Southcom Exercise Program Promotes Stability, Security

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

MIAMI, June 20, 2012 – Several military exercises that just wrapped up or are under way exemplify U.S. Southern Command’s robust exercise program, one that officials consider integral to regional stability and U.S. national security.

Exercise Tradewinds 2012, which kicked off in Barbados June 15 and continues through the upcoming weekend, is focused on what Air Force Gen. Douglas M. Fraser, the Southcom commander, calls the most pressing regional challenge: transnational organized crime.

U.S. Marine Forces South is leading the exercise, which has brought together defense and law enforcement from the United States, Canada and 15 Caribbean countries for the 28th year to enhance their ability to work together against a common threat.

Speaking during opening ceremonies in Bridgetown, Barbados, Marine Corps Col. Michael Ramos, MARFOR-South chief of staff, emphasized the benefit of Exercise Tradewinds to participating nations. “We recognize the value of working together to confront these common security challenges,” he said. “We are truly united through our collaboration and collective efforts to fight terrorism, illicit trafficking and transnational criminality in all forms and in being prepared to effectively respond to natural disasters.”

Another exercise that concluded last week in Colombia, Fuerzas Comando 2012, brought together special operators from 21 regional countries for a grueling counterterrorism and special operations skills competition. That event, sponsored by U.S. Special Operations Command South, was designed to promote military-to-military relationships, increase interoperability and improve regional security.

“This is the one forum that we have annually where we can come together as a region and talk about ideas, [about how to] increase our effect, collectively, against these dangerous non-state-actor threats we face,” Navy Rear Adm. Thomas L. Brown II, commander of Special Operations Command South, told American Forces Press Service.

These are just two examples of a broad Southcom exercise program that last year alone included hundreds of training and educational events, 12 major multinational exercises with regional partners and 56 medical readiness training exercises in 13 countries, according to Army Maj. Gen. Gerald W. Ketchum, the command’s director of theater engagement.

“You don’t want to show up on game day for the big game, when you have never practiced together,” Ketchum told American Forces Press Service at the Southcom headquarters here. “And that is really what the exercise program is all about.”

Toward that end, the exercise program centers on four basic pillars: security and illegal migration and illicit trafficking, peacekeeping, counterterrorism, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

The annual Peacekeeping Operations-Americas exercise that wrapped up last month brought together the United States and 15 partner nations to train in skills needed to serve as peacekeepers in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

U.S. Army South sponsored the four-phase exercise, conducted over the course of three months in Chile and the Dominican Republic in support of the State Department’s Global Peace Operations Initiative.

U.S. Ambassador to Chile Alejandro Daniel Wolff emphasized the importance of building the skills and interoperability needed for militaries to conduct vital peacekeeping roles. “Exercises like this offer the opportunity to learn from each other and to become more capable in our tasks to create a safer future for everybody,” Wolff said during the May 11 closing ceremony in Santiago.

Other Southcom exercises focus primarily on humanitarian assistance. These efforts, Ketchum explained, give military members an opportunity to use their skills while leaving behind tangible improvements in host nations. Sometimes it’s a new or renovated school, a newly dug well or new building to serve as an emergency operations center in the event of a natural disaster. Other exercises provide training for host-national medical staffs or desperately needed care in local communities.

For example, Army engineers and medical professionals currently deployed to Honduras and Guatemala for Beyond the Horizon 2012 are providing medical, dental and engineering support. Participants in another joint humanitarian exercise, New Horizons 2012, are providing training, free medical care and critical infrastructure in poor areas of Peru.

Officials said the efforts help address critical needs while showing U.S. support and commitment to the region. For many of the participants, the reward is getting to make a visible difference in others’ lives.

"My favorite part of this exercise is seeing the work getting done," said Army 1st Lt. Johnny Robey, commander of the Missouri National Guard’s 1140th Engineer Battalion, supporting Beyond the Horizon 2012 in Honduras. "I enjoy going to the sites and seeing the immediate impact of what we're here to do.”

