WASHINGTON, D.C. — Daniel Erikson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for Western Hemisphere Affairs, welcomed Caribbean Ambassadors to the Pentagon on Friday, May 20, for a discussion on regional security issues, noting that the DoD “is committed to robust engagement with the region as its trusted defense & security partner.”
In a tweet that accompanied a collection of photographs sent to the ambassadors — including His Excellency Wendall Jones, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States — Amon Killeen, Caribbean Director, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Western Hemisphere Affairs, said: “Thanks so much for spending your Friday afternoon at the Pentagon. It was so good to meet you in person. DoD has pushed out a tweet with some photos and a link to the DoD Caribbean Engagement Fact Sheet. We look forward to meeting again and continuing the discussion. Have a good weekend.”
Bahamas Ambassador Jones told the meeting of the concern of The Bahamas government’s about gun trafficking to The Bahamas and the impact of it on the economy of The Bahamas.
Ambassador Jones stressed that It is not only an economic development issue, but a human development challenge for The Bahamas and the rest of the Caribbean.
He said that all of the guns involved in crimes in The Bahamas or seized by the authorities are manufactured in the United States, declaring that not one is made in The Bahamas.
Ambassador Joes said, “The sad thing is that from time to time there are travel advisories issued by the US because of the incidence of crime, but more must be done by US authorities to stem the exportation of guns in places like The Bahamas by Americans who are involved in the trafficking of guns.”
Back in April, the Department of Defense released a FACT SHEET “on the occasion of the Caribbean Nations Security Conference taking place April 5-7 in Barbados, co-hosted by Commodore Errington Shurland, Chief of Staff of the Barbados Defence Force, and General Laura Richardson, Commander of U.S. Southern Command.”
Featured speakers included Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Daniel P. Erikson, and security leaders from the Caribbean who “gathered to review regional defense and security challenges and discuss collaborative strategies to bolster regional stability.”
“The Department of Defense’s substantial engagement with Caribbean partners demonstrates our commitment to strengthen relationships and address shared interests and threats,” The Fact Sheet noted. “The Department of Defense seeks to remain the trusted defense and security partner for Caribbean nations.”
On matters related to Climate Change, the Fact Sheet said: “The Department of Defense seeks to collaborate with Caribbean partners to address the risks of climate change, recognizing the threat from rising temperatures and water; and more frequent storms and floods require increased humanitarian response capabilities. The Department of Defense exchanges information with Caribbean partners about our efforts to develop new ways and tools to address climate change, including integration of climate change considerations in the 2022 National Defense Strategy.”
Regarding COVID-19 Assistance, the Fact Sheet stated: Recognizing the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Defense has donated about $32M of assistance to Caribbean partners since 2019, including 25 field hospitals, personal protective equipment, medical and non-medical supplies, disinfectants, test kits, ventilators, and cold storage devices.”
Addressing Disaster Preparedness and Health. Assistance, the Fact Sheet states:
“Between fiscal year 2019-present, the Department of Defense has executed 180 projects totaling over $35M for disaster preparedness as well as 15 projects costing about $14M for health and education. Altogether, this assistance totals about 200 projects costing $50M.
“The Department of Defense stands ready https://odb.org/US/2022/05/21/the-fruit-sells-the-treeto support humanitarian relief operations (when requested by our partners and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)), such as the Department of Defense’s provision of transportation and imagery following the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Haiti on August 14, 2021.
“The Department of Defense periodically deploys the USNS Comfort, a hospital ship, to conduct medical assistance in support of regional partners. During each port visit, the USNS Comfort typically provides medical assistance to about 3,500-8,000 people. The USNS Comfort last visited seven Caribbean countries in 2019 (Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St.Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago). The Department of Defense seeks to revisit the Caribbean in late 2022.
Regarding Capacity Building, the Fact Sheet states: “The Department of Defense conducts a range of security cooperation activities to build partner capacity, complementing other U.S. assistance, such as in support of Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) objectives. The Department of Defense is currently implementing $23M in fiscal year 2021 and 2022 approved programs to support The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica to develop maritime domain awareness, interdiction capabilities, and more effective defense institutions.”
Addressing the issue of Women, Peace, and Security, the Fact Sheet states: “Women, Peace, and Security collaboration with our Caribbean partners is essential to enhancing our operational effectiveness in addressing the myriad security challenges we face together in the maritime domain. Challenges such as transnational organized crime, trafficking in persons, and mass migration have a significant human security dimension that requires a gender perspective to enhance our collective prevention and response efforts. The Department of Defense promotes the role of women in the military as a cross-cutting priority through a variety of exchanges, panel discussions, and workshops.”
Regarding State Partnership Program, the Fact Sheet states: “The Department of Defense has eight active, decades-old State Partnership Program relationships with fourteen Caribbean partner nations; one partnership is with the Eastern Caribbean seven-nation Regional Security System (Bahamas-Rhode Island; Jamaica-District of Colombia; Haiti-Louisiana; Dominican Republic-Puerto Rico; Regional
Islands; Trinidad & Tobago-Delaware; Guyana-Florida; and Suriname-South Dakota). Altogether, the programs have featured about 200 events and exchanges since 2019, with about 100 more events planned for fiscal year 2022. Main focus areas include: disaster response; counter-illicit trafficking; medical readiness; Women, Peace and Security; and noncommissioned officer development.
Referring to Training and Education, the Fact Sheet states: “From 2019-present, the Department of Defense has provided training or education to hundreds of Caribbean defense or security students at Department of Defense schools, education events, or through in-country mobile training teams. Caribbean partners attend the Department of Defense’s leading professional military education programs at schools, including the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, the Air Command and Staff College, Army Command and General Staff College, and the Naval Command College.”
Referring to Exercises, the Fact Sheet nots: “The Department of Defense’s exercises involving Caribbean participants promote regional and sub-regional coordination, enable U.S. and partner forces to meet training requirements, and improve readiness. The annual flagship Caribbean exercise TRADEWINDS, which Belize and Mexico will host on May 7-21, will focus on regional coordination for counter-transnational organized criminal organization and counter-violent extremist organizations.
“Other significant annual exercises include FUERZAS COMANDO for special forces integration, UNITAS for maritime security, PANAMAX focused on defense of the Panama Canal, RESTORATION ISLAND CAYS focused on disaster response and management, CORAL CAYS focused on defense and mutual security matters, and CYBER CAYS focused on cyber security and cyber operational compatibility.”
Addressing the issue of Detection and Monitoring and Information Sharing, the Fact Sheet states: “Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) conducts detection and monitoring operations throughout its joint operating area (which includes the Caribbean) to facilitate the interdiction of illicit trafficking in support of domestic and international partners. The Department of Defense works closely with regional partners representing over 20 partner nations, including the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, to facilitate the flow of information to their home nations’ operation centers, helping with ‘end game’ seizures.
“Key partners have been involved in almost 60 percent of drug disruptions. The Department of Defense hosts the Cooperative Situational Information Integration (CSII) system, an online system that allows the United States and over two dozen partner nations to share air-, maritime- and land-domain awareness information to counter illicit trafficking in the Caribbean.”
On the matter of Presence, the Fact Sheet states: “The Department of Defense regularly deploys naval ships and patrol aircraft in the Caribbean Sea to support a range of missions, including deterrence, detection and monitoring, and interdiction. Featured operations include Department of Defense support to the long-standing Department of Homeland Security-led Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) and to counterdrug operations.
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