SPS-JHSV 15 Kicks Off in Honduras

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Kathleen A. Gorby, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command & U.S. 4th Fleet Public Affairs

PUERTO CASTILLO, Honduras (NNS) -- Joint forces arrive in Honduras, July 12, in support of Southern Partnership Station-Joint High Speed Vessel 2015 (SPS-JHSV 15).

SPS-JHSV 15 is a joint force comprised of adapted forces including divers, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians, corpsmen, Seabees, intel personnel, preventive medicine specialists, and communication specialists, from the Navy, Marines, Army and Air Force.

Through subject matter expert exchanges (SMEE), construction projects and medical engagements with the host nation's military personnel and civilians, Southern Partnership Station is able to create strong ties between the U.S and its partners.

"Our Seabees and combat engineers are going to focus on construction projects that build the infrastructure and the relationships in the city of Trujillo," said Ground Forces Commander Cmdr. Robert Toth. "Projects were selected in conjunction with the Honduran leadership in the area, and include repairing schools and draining culverts alongside our host nation partners. The Navy EOD and divers are conducting subject matter expert exchanges - helping better understand each other's capabilities, build the Honduran divers' experience levels, and foster key relationships. The medical team is concentrating on SMEE, promoting prevention, suitability and education."

Toth said that SPS-JHSV 15 presents a tremendous learning opportunity for the militaries and governments of all countries involved.

"By working alongside another country, we can learn from them, better understand [their] capabilities, increase their capacity, and enable a greater level of interaction in the future," he added. "So if in the future a humanitarian crises arises, we will have a solidly-built relationship, which allows us to established connections more quickly, and more effectively help them recover."

SPS-JHSV is an annual series of U.S. Navy deployments, fostering a lasting relationship with host nations by promoting and enhancing regional stability and security through the sharing experiences.

"This is ultimately about building relationships and camaraderie across these countries," said Chief Operation Specialist Eliseo Hernandez, mission operations chief. "By conducting missions like this, we get to learn not only about another country, but about its people and its customs. And they can learn about us."

Southern Partnership Station's primary objectives are countering illicit trafficking, theater security cooperation, and building partner capacity through subject matter expert exchanges, construction projects and medical engagements with the host nations' military and civilian personnel. SPS-JHSV 15 ashore forces will be traveling to Honduras, Belize, Guatemala and Columbia.

This mission exemplifies the U.S. commitment to cooperative partnership in the Caribbean, Central and South America.

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet employs maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations in order to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships that foster regional security in the 4th Fleet area of responsibility.

USNS Spearhead Arrives in Honduras

By Capt. Gary Loten-Beckford, Southern Partnership Station 2015 Public Affairs

PUERTO CASTILLAS, Honduras (NNS) -- USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1), operated by the Military Sealift Command, arrived in Honduras, for its first mission stop during Southern Partnership Station-Joint High Speed Vessel 2015 (SPS-JHSV 15), July 11.

Cmdr. Robert Toth, commanding officer, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 6, and the commander of the Adaptive Force Package ashore for SPS-JHSV 2015, said that he looks forward to the opportunities presented by the exercise.

"I have not operated in the U.S. Southern Command's area of responsibility before, but am excited for the opportunity to do so," said Toth. "After a career spent operating in Asia and the Middle East I expect to learn a great deal about the culture from the people of the countries we will engage with, as well as face some challenges that are unique to the area of operations, such as the climate and jungle environment."

Spearhead's deployment to the region exemplifies the U.S. commitment to cooperative partnerships in the Caribbean, Central and South America.

The ship's arrival to Honduras not only serves as a means to assist the local community, but also continues to strengthen ties with countries in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility.

For 1st Lt. James P. Magee, platoon commander, 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, out of Camp Lejune, North Carolina, this is his second deployment in support of Southern Partnership Station.

"The measure of success for our mission is facilitating partnership capacity between the host nation governments and that of the United States via both Marines Corps Forces, South, and U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command's intent," said Magee.

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet support U.S. Southern Command's joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions.

Missouri Guard engineers build retaining wall at Honduran school

By Army National Guard 1st Lt. John Quin

Missouri National Guard

NACO, Honduras (7/3/12) - Soldiers from the Missouri Army National Guard’s 1438th Engineer Company (Multi-Role Bridge) took on a new project, building a retaining wall at a school outside Naco, Honduras on June 28.

The wall, which sits beneath a hill, will serve a dual purpose by stopping further erosion and increasing security for the young students. Some of those students were on hand, watching the Soldiers work.

“The kids have been great,” said Spc. Zack Adkins, a member of the 1438th Engr. Co. “We’ve been trying to get past the language barrier with them.”

The Soldiers are in Honduras as part of U.S. Army South’s Beyond the Horizon exercise.

The exercise seeks to combine military skills training in areas like engineering and medicine with humanitarian outreach projects. The vast majority of service members who have participated are in the National Guard or Reserves and many, like the 1438th, came to Honduras in two-week rotations for their annual training.

The Soldiers working on the wall are part of the exercise’s final rotation. Although they have been in Honduras since Saturday, much of their previous work was finishing nearly-completed projects left by previous rotations.

Because extra materials were available and the community expressed a need, the Soldiers were able to take on the retaining wall mission as a ‘project of opportunity.’

By the time the Soldiers leave, the wall will be four cinderblocks tall, said Army Sgt. Brad Fouch, also from the 1438th Engr. Co.

“After we leave, the locals will build it the rest of the way up,” Fouch said.

Even with temperatures soaring into the 90s and a heat index well above 110 degrees, Adkins said the mission was a rewarding one.

“I love it,” he said. “It’s a good time – it’s hard work, but it’s worth it.”

For Army Pvt. James Walker, Army Pfc Brandon Smith, and Spc. Jamin Coleman, this was not only their first humanitarian mission, but their first trip outside the United States.

“It’s a good experience,” Walker said.

Coleman agreed.

“It’s good to be able to help out other people,” he said. “You have to start from something, so it’s nice to help the people here get to a good starting place.”

The Beyond the Horizon exercise concludes in early July.