The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) is getting ready to host over 1,500 military personnel from 21 countries for the joint 2023 Exercise Tradewinds and on Friday appealed to citizens to welcome the visitors and not be alarmed by the heavy military presence throughout the country.
“We know we have a very hospitable country… and this to promote our country the best that we can,” Chief of Staff of the GDF, Brigadier Omar Khan, said at a press conference where the army updated on plans for the exercise that will be held from July 14 to July 28 and spread across regions Three, Four, Six, and Ten. There is also a virtual component of the training and one that will be done out at sea.
He said that it would be natural when the public sees large amounts of military personnel passing through their communities, to feel some anxiety. However, he assured that there was nothing to be alarmed about and it is why the GDF is notifying everyone of the activities and will also be sending out alerts to notify which locations would have certain events.
This is the first Tradewinds exercise with Khan as Chief of Staff as only late April he was appointed to the position.
And while not giving a timeline, he promised that he will also be hosting his first open press conference with the media.
The United States-sponsored Tradewinds exercise which aims to promote regional security was last held in Guyana in 2021 and this year there will be a series of exercises which include not only combat and other training, but a US medical team carrying out surgeries at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
And with Guyana now an oil producing nation, humanitarian and disaster response training will see a component dedicated to oil spill response.
Project Lead for the GDF, Major Jaime Castillo, on Friday gave an overview of the plans and pointed out that that the objectives of the training programme are broad, and centred on critical areas.
“The training objectives for Exercise Tradewinds 2023 are to expand the Caribbean region’s capability to mitigate, plan for, and respond to crisis, strengthen partnerships and counter influences, increase regional training capacity and readiness for all participating courses; increase inter-agency integration in the Caribbean specifically with special operation forces; regional organisations and co-ordination courses,” he explained.
Major Castillo also stressed that in addition to other goals, the exercise aims at promoting “human rights, women and peace in security and principles, and adhere to shared international norms and values.”
He said that key activities includes the Opening Ceremony, Distinguished Visitors’ Day, a Media Day, Airborne Wing exchange that will see paratrooping and the Closing Ceremony.
On the ground, there will be infantry and special base training done at Base Camp Seweyo and Camp Stephenson.
Jungle training will be done in the hinterland at the Colonel Robert Mitchell Jungle and Amphibious Training School (CRMJATS).
Planning for this year’s exercise began since last year. Last July, military representatives from the United States had conducted several site visits around the Guyana Police Force Headquarters, for what the GPF had said was a “strategic Site Survey to check the capacity to house participants both locally and internationally during the multinational military exercise.” During that visit, the representatives were given a tour of the Police Sports Club, Felix Austin Training Centre, and the Officers’ Training Centre.
Then in April of this year, military representatives from the US and several partner nations were back in Georgetown for a Final Planning Conference (FPC). The army had said that it provided planners with the space to have a last check of preparation for the event execution and to finalise, publish, and distribute all key exercise plans and documents. It also provided the opportunity for all concerned to resolve remaining issues and endorse the final planning product.
Exercise Tradewinds dates back to the mid-1980s. It was first held in Saint Lucia, and Guyana first hosted the exercise in 1999.
