Exercise Tradewinds 2017 ‘falls short of volunteer target’

Reports from the Caribbean says that authorities have fallen short of their call for 1,000 volunteers for the launch of Exercise Tradewinds.

The multi-national maritime security and disaster response exercise is due to begin today.

But he is still content with the response so far.

“We have one or two other organisations who have also committed volunteers, so I don’t know what the final number will be, but right now we have around 700 and we will be able to work with those,” Nation News reports.

“I am pleased with the response of the public; they have come out in a way I have not seen for any other military event in Barbados.”

Enhanced collective abilities

Tradewinds, sponsored by the United States Southern Command, is a joint, combined exercise, conducted in conjunction with partner nations to enhance the collective abilities of defence forces and constabularies to counter transnational organised crime and terrorism, and to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

Partner nations participating in the exercise include Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Military personnel from the United States, Canada, France, Mexico, and the United Kingdom will also be involved.