Among Southcom’s array of multinational security exercises, PANAMAX remains the largest. The annual exercise focuses on supporting the Panamanian government in defense of the strategic Panama Canal.

Eighteen nations participated in last year’s exercise, working to improve the interoperability of their military and civil forces to guarantee safe passage through the canal and ensure its neutrality.

“This is a theme that is embraced by virtually everyone in the region: free and open access to the canal and flow of goods through the Panama Canal,” Ketchum said. “Everyone recognizes that it is clearly something of great value to the entire hemisphere to ensure that.”

Ketchum cited the growing success of the exercise as partners in the region step up to assume major leadership roles. Colombia took on the land component commander role last year, and will retain it during this year’s PANAMAX, in August. “They have embraced this role, and done a wonderful job,” Ketchum said. “Ultimately, that’s good for all of us, because we need interoperability and we need to be able to communicate with each other.”

Meanwhile, Brazil is preparing to assume leadership of the maritime component role during the upcoming PANAMAX, Fraser told Congress earlier this year. Fraser called the move “an important step in strengthening the expanding partnerships in the hemisphere.”

With expansion efforts under way at the Panama Canal that will increase the seaborne traffic it handles, close, regional cooperation will be more critical than ever, Fraser told the Senate Armed Service Committee in March. “I don’t see a direct change to the threat or to the concerns as we look into the future, but our PANAMAX exercise will remain critical to that effort,” he said.

Ketchum said the capabilities built and relationships strengthened through the exercise program have a direct impact on regional stability and U.S. national security.

“We truly believe that it takes an international approach to address the challenges we face in the region, and that these engagements are supporting that effort, he said. “We want to be the security partner of choice, and we look forward to continuing to work with our partner nations in the region.”

(Army Sgt. Sarah E. Lupescu, from the Missouri National Guard; Army Sgt. Alysia Jarmon, from the 65th Public Affairs Operations Center; and Robert Ramon from U.S. Army South contributed to this article.)

Panetta Calls for Closer Military Relations With Brazil

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2012 – The relationship between the United States and Brazil is between two global powers, and American officials welcome the warming ties with the South American powerhouse, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said during a speech to Brazil’s Superior War College in Rio de Janeiro today.

The speech comes a day after Panetta and Brazilian Defense Minister Celso Amorim conducted the first U.S.-Brazil Defense Cooperation Dialogue meeting in Brasilia.

“We support Brazil as a global leader, and seek closer defense cooperation, because we believe that a stronger and more globally engaged Brazil will help enhance international security,” Panetta said in prepared remarks released by the Pentagon.

The United States and Brazil have cooperated in real-world operations and have expanded joint training and exercises. “The United States military has been receiving more requests to participate in Brazilian-hosted military exercises and attend Brazilian military schools,” the secretary said.

U.S. military personnel are again training at the Brazilian Army’s Instruction Center for Jungle Warfare. U.S. ships and personnel exercise and patrol together from the shores of Rio de Janeiro to the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Africa. Two years ago, the U.S. Air Force participated for the first time in the Brazilian Air Force’s CRUZEX multinational air exercise. The Brazilian Air Force will return the favor and participate in the American Red Flag exercise next year.

Brazilian and U.S. personnel worked together following the Haiti earthquake. The Brazilians have also participated in a number of United Nations missions around the world.

“Still, I think we can all agree that there is much more we can do together, and that it is in all of our interests to pursue a shared vision of deeper defense cooperation that advances peace and security in the 21st century,” Panetta said. The defense dialogue seeks to find ways to deepen and extend military cooperation between the two nations.

Panetta wants to expand sharing technology with the Brazilians. “I would like to find a way for our defense institutions to improve cooperation on research through exchange programs between our scientific establishments and joint research projects,” he said.

