Tradewinds 2012 is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored training exercise conducted in the Caribbean Basin focused on improving cooperation and security in the region. This year’s joint, combined interagency exercise is being held in Barbados June 14-24. The exercise includes participants from the U.S. military and U.S. law enforcement agencies who are joining counterparts from 16 partner nations, primarily from the Caribbean Basin.
Law enforcement and defense personnel from partner nations fire pistols at Barbados Defence Force Base Paragon, Christ Church, Barbados, June 16, 2012, during Exercise Tradewinds 2012.
Overview
Tradewinds 2012 is a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-directed, U.S. Southern Command-sponsored annual exercise conducted in cooperation with Caribbean Basin partner nations.
U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South, based in Miami, is the executive agent for the exercise in collaboration with the government of Barbados and participating partner nations. This is the 28th annual Tradewinds exercise.
During Tradewinds 2012, participating forces will:
- Conduct joint, combined and interagency training,
- Focus on increasing regional cooperation in countering transnational organized crime
- Support humanitarian assistance/disaster responses
- Conduct interoperability training for multinational staffs
- Build capability to plan and execute complex multinational security operations.
Tradewinds will focus on sharing mission-focused knowledge and expertise so each participating country will be able to improve capabilities in what it considers key missions, and result in enhanced regional maritime capabilities and security.
Training involved
U.S. troops from all services will train alongside personnel from other U.S. agencies (see U.S. participation list below) and counterparts of partner nation security forces from the region.
Training scenarios include maritime interdiction, search and rescue operations, police techniques, and ground military training with an emphasis on command and control. Tradewinds 2012 will consist of a training phase followed by a final exercise that will evaluate the effectiveness of the training received.
Participating Nations
Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados (Host Nation), Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States
U.S. Participants
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South, 23rd Marine Regiment, Joint Inter-Agency Task Force South (JIATF-S), U.S. Coast Guard, Marine Corps Forces Reserve, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Joint Coalition Warfighting Center, U.S. Army South, and U.S. Air Forces Southern Command.