Beyond the Horizon | New Horizons 2017

From March - June 2017, U.S. military personnel are deployed to Belize and the Dominican Republic 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.

U.S. Soldiers with the 808th Engineer Company, check to insure that a cinder block wall is level while working at a construction site for a new health clinic at Ladyville, Belize, April 13, 2017.

U.S. Soldiers with the 808th Engineer Company, check to insure that a cinder block wall is level while working at a construction site for a new health clinic at Ladyville, Belize, April 13, 2017. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Joshua E. Powell)

Overview

Beyond the Horizon and New Horizons are U.S. Southern Command-sponsored, joint-foreign military humanitarian civic assistance exercises. During the exercises, U.S. troops work with host nation counterparts and a variety of governmental and non-governmental agencies to train in civil-military operations skill sets while providing medical and dental care and engineering support to local populations.  

The exercises are planned and coordinated closely with multiple agencies and host nation governments to creatively address the level and scope of medical care and engineering assistance required.

U.S. Army South is the executive agent for the Beyond the Horizon exercise in Belize. The New Horizons exercise in the Dominican Republic is led by U.S. Air Forces Southern.

Deploying U.S. Personnel

Hundreds of U.S. service members, representing National Guard, Active and Reserve forces from all services are in Belize and the Dominican Republic at any one time during each exercise. The make-up of the forces is primarily U.S. military engineers and medical professionals.

Beyond the Horizon and New Horizons require units to carefully plan and conduct logistical operations to support these deployments to remote regions. Such mobilization and real-world execution provides unparalleled training that cannot be simulated in the United States.

About Medical Services Provided

During both exercises, U.S. military health care professionals are working with host nation medical personnel to provide general and specialized medical and dental services to thousands of citizens requiring care. The training events enhance the medical readiness training of U.S. forces and provide sustained health benefits to the population.

Health Care Services in Belize

As requested by the Government of Belize, the U.S. medical personnel will provide services to areas in Ladyville, St. Matthews and Cayo. Specifically these services include public health and preventive medicine, dental care, adult and pediatric medicine, medical education, immunizations, and nutritional counseling.

Health Care Services in Dominican Republic

In coordination with the Government of the Dominican Republic,  U.S. medical personnel will provide care in Azua, San Juan and Santo Domingo. Services provided include general medicine, dental care, urology, gynecology, ophthalmology and otolaryngology.

About Engineering Support & Construction Projects

U.S. military members, in cooperation with the governments of both nations, will be conducting a series of construction projects in select communities. The projects are valuable training opportunities for the participating U.S. forces and provide important civic improvements for each community.

Construction Projects in Belize

  • Expansion of the emergency room at the Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan.
  • Construction of a new medical waste incinerator housing at the Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan.    
  • Construction of a new medical clinic building at the Ladyville Health Clinic.
  • Construction of a new medical clinic building at the Double Head Cabbage Clinic.
  • Construction of three new classrooms at St. Matthew’s Government School.

Construction Projects in Dominican Republic

  • Addition of two classrooms and restroom facilities at Arroyo Cano Vocational School
  • Construction of two patient rooms, vaccination room, pharmacy, waiting room, restroom facilities and physicians quarters at Hato Nuevo Cortez Clinic.
  • Addition of two patient rooms, vaccination room, pharmacy, waiting room, restroom facilities and physicians quarters at Corbano del Sur Clinic.

Background

Beyond the Horizon is a joint foreign military interaction/humanitarian exercise. Begun in 2008, Beyond the Horizon continues U.S. Southern Command’s proud legacy of humanitarian civic assistance exercise programs in the region. 

New Horizons is an annual series of joint and combined humanitarian assistance exercises that U.S. Southern Command conducts in Latin American and Caribbean nations. Since New Horizons began in the mid-1980s, U.S. troops have deployed annually for the exercise.

The governments of each participating nation, the U.S. Department of State, and Department of Defense carefully evaluate and approve these exercises.

See "Beyond the Horizon | New Horizons 2017" info page

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