Interacting with the International Community

By Maj. Gen. Simeon Trombitas

Trombitas is serving in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as the deputy commander of Joint Task Force-Haiti. He is also the commander of United States Army South in San Antonio, Texas.

April 12, 2010 - Personally, I have witnessed firsthand how the international community has pulled together and combined their efforts to assist the people of Haiti. In an unprecedented global outreach of aid since Jan. 12, a myriad of international governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and military servicemen and women from around the world converged on Port-au-Prince in their efforts to assist the Government of Haiti. The coordination and collaboration among all involved has been historical from a military perspective.

While each group brings their own expertise and specialization to the table, all of the groups have applied their principles and lessons learned from previous experiences to interact effectively within a community dedicated to assistance. Prior to the devastating earthquake, Haiti was receiving aid from hundreds of organizations that were focused primarily on their own mission with little coordination amongst themselves. However, the earthquake changed this into a unity of effort committed to saving lives and mitigating suffering. It’s been very impressive, to say the least.

From the United Nation forces continuing their long and dedicated security mission for Haiti to all the troops sent here from the global military community, the mission here has allowed everyone to partner operations and countless objectives together.

Now, as we approach the rainy season, the coordination and collaboration will be vital in order to mitigate the negative effects of weather on the Internally Displaced Person camps in and around Port-au-Prince. In support of Haiti’s Safer Shelter Strategy, we continue working together to move displaced persons to safer locations and establish mitigating measures within at-risk camps.

Looking at the long road to recovery and the future of Haiti, the continued collaboration among these groups will continue to ensure the best practices and efforts are maximized.

While Joint Task Force-Haiti adjusts its forces over the coming month, our commitment to Haiti will endure through traditional Theater Security Cooperation exercises that will focus on reconstruction, humanitarian assistance and medical aid. The lessons we’ve learned in Haiti and the cooperative efforts we shared will allow us to continue to provide the quality support and partnership required for the long-term reconstruction of this Caribbean nation.