One area of immediate concern is in cybersecurity. Both the United States and Brazil face severe threats from cyber attacks. “I believe both of our nations must leverage our extensive technical expertise and exchange more information on cyber policies, training and best practices,” he said.

These exchanges could help Brazil as the country gears up for soccer’s World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016, the secretary said.

Looking overseas, Panetta thinks the United States and Brazil can cooperate on other continents. “Both of our nations have historic connections to Africa and have a strategic interest in stability on the continent,” he said. “We should explore ways for our two militaries to work together to assist African militaries, such as by conducting combined exercises and other forms of training.”

The United States and Brazil have cooperated to help areas affected by natural disasters. Panetta called on the two militaries to work even more closely together.

Panetta also wants growth in trade in the defense arena. “The United States seeks to increase high-tech defense trade, flowing in both directions,” he said. “Perhaps the most prominent example of our willingness to partner with Brazil on advanced defense technology is the United States government’s offer to provide our Super Hornet fighter aircraft to the Brazilian Air Force.”

The offer has strong support in the U.S. Congress. “But this offer is about much more than providing Brazil with the best fighter available,” he said. “With the Super Hornet, Brazil’s defense and aviation industries would be able to transform their partnerships with U.S. companies, and they would have the best opportunity to plug into worldwide markets.”

Panetta said he believes that increased military-to-military cooperation between the United States and Brazil would benefit both nations.

“I do believe that our common interests are so great, and the possibilities that come from our cooperation are so tangible, that we must seize this opportunity to build a stronger defense partnership for the future,” he said.

U.S., Brazil Launch New Defense Cooperation Dialogue

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

BRASILIA, Brazil, April 24, 2012 – Here in the capital of the largest country in South America, U.S. and Brazilian defense leaders met for the first time under a new cooperative agreement that will expand an already close military partnership.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Brazilian Defense Minister Celso Amorim today conducted the first U.S.-Brazil Defense Cooperation Dialogue, an initiative established April 9 in Washington, D.C., by U.S. President Barack Obama and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.

“Brazil is a global power. Brazil is a positive force for stability, not only in the Americas but across the world,” said Panetta, here during a weeklong visit to South America, his first as defense secretary.

“For that reason,” he added, “it is a privilege for me to come here to Brasilia to conduct the first Defense Cooperation Dialogue with Minister Amorim, a dialogue that both our presidents signed and supported.”

“We need to be ready for a broader type of defense,” Amorim said of his nation and its 360,000-member armed forces, “and the United States is certainly a very important partner in this process.”

Amorim accepted Panetta’s invitation to visit Washington, adding that a convenient date must be found to continue his and the secretary’s “extremely productive and open” discussion.

After a press briefing with Amorim, Panetta met with retired Gen. Jose Elito Carvalho Sigueira, minister of institutional security and responsible among other duties for Brazil’s cyber security.

In April 2010, the two nations signed the U.S.-Brazil Defense Cooperation Agreement, the provisions of which framed the discussion today.

During their meeting, Panetta and Amorim said they intend that defense cooperation between the nations will focus on priority categories of activity during 2012.

These include cyber security; science, innovation and technology transfer; logistics; communications; humanitarian assistance and disaster response; and cooperation in support of Africa nations.

Panetta said exchanging more information on cyber security will be beneficial in “a whole new arena. I think both of our nations are concerned about … how we can effectively defend against those potential attacks.”

About humanitarian assistance and disaster response, the secretary said Brazil has performed an outstanding role in Haiti since that island nation experienced a devastating and deadly earthquake and tsunami in January 2010.

“I commend them on the work they’ve done there,” Panetta added. “They have learned a lot of lessons with regard to humanitarian aid and we look forward to being able to share those lessons and to build even greater cooperation in this area in the future.”

Panetta and Amorim also discussed a shared desire to expand the nations’ already significant two-way trade in advanced defense technology,” he said.

