The U.S. Atlantic Command today will begin conducting
monthly contingency plan readiness training deployments in
support of Exercise Fairwinds to Port Au Prince, Haiti, utilizing
elements from the Army's Forces Command and the U.S. Marine Corps
Forces, Atlantic.
Exercise Fairwinds, which includes engineering, medical and
security force training, began in April 1995 and is designed to
ensure various U.S. military forces are prepared to deploy and
conduct their respective missions while remaining self-sustained.
The monthly deployments for training, which will each last
between seven and 10 days, are designed to improve joint
operations, validate selected portions of Haiti contingency plans
and increase force protection for deployed U.S. forces. These
troops are not part of the U.N. mission nor is their mandate to
provide a secure and stable environment in Haiti. Their mission
is strictly related to force protection training exercises in
support of troops in Haiti on a bilateral basis.
U.S. Support Group Haiti is comprised of approximately 81
personnel. There are also approximately 220 other U.S. personnel
in Haiti participating in ongoing deployments for training such
as engineering and medical projects known as Exercise Fairwinds.
While the number of personnel deployed for training varies on any
given day based on the projects ongoing, all personnel are
assigned under the support group during their temporary stay in
Haiti.
Each training deployment will be conducted in five phases.
The first phase is the alert and organization, or marshaling, of
forces. Phase two is the actual deployment of U.S. forces to
Haiti. Phases three and four will take place in Haiti and
include contingency validation and force protection tasks,
respectively. Phase five is the redeployment of U.S. forces in
Haiti.
A company sized element from the U.S. Army's Forces Command
will deploy today and a reinforced rifle platoon from the U.S.
Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic deploys in August. The Army and
the Marine Corps will alternate the deployment of forces each
month thereafter.
For more information concerning readiness deployment
exercises to Haiti, contact Lt. Jeff Breslau or Ensign Kevin
Stephens at the U.S. Atlantic Command public affairs office,
(804) 322-6559.
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