewinds 2018
Tradewinds is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored foreign military interaction multinational exercise that promotes regional security cooperation and capacity building. Tradewinds 2018 will be conducted in three phases: Phase I in St. Kitts; Phase II in the Bahamas; and Phase III, in Miami, Florida.
Beyond the Horizon | New Horizons 2018
From March - August 2018, U.S. military personnel are deployed to El Salvador and Panama to conduct humanitarian civic assistance exercises. As part of the Beyond the Horizon & New Horizons exercise programs, troops specializing in engineering, construction and health care are providing services to select communities while conducting valuable deployment training and building important relationships with partner nations.
Fuerzas Comando 2018
Special operations forces from 19 countries will participate in Fuerzas Comando 2018 in Panama City, Panama, July 16-26. Special operations military and police forces from Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and the U.S will compete to claim the title of Fuerzas Comando champion. The opening ceremony for the 14h Fuerzas Comando exercise w
PANAMAX 2018
UNITAS 2018
Naval forces from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, United Kingdom, and United States will kick off UNITAS, an annual multinational exercise, Aug. 31 in Cartagena, Colombia. This year's exercise is hosted by the Colombian navy and will include 18 warships conducting operations in the Western Caribbean Sea through Sept. 11.
Hospital Ship Medical Assistance Mission: USNS Comfort in Latin America
The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) will deploy to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Honduras, 11 Oct – 20 Dec 2018, as part of U.S. Southern Command’s Enduring Promise initiative. U.S. personnel will work alongside our partners to provide medical assistance based on the needs identified by each host nation.
SOUTHCOM's 2019 Posture Statement to Congress
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Navy Adm. Craig Faller, testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee Feb. 7 as part of the command's annual Posture Statement to Congress.
New Horizons | Beyond the Horizon 2019
From May - August 2019, U.S. military personnel will deploy to Guyana and Dominican Republic to conduct humanitarian civic assistance exercises. As part of the New Horizons and Beyond the Horizon exercise programs, troops specializing in engineering, construction and health care are providing services to select communities while conducting valuable deployment training and building important relationships with partner nations.
Tradewinds 2019
Tradewinds is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored foreign military interaction multinational exercise that promotes Caribbean security cooperation and capacity building. Tradewinds 2019 will be conducted in three phases: Phase I in Dominican Republic; Phase II in the St. Vincent and the Grenadines; and Phase III, in Miami, Florida.
Fuerzas Comando 2019
Special operations forces from 20 countries will participate in Fuerzas Comando 2019 in Santiago, Chile, June 17-27. Special operations military and law enforcement teams from Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and the United States will compete to claim the title of Fuerzas Comando champion.
USNS Comfort Deployment 2019: Hospital Ship Mission to Latin America, Caribbean
The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) is scheduled to deploy in June from Naval Station Norfolk to the Caribbean, Central America, and South America to conduct humanitarian medical assistance missions in support of regional partners and in response to the regional impacts of the Venezuela political and economic crisis.
UNITAS 2019
Chile will host maritime forces from 12 countries to participate in exercise UNITAS LX (60) Pacific from June 24 – July 3. Joining the U.S. and Chile this year are 11 countries including Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Germany, Honduras, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
SOUTHCOM Commander Testifies Before Senate Armed Services Committee
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Navy Adm. Craig Faller, testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee July 9 on Implementation of the National Defense Strategy in the SOUTHCOM Area of Responsibility.
SOUTHCOM's 2020 Posture Statement to Congress
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Navy Adm. Craig Faller, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee Jan. 30 as part of the command's annual Posture Statement to Congress.
Coronavirus Info For SOUTHCOM Personnel
This page provides Coronavirus information and resources for U.S. Southern Command personnel and DoD Personnel assigned to the SOUTHCOM Area of Responsibility.
SOUTHCOM Enhanced Counter Narcotics Operations
U.S. Southern Command’s enhanced presence will support ongoing whole-of-government and internationally supported operations to reduce the availability of illicit drugs and save lives in the United States and throughout the region. The intent is to reduce the flow of illicit drugs, degrade transnational criminal organizations, and increase interoperability with our partner nations and interagency partners. The operation supports our objectives to degrade the capabilities of drug trafficking organ
SOUTHCOM COVID-19 Humanitarian Assistance Projects
SOUTHCOM's Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP) COVID-19 assistance projects support requests from partner nations for supplies and equipment needed to respond to the virus outreak, treat infected patients and prevent additional exposures.
UNITAS 2020
Ecuador is hosting maritime forces from 9 countries for exercise UNITAS LXI (61) Nov. 2 – 11. Participating U.S. forces are training alongside counterparts from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Germany, Honduras, Italy, Peru, and Uruguay.
Disaster Relief in Central America
Joint Task Force-Bravo, located in Honduras, has been supporting rescue operations and disaster relief efforts in Honduras, Guatemala and Panama in the aftermath of storm Eta. Immediately after the storm, helicopters and personnel from the task force conducted life-saving, aerial rescue operations in each country. The task force has now begun to transition from rescue operations to delivery of necessary aid to communities that have been cut-off for days since Hurricane Eta passed through Central
SOUTHCOM Support to Operation Southern Cross
U.S. Southern Command is supporting the deployment of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stone during Operation Southern Cross, a multi-month deployment to the South Atlantic to counter Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported (IUU) fishing while strengthening relationships for maritime sovereignty and security throughout the region. IUU Fishing is a threat to our partner nations’ sovereignty. It negatively impacts overall security, food security, economics, and the environment.
SOUTHCOM's 2021 Posture Statement to Congress
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Navy Adm. Craig Faller, is testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee as part of the command's annual Posture Statement to Congress.
