SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The Puerto Rico National Guard welcomed a Honduran military and civilian delegation Jan.25-29 as part of the National Guard's State Partnership Program.
"The week-long visit provided the opportunity to exchange experiences, build relationships and help strengthen the relationship between Honduras and the United States," said Capt. Noelia Roldan, the SPP coordinator with the Puerto Rico Guard.
The Honduran visitors and senior leaders from U.S. Army Southern Command (USARSOUTH) and U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), had the opportunity to experience how the PRNG conducts training and manages emergencies with the CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Package (CERF-P) unit in order to learn their response methods including their experiences at the Borinqueneer Response Exercise 2015.
Retired Brig. Gen. Gen. Carlos Cordero, Honduras' Comision Permanente de Contigencias (COPECO) National System for the Prevention, Mitigation, and Attention of Natural Disasters) commissioner, and other Honduran senior officers discussed topics including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, in preparation for the Army South's "Fuerzas Humanitarias" FA-HUM 2016 exercise as part of the objectives of the State Partnership Program.
During the visit, Cordero had office calls with the Puerto Rico National Guard Adjutant General, Brig. Gen. Marta Carcana; Miguel A. Rios Torres, director of the Puerto Rico Emergency Response Agency; officials from the Puerto Rico Fire Department and personnel from the Department of Homeland Security.
"Our goal is to continue cultivating our relationships with our sister nations of the Republic of Honduras and Dominican Republic. The State Partnership Program gives us the opportunity to exchange ideas and seminars with both countries, especially on the issue of emergency management, a critical aspect, as our geographical area is one of the most affected (by) natural disaster. Coordination and communication between government and federal agencies is important to maintain our plans for rapid response," Carcana said.
Topics discussed included sharing best practices and lessons learned during the last multi-agency exercise "Borinqueneer Response 2015" and the interoperability between state and federal agencies during an emergency or disaster response in the region.
The group also observed some of the training capabilities and equipment fromthe CERF-P unit at Camp Santiago Joint Maneuver Training Center during their visit.
The Puerto Rico National Guard enjoys a strong partnership with Honduras and Dominican Republic and routinely participates in combined subject matter expert activities, exercises, and operations designed to increase their interoperability and capabilities.
Current areas of mutual cooperation and interest include support to law enforcement operations targeting transnational organized crime, humanitarian assistance missions, human rights, peacekeeping, senior leader engagements, engineering, disaster response preparedness, among others.
"The support we have received from the Puerto Rico National Guard in developing orientation programs and preparation for emergencies has been keen for Honduras. We have received training where workshops and exchanges have served to test Honduras plans to respond and assist the population during emergency situations."
The Honduran visit followed a week after Adm. Kurt Tidd, head of U.S. Southern Command, met with Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, Honduran military leaders, and U.S. Ambassador to Honduras James D. Nealon.
Eight exchanges are scheduled in 2016 that will focus on disaster preparedness, improving security, and medical as they relate to a military force.
The PRNG State Partnership Program belongs to the U.S. Southern Command, one of six U.S. geographically focused unified commands with responsibility for U.S. military operations and security cooperation with partner nations in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.
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