PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti - It is an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to serve as Task Force Commander for New Horizons (Haiti) 2010 exercise.
First and foremost, I want to thank the soldiers, sailors and airmen from all of the supporting states and services that are participating with the Task Force.
My duration Task Force staff and the Louisiana National Guard Command Team worked together in developing the most appropriate name for our task Force.
Just as Louisiana received help from so many during Hurricane Katrina, the appropriate name for this Task Force is "Kout Men" (Helping Hands). Conducting a New Horizons exercise in a country that was recently devastated by an earthquake will prove to be more challenging than New Horizons exercises of the past.
However, it will also provide a unique opportunity for our country to continue developing a strong partnership with Haiti while at the same time providing quality training to our service men and women.
I must also commend Maj. Gen. Bennett Landreneau, the adjutant general of Louisiana. At the request of the Haitian government through U.S. Southern Command and the National Guard Bureau, Landreneau stepped up to the plate in taking on this mission to continue the United States assistance and help the government and people of Haiti.
Our mission will consist of four engineering projects sites in and around the city of Gonaives, in which we will build six school buildings, three bathrooms, three water wells, a basketball court and clear school grounds.
We will also conduct ten medical readiness training exercises in various communities around the department of Artibonite, in which our doctors will team up with Haitian doctors to provide basic medical care to many Haitians in need.
I want the people of Haiti to know that we are committed to helping them in their time of need. We look forward to a successful exercise and a safe return home.