The long-awaited “Tradewinds 22” military exercise was declared started after a brief ceremony which began with a parade of 22 flagbearers’ representing this year’s participating countries. 

They marched on to BDF’s Parade Square at Price barracks which was followed by the arrival of invited dignitaries including Minister of National Defence and Border Security, Hon. Florencio Marin Jr. and Prime Minister John Briceno who signaled the start of TRADEWINDS 22.

The Commander of the Belize Defence Force, Brigadier General Asariel Loria then declared the start of Tradewinds 22.  

Belize and Mexico are co-hosting this year’s military exercise which will conclude on May 21st 2022. 

BELIZE’s renown jungle will be the center feature of all land-based military operation activities for the regional participating nations while MEXICO take charge of the naval exercises in the area of Cozumel, Quintana Roo.

The Tradewinds 22 military training exercise is a Caribbean base security initiative sponsored by the U.S. Southern Command, emphases on the muti-dimensional approach to counter Transnational Criminal Organization, Violent Extremist Organization activities while enhancing regional collaboration, stability, and response effectiveness to security threats.

SOUTHCOM is one of 10 unified commands in the United States Department of Defense which is responsible for U.S. military operations and security cooperation with partner nations in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

The Belize Defence Force has hosted the exercise in 1998, 2007, 2010, and 2015.

The key bilateral military security cooperation objectives provide a greater domain of awareness for the Belize Defence Force in control of maritime, air, and Cyber spheres hinged on a multifaceted response from allied nations. 

This Caribbean-focused military exercise provides an opportunity for the BDF and other participating partner nations to improve interoperability, including senior-leadership collaboration. The aim is to enhance regional and hemispheric coordination for international support to disasters, and have global implication on training and preparation as they relate to potential terrorist threats in the Caribbean region. 

Tradewinds 22 exercise enables the Belize Defence force with combat readiness to effectively conduct joint operation with Mexico and the other participating nations to counter any transnational threat, as well as the capability to conduct humanitarian adherence to internationally recognized laws and agreements. 

The exercise activities are focusing on riverine operation, ground operation, cyber defence, dive operation, medical operation, and the integration of woman in peace and security missions. 

Tradewinds 22 also give the Belize Defence Force the capacity to mitigate, plan for; and respond to crises; strengthen our partnership, increase our readiness to deter illegal activities in Belize, the Caribbean and internationally.

Among the 22 nations participating in this year’s Tradewinds 22 military exercise are Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Colombia, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, St Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, as well as military personnel from the United States, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.