Description
Computer made/mounted on velcro 3.5 inch-90mm
UNITED STATES SOUTHERN COMMAND
The United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), located in Doral, FL is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation for Central and South America, the Caribbean (except U.S. commonwealths, territories, and possessions), their territorial waters, and for the force protection of U.S. military resources at these locations. USSOUTHCOM is also responsible for ensuring the defense of the Panama Canal and the canal area.
Under the leadership of a four-star Commander, USSOUTHCOM is organized into a headquarters with six main directorates, component commands and military groups that represent SOUTHCOM in the region. USSOUTHCOM is a joint command of more than 1,201 military and civilian personnel representing the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and several other federal agencies. Civilians working at USSOUTHCOM are, for the most part, civilian employees of the Army, as the Army is USSOUTHCOM’s Combatant Command Support Agent. The Services provide USSOUTHCOM with component commands which, along with their Joint Special Operations component, two Joint Task Forces, one Joint Interagency Task Force, and Security Cooperation Offices, perform USSOUTHCOM missions and security cooperation activities. USSOUTHCOM exercises its authority through the commanders of its components, Joint Task Forces/Joint Interagency Task Force, and Security Cooperation Organizations.
JOINT TASK FORCE-BRAVO
Joint Task Force-Bravo (JTF-Bravo, JTF-B) is a forward-based expeditionary joint task force operating as U.S. Southern Command’s (USSOUTHCOM) lead forward element in the Central America (CENTAM) region to promote stability and security and counter transnational and transregional threat networks (C-T3N). JTF-Bravo operates out of Soto Cano AB, Honduras.
JTF-Bravo conducts a wide range of continuous and simultaneous operations. The organization’s primary authority, as directed by the United States Secretary of Defense, is to synchronize and conduct operations, activities, and actions in support of US and partner nation law enforcement agencies in order to counter drugs and transnational organized crime (CD/CTOC). In addition, the JTF supports the USSOUTHCOM Theater Security Cooperation campaign plan to counter threat networks and promote regional cooperation and security in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America by organizing and supporting multilateral, capacity-building exercises in cooperation with partner nations. Due to its enduring forward presence and management of a forward, all-weather, day/night strategic air base, the JTF is often employed as the first responder for contingencies and crises within the region, especially in support of Foreign Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (FHA/DR) operations.
The USSOUTHCOM commander has assigned a seven nation Joint Operations Area (JOA) to JTF-Bravo. The JOA includes the land, air, and maritime (out to 12 nautical miles) area of all seven nations of Central America: Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. When directed by USSOUTHCOM, the JTF has conducted operations outside the JOA, most recently in support of relief efforts in the Leeward Islands following Hurricane Irma and Maria.
JTF-Bravo is composed of a joint headquarters and five major subordinate commands which include the following:
1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment (1-228th Aviation) provides heavy vertical lift, medical evacuation, general aviation support, and mission command in a semi-permissive environment. The regiment actively participates in counter narcotic, search-and-rescue, and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief missions throughout Central America.
612th Air Base Squadron provides air base support to Joint Task Force-Bravo and the 12th Air Force including air traffic control, logistics, base civil engineering, fire department, airfield operations and personnel functions. In addition, the squadron maintains Soto Cano Air Base, the only strategic hub for U.S. operations in Central and South America.
Army Forces (ARFOR) / Joint Support Battalion provides joint service administrative and logistical support along with rapid response command and control capabilities to contingency operations. Among its roles, the battalion conducts fuel delivery and personnel augmentation, aerial delivery operations, and employs the USSOUTHCOM-Situational Assessment Team (SSAT) which provides a link to lead USG agencies and USSOUTHCOM during initial DoD contingency responses.
Medical Element (MEDEL) consists of U.S. Army medical personnel from the US Army Reserve, as well as Honduran medical liaisons. The only expeditionary surgical-capable medical unit in Central and South America, MEDEL provides a wide range of health care services to maintain the force health readiness of U.S. personnel. In addition, the MEDEL partners with host nation security forces and medical providers to conduct Medical Readiness Training Exercises (MEDRETEs) throughout Central America.
Joint Security Force (JSF) consists of bilingual military police from the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army Puerto Rico National Guard. The JSF is organized, trained and equipped to provide security, law enforcement, anti-terrorism and expeditionary force protection to U.S. forces anywhere within Central America.
In addition to assigned commands, the JTF also assumes tactical control of, or supporting relationships with, other DoD forces when they operate within Central America including U.S. Army regionally aligned forces and U.S. Marine Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Forces (SP-MAGTFs).