PRESS RELEASES 2009

Southern Partnership Station Arrives in Jamaica

The U.S. Navy’s high speed vessel Swift (HSV 2) arrived in Port Antonio on Sunday for the first of two instruction sessions in Jamaica during Southern Partnership Station (SPS), an annual deployment of various specialty training to defense forces in the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of focus in the Caribbean and Latin America. The mission goal is primarily information-sharing with navies, coast guards, and civilian services throughout the region. Activities in the Port Antonio area have been coordinated by the U.S. Embassy’s Military Liaison Office and Public Affairs Office.

The arrival of the SPS team was noted with a formal ceremony on the Swift with opening remarks by Commander Chris Barnes, SPS mission commander, and Lt. Tomar Lewis, JDF training officer. “It’s certainly a pleasure and a great opportunity to have this training at this time,” said Lt. Lewis. “I’d like to implore the officers and men of the JDF to open your minds to the training and absorb all of the knowledge that is going to be passed on to you. Remember that whatever is learned here this week you’ll pass on to those in your units.”

Training began directly after the ceremony with JDF students dispersing to classrooms set up on board the Swift.  Training teams from Navy Expeditionary Training Command, Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Marine Corps Training and Advisory Group are providing instruction in a variety of fields such as land navigation, port security, waterborne security operations, small boat repair and maritime interdiction operations. 

Jamaica is the third stop for SPS, after successful training in El Salvador and Panama, where training flowed both ways. “The training team members learned as they taught,” said Cdr. Sam Sorgen, SPS deputy mission commander. “The partner nation students have passed on unique training knowledge based on the strategic region they operate in. The JDF is already explaining many of the issues they’re having with drug traffic around their country, so we are training to that level while they bring real world knowledge to us.”  After Jamaica, SPS is scheduled to visit Barbados, Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.

The mission is coordinated through U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. Fourth Fleet (NAVSO/ 4th Fleet) with partner nations to meet their specific training requests. As the Naval Component Command of SOUTHCOM, NAVSO’s mission is to direct U.S. Naval Forces operating in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions and to interact with partner nation navies. Various operations include counter-illicit trafficking, Theater Security Cooperation, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, military-to-military interaction and bilateral and multinational training.  Additional information on U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / U.S. Fourth Fleet, can be obtained at http://www.cusns.navy.mil .