Tradewinds 2021
Tradewinds 2021 (TW21) is a multi-dimensional exercise conducted in the ground, air, sea, and cyber domains. The multinational exercise will occur June 12–26 in Guyana. TW21 provides participating nations opportunities to conduct joint, combined, and interagency training focused on increasing regional cooperation in complex multinational security operations.
U.S. Military Support to Haiti Earthquake Relief
The U.S. military is supporting U.S. Government Haiti earthquake relief efforts led by USAID's Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance.
UNITAS 2021
Naval and Marine forces from Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Morocco, Panama, Peru, Spain, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and the United States kicked off UNITAS LXII, an annual multinational exercise, Sept. 24, in Lima, Peru.
SOUTHCOM Change of Command Media Resources
SOUTHCOM Change of Command Media Resources
SOUTHCOM's 2022 Posture Statement to Congress
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson is testifying before the House Armed Services Committee as part of the command's annual Posture Statement to Congress.
Caribbean Nations Security Conference (CANSEC) 2022
CANSEC is a SOUTHCOM-sponsored annual regional security forum to encourage defense and security leaders to strengthen ties of cooperation, discuss regional issues, examine challenges, share lessons learned, and explore ways to improve cooperation on security matters. Barbados is the host nation for CANSEC 22.
Tradewinds 2022
Tradewinds 2022 (TW22) is a multi-dimensional exercise conducted in the ground, air, sea, and cyber domains. The multinational exercise is taking place in Belize and Mexico May 7 - 21. TW22 provides participating nations opportunities to conduct joint, combined, and interagency training focused on increasing regional cooperation in complex multinational security operations.
Fuerzas Comando 2022
Special operations forces from more than 20 countries will participate in Fuerzas Comando 2022 in Honduras, June 13-23. Special operations military and law enforcement teams will compete to claim the title of Fuerzas Comando champion.
HEART 22: Medical Assistance Mission in Guatemala, Honduras
U.S. military medical professionals are supporting this Health Engagement Assistance Response Team (HEART) mission in Honduras and Guatemala from July - September 2022 will provide high-impact medical services alongside host nation medical professionals to assist in addressing critical medical needs across regional communities.
PANAMAX 2022
UNITAS 2022
Naval and Marine forces from Belize, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Namibia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, South Korea, Spain, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and the United States kicked off UNITAS LXIII, an annual multinational exercise, Sept. 8, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Continuing Promise 2022
The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) is deploying to the Caribbean, Central America, and South America to conduct humanitarian medical assistance missions in support of regional partners during the Continuing Promise 2022 deployment.
SOUTHCOM's 2023 Posture Statement to Congress
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson is testifying before the House Armed Services Committee as part of the command's annual Posture Statement to Congress.
Fuerzas Comando 2023
Special operations forces from more than 20 countries will participate in Fuerzas Comando 2023 in Dominican Republic, June 12-22. Special operations military and law enforcement teams will compete to claim the title of Fuerzas Comando champion.
UNITAS 2023
The Colombian navy will host this year's UNITAS, which will feature 26 warships/vessels, three submarines, 25 aircraft, and approximately 7,000 people from 20 partner nations. Forces will conduct operations off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia, and ashore in Covenas and Barranquilla, Colombia, through July 21.
Tradewinds 2023
Tradewinds 2023 (TW23) is a multi-dimensional exercise conducted in the ground, air, sea, and cyber domains. Participants from 21 countries will take part in training in various locations across Guyana from July 15-28.
Continuing Promise 2023
USNS Burlington is deploying to the Caribbean, Central America, and South America to conduct humanitarian medical assistance missions in support of regional partners during the Continuing Promise 2023 deployment.
Southern Vanguard 2024
Southern Vanguard 24 is a combined training exercise that will take place this year in Belem, Macapa, and Oiapoque from Nov. 6 through Nov. 16.
SOUTHCOM's 2024 Posture Statement to Congress
The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson is testifying before the House and Senate Armed Services Committee as part of the command's annual Posture Statement to Congress.
CENTAM Guardian 2024
CENTAM Guardian 24 is an annual, multi-national exercise designed to strengthen interoperability, domain awareness, information sharing, and counter-threat capabilities between the United States and participating Central American partner nations.
Southern Seas 2024
USS George Washington (CVN 73), along with USS Porter (DDG 78) and USNS John Lenthall (T-AO-189), are scheduled to conduct passing exercises and operations at sea with partner nation maritime forces during the "Southern Seas 2024" deployment.
Tradewinds 2024
Tradewinds 2024 (TW24) is a multi-dimensional exercise conducted in the ground, air, sea, and cyber domains. Participants from 26 countries will take part in training in Barbados May 4 - 16, 2024.
DoD Support to Haiti
The Department of Defense is providing support to the re-establishment of security at Haiti’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport security and Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission preparation efforts.
Fuerzas Comando 2024
Security forces from 23 confirmed countries are participating in the 18th edition of Fuerzas Comando/Senior Leader Seminar 2024 events to be held at the National Police Academy and Panama City, Panama, May 12-24.
Resolute Sentinel 2024
Resolute Sentinel 2024, hosted in Peru, is joint training exercise aimed at enhancing regional security and interoperability among Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Brazil, France and the United States.
Continuing Promise 2024
Military personnel on USNS Burlington are deployed to the Caribbean, Central America, and South America to conduct humanitarian medical assistance missions in support of regional partners during the Continuing Promise 2024 deployment.
UNITAS 2024
The Chilean navy hosts this year's UNITAS, which features17 vessels, 2 submarines, 20 aircraft & more than 4,300 personnel from 24 partner nations. Forces will conduct operations off the coast of Valparaiso, Chile, and ashore in the vicinity of Puerto Aldea, Chile, through Sept. 12.