This reality sheet is launched on the event of the XV Convention of Protection Ministers of the Americas (CDMA), which convened on July 25-29, 2022, in Brasilia, Brazil, hosted by the Brazilian Ministry of Nationwide Protection. CDMA is the premier hemispheric protection ministerial for strategic-level engagement with the highest protection officers of the Americas, and convenes each two years. U.S. Secretary of Protection William Perry established and hosted the primary CDMA in 1995. U.S. Secretaries of Protection have attended each CDMA since its inception. Chile’s Ministry of Nationwide Protection hosted the final CDMA just about in 2020.
Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin III joined protection and safety ministers from throughout the hemisphere at CDMA to interact on points in protection and safety which are of excessive precedence to our allies and companions within the area. The Division of Protection is dedicated to its function as essentially the most trusted protection ally and associate for its neighbors to the north and south, constructing on its longstanding cooperation throughout a spread of areas to foster mutual safety all through the Western Hemisphere.
COVID-19 Help:
Since 2019, the Division of Protection has executed greater than 630 COVID-19-related humanitarian help and civic help initiatives valued at greater than $110M within the Western Hemisphere, within the areas of well being assist, training, catastrophe mitigation and preparation, and infrastructure. DoD has donated key provides together with private protecting tools, hygiene and sanitation provides, testing kits, and laboratory tools, in addition to 318 ventilators, 72 cellular clinics, and 341 chilly storage objects to assist vaccine readiness and distribution. Via these efforts, the Division has sought to bolster allies and companions’ capability to ship important providers, enhance residing circumstances, and supply safety throughout the pandemic.
United States Naval Ship Consolation:
The Division of Protection plans to deploy america Naval Ship Consolation, a Mercy-class hospital ship, to conduct medical help in assist of regional companions within the fall of 2022. Throughout every port go to, the USNS Consolation usually supplies medical help to about 3,500-8,000 folks. The USNS Consolation final visited Central America, South America, and the Caribbean in 2019, when it offered medical help to 12 international locations.
Safety Cooperation:
The Division of Protection has accepted greater than $115M for safety cooperation initiatives with 23 Western Hemisphere international locations in Fiscal Yr 2023. This $115M will enhance the Division’s funding in safety cooperation within the hemisphere to greater than half a billion {dollars} since 2020. These initiatives assist our neighbors in constructing the capability of their safety forces and creating simpler, clear, and accountable protection establishments. DoD safety cooperation within the area focuses on shared safety pursuits similar to maritime area consciousness and safety, cyber protection, intelligence sharing, and detecting and disrupting illicit menace networks in assist of regulation enforcement.
Girls, Peace, and Safety:
On July 18, the White Home introduced the discharge of the 2022 U.S. Girls, Peace, and Safety (WPS) Congressional Report. The Division of Protection performs a key function in implementing the U.S. Girls, Peace, and Safety Act of 2017, as characterised within the DoD Girls, Peace, and Safety Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan (SFIP). Since 2020, DoD has led over 15 WPS exchanges in additional than 13 international locations within the Western Hemisphere, in addition to varied digital packages, together with podcast episodes. Via WPS initiatives, DoD seeks to advance the equality, security, and significant contributions of ladies within the protection and safety sectors all through the hemisphere, and be sure that a gender perspective informs all DoD safety cooperation actions at residence and overseas.
State Partnership Program:
DoD’s State Partnership Program is a singular enabler of safety cooperation, supporting one-to-one engagement between a U.S. state’s Nationwide Guard models and a associate nation’s safety forces. Within the Western Hemisphere, the Division has 23 energetic State Partnerships with 29 nations, constituting the very best regional focus of such partnerships worldwide (28% of all energetic State Partnerships). The packages have featured roughly 890 exchanges since 2019, with greater than 300 deliberate for the rest of 2022 and in 2023. These exchanges middle on a spread of areas to incorporate catastrophe preparedness and response, cyber protection, army training, and upkeep.
Local weather Change:
DoD seeks to collaborate with allies and companions to handle the dangers of local weather change, recognizing that the threats of rising temperatures and sea ranges, and extra frequent storms and floods, require elevated humanitarian response capabilities. The Division exchanges info with allies and companions about our efforts to develop new methods to handle local weather change, together with integration of local weather change issues within the 2022 Nationwide Protection Technique.
Coaching and Training:
The Division of Protection supplies training and coaching to hundreds of protection and safety college students from the hemisphere annually. Via educational packages in america and abroad, the William J. Perry Heart for Hemispheric Protection Research contributes to clear and succesful protection and safety governance establishments within the Americas. Since 2019, the Perry Heart has enrolled greater than 10,000 civilian and army companions from throughout the hemisphere in in-person and digital programs and webinars. College students additionally attend main DoD skilled civilian and army teaching programs at areas together with the Nationwide Protection College, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Safety Cooperation, the Air Command and Workers Faculty, the Army Command and Common Workers Faculty, and the Naval Command Faculty.
Workouts:
DoD conducts annual and bi-annual coaching workout routines with Western Hemisphere allies and companions to advertise cooperation, improve interoperability, and enhance readiness to reply to crises. These workout routines embody UNITAS, the world’s longest-running maritime train; FUERZAS COMANDO, for strengthening particular forces; NAMSI, in assist of the North American Maritime Safety Initiative; TRADEWINDS, centered on safety of the Caribbean basin; PANAMAX, for defending the Panama Canal; and CENTAM GUARDIAN, centered on catastrophe response and regional safety. Between 2019 and 2021, greater than 14,000 individuals from 33 associate nations within the hemisphere joined DoD personnel in these and different regional workout routines.