“We think Brazil is a very important partner in that area,” the secretary added, “and we continue to look for ways to improve the technology we share with Brazil so hopefully Brazil can provide jobs and opportunities for its people as we provide jobs and opportunities for ours.”

The best such example is the United States’ entry into the Brazilian Air Force’s F-X2 fighter competition, in which it will compete with two other contenders.

“We’ve made a strong offer to provide the Super Hornet” Panetta said, a marine strike attack aircraft manufactured by an American company.

“It’s an advanced aircraft to the Brazilian Air Force, and we think it can help provide Brazil with the kind of fighter technology that it needs for the future,” the secretary said.

A key element in the recently unveiled new U.S. defense strategy “is to strengthen our global security partnerships in very innovative ways,” he said.

“That’s why this Defense Cooperation Dialogue is very important for us,” the secretary added, “because it provides a vehicle for Brazil and the United States to build an innovative defense partnership for the 21st Century.”

There was a time in the past when the United States discouraged countries in Latin America and Central America from developing military capabilities, Panetta said.

“The fact is, today we think the development of those kinds of capabilities is important,” he said, “and that if we can use those capabilities to develop the kind of innovative partnerships that I’m talking about, that will … advance the security of this region and the security of the countries involved.”

The secretary added, “We think this is a real opportunity. The United States, just like other countries, is facing budget constrictions with regard to the future. And what we believe is that the best way to approach the future is to develop partnerships, alliances [and] relationships with other countries, [to] share information, share assistance, share capabilities.”

In that way, Panetta said, “we can provide greater security for the future. That’s our goal, and I think that’s the goal of Brazil as well.”

Secretary: U.S., Latin America Face Common Challenges

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, April 23, 2012 – Latin America figures prominently in the Pentagon’s new defense strategy as an increasingly capable region that shares common challenges with the United States, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today.

Panetta is on his first trip to South America as defense secretary with visits planned in Colombia, Brazil and Chile. He has visited the region before as CIA director, as a member of Congress and as chief of staff to former President Bill Clinton.

One goal of the defense strategy, Panetta said, is to build innovative partnerships and alliances that will strengthen relationships in places like Europe, Africa and Latin America.

“The purpose of this trip is to engage in consultations with a number of our partners in this part of the world, trying to promote innovative security partnerships in the region,” he told reporters traveling with him.

Latin America is a key region, the secretary added. Its countries are neighbors in this hemisphere “and we face some common challenges,” he said.

Among those challenges are narcotics trafficking and its spread to Africa, terrorism, cyber security, and the ability to provide humanitarian assistance, he said.

“One of the things these countries are doing is developing their own regional security [as well as] doing outreach with their security development,” Panetta said. “So that’s something we want to review and try to help them with.”

Partnerships in the region will include joint training, exercises, technology sharing and other kinds of assistance.

On this trip, the secretary said, the focus will be on old and new partners.

“I will be in Colombia where we have worked for a long period of time, even since I was in the Congress, trying to provide assistance to them, particularly with regard to narcotrafficking,” Panetta said, going after the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarios de Colombia, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, called the FARC.

“Colombia, to its credit, has done a tremendous job in going after the FARC,” he added, which at one point numbered 20,000, but now has about 8,000 members.

Many countries in the region look to Colombia for lessons learned over a decade, he said.

In the emerging power of Brazil, Panetta said, “I want to build on the U.S.-Brazil Defense Cooperative Dialog” that President Barack Obama and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff agreed this month to commence.

There, he said, “We’ll be looking at defense trade, scientific research, technology sharing, logistics cooperation and cyber security.”

The secretary then will visit Chile, which Panetta said is “doing a great job in developing regional security. We’ll get a chance to see some of their exercises up close and their developing capabilities.”

During this trip, Panetta added, “we’ll really try to develop a key part of our new defense strategy, which is to … reinforce some very innovative partnerships in a very important region of the world that represents a key security interest for the United States.”