Louisiana Guard partners with Belize safety team

By Capt. Beverly G. Couto
Louisiana National Guard

(7/27/10) - The Louisiana Air National Guard’s 159th Fighter Wing partnered with a Belize Defence Force safety team at Naval Air Station – Joint Reserve Base in New Orleans, July 8-10, to reinforce the importance of ground safety procedures.

Louisiana has state partnerships with both Belize and Uzbekistan through the National Guard State Partnership Program, which links states with foreign countries in an effort to develop international affairs.

The 159th Fighter Wing provided the Belize Defence Force safety team with an overview of leading mishap prevention techniques and tools vital to Louisiana Air National Guard operations.

This joint training will aid the Belize Defence Force’s safety team in mitigating hazards at their home station.

Chief Master Sgt. Donnie Dunn, 159th Fighter Wing ground safety manager, said the teams went over aircraft, facility, equipment and personnel ground safety procedures.

“We were able to discuss, in detail, certain aspects of safety that they had questions about,” said Dunn.

The goal of the visit was to learn, from one another, new ways to prevent personnel from getting injured and to reduce property damage.

The Belize Defence Force and the Louisiana Air National Guard have different missions and needs; however, this was a great learning opportunity for both.

“It’s good to see how differently things are done and to get new ideas,” said 1st. Lt. Adran Ramirez, a pilot with the Belize Defence Force.

These cooperative visits reinforce the value of the State Partnership Program and help build long term relationships with other countries or regions with common interests.