The United States Tuesday announced that it will conduct subject matter expert exchanges with the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard later this month.
It said the August 9-22 exercises will include diving and medical care exercises designed to enhance coordination in regional maritime activities and improve the operational readiness and interoperability of participants.
As a result, the USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) will arrive here on Wednesday for a three-day visit in support of U.S. 4th Fleet’s two concurrent deployments, Southern Seas and Southern Partnership Station.
The ship was deployed by the U.S. Navy last month to the Caribbean, Central and South America to conduct subject matter expert exchanges (SMEE), key leader engagements (KLE) and serve as the 2018 flagship for one of the largest annual maritime training exercises in the world, UNITAS.
“The SMEE is a demonstration of the continued, steadfast partnership between the U.S. and Trinidad and Tobago, which is characterized by trust and respect and based on our shared democratic values,” said U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires John McIntyre.
Washington said that the Southern Partnership Station is an annual deployment focused on exchanges with regional partner nation militaries and security forces.
It said this year’s deployment will visit Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, Honduras, Panama and El Salvador to work alongside those nations’ military forces, security forces, civilian health professionals and other governmental agencies.
In addition to SMEEs and KLEs, for the first time in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility, the Southern Seas deployment has integrated a multinational staff as part of continued efforts to improve regional response to natural disasters and security threats, the US said.
