Three Auxiliarists participate in Tradewinds 2009
Exercise in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

Article by James F. Campbell, N-IA-CS.
Photos by James F. Campbell, N-IA-CS and PA1 Chris Evanson, USCG

Tradewinds Logo

TRADEWINDS 2009, held from March 4 - 18, 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.

2009 marked the 25th annual TRADEWINDS exercise, in which some 350 participants were deployed in the Bahamas and another 75 in the Dominican Republic.

Auxiliarist Jim Campbell with CAPT González,
Chief of Staff of the Nicaraguan Navy

TRADEWINDS’ realistic training scenarios help to better coordinate partner nations’ Search and Rescue (SAR) and Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO), increase maritime domain awareness and better coordinate seizure of illicit-trafficking vessels that can be used to smuggle weapons, explosives, narcotics, terrorists or other humans.

Auxiliarists John C. Cooper (N-IA-C) and James F. Campbell (N-IA-CS) traveled to Santo Domingo on 5 March and spent 10 days training participants (in Spanish) from Spanish-speaking Caribbean countries. They conducted training in the search and rescue techniques and procedures they would need to use in the realistic training exercises in which they would engage at the conclusion of the 15-day event.

Auxiliarist John Cooper making a point to the class

Auxiliarist David Esparza, from Arizona, was also deployed to teach the English-speaking group of Caribbean participants in the Bahamas.

Auxiliarists Cooper and Campbell trained a complement of 12 members of the Dominican Armed Forces and National Police, as well as 3 members each from the Nicaraguan and Honduran navies, including the Chief of Staff of the Nicaraguan navy.

While in Santo Domingo, Cooper and Campbell also had the opportunity to meet with senior members of the Dominican Navy. “They are a group of dedicated Dominican boaters and pilots who are in the final stages of creating an Auxiliary to be associated with the Dominican Navy,” Campbell said.

~HRW