Courtesy Photo | Dominican Lt. Gen. Pedro Rafael Pena Antonio, the minister of the Dominican Armed...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Shane Hamann
National pride, mutual respect and competitive spirit filled the air as 18 countries of elite soldiers from the U.S., Central and South America and the Caribbean came together at the Dominican Army’s 1st Infantry “August 16” military base for the opening ceremony of the Fuerzas Comando competition, June 16.
This Special Operations event is held every year and is designed to promote military relationships among the participating countries.
During his opening remarks, Dominican Republic Army Brig. Gen. Pablo Cavallo Feliz, the commanding general of the 1st Dominican Infantry Brigade, expressed great joy to be sharing the stage with the participating countries and said that the competition serves to strengthen the bond between the participating nations.
“We are all winners because we take home with us the memory of brotherhood and closeness,” said Cavallo Feliz.
Following his remarks, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Hector Pagan, the commanding general of U.S. Special Operations Command South, spoke before the competitors and talked about the significance of this event.
“Fuerzas Comando's primary objective is to promote regional cooperation of nations in order to deal with the common threats we face,” said Pagan. “The history of Special Operations in the western hemisphere is being written now by each one of you.”
Pagan concluded his comments by saying the presence of the participating nations at Fuerzas Comando is a testament to the willingness of nations in the western hemisphere.
“When the friendly strife ends, we will leave here brothers in arms,” said Pagan.
Following the opening ceremony, the competitors will have a few hours to rest before the competition’s first event, a physical fitness test. The physical evaluation consists of two timed events where participants have one minute to complete as many push ups and sit ups as they can. Competitors must also complete as many pull ups and dips as possible in an attempt to outlast their opponents. The test will end with a 1.5 mile run.
The competition continues over the next several days. The event will test each team on its weapons marksmanship, aquatic skills, and tactical capabilities. The exercise will conclude with an airborne operation, or “friendship jump,” on June 23 and closing ceremony on June 24.
The senior leader seminar, which is designed to improve political and military relations and multi-national military cooperation, will take place June 21 - 24, 2010 in Santo Domingo. Each participating nation will send a senior Special Operations officer and a ministerial level policy maker to discuss security challenges and possible solutions. The senior leader seminar provides a collaborative, cooperative, and innovative environment for regional security policy makers.
The competition and seminar are designed to improve regional cooperation, enhance mutual trust, increase military interoperability and advance the counter-terrorism training and readiness of participating special operations forces.
The Dominican Republic is the host of this competition and seminar, and the United States Southern Command is the sponsor of this event. SOCSOUTH is the lead U.S. military organization for coordination. This is the seventh consecutive year Fuerzas Comando has taken place in the western hemisphere.
Special operations military and police forces from Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, and Uruguay will participate in the exercise. About 500 military, law enforcement and civilian personnel from the participating nations will be taking part at the peak of the exercise.
| Date Taken: | 06.16.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 06.16.2010 21:18 |
| Story ID: | 51498 |
| Location: | SANTO DOMINGO, DO |
| Web Views: | 277 |
| Downloads: | 198 |
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