Gates Plans to Increase Humanitarian Missions in Latin America

The U.S. Defense Department will likely increase its humanitarian efforts in Central and South America, as well as support of local police and military forces to help allies in the region combat narco-terrorism and illegal drug and arms trafficking. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today that the new initiatives are part of an “evolving mission” of U.S. Southern Command.
I think that this is part of the evolving mission of  Southern Command, in terms of not just providing medical care and training, as the Comfort has done, but also training and professionalizing the military officers and militaries in other countries, building bilateral cooperation in dealing with transnational threats and building partnerships when dealing with the wide range of challenges that face us,” Gates said. “I think that these are the kind of missions that we have in mind: to focus on building partnerships and increasing the capabilities of the individual countries.
Defense Department’s newly established African Command. There has been discussion among defense department officials about restructuring SOUTHCOM to accommodate.
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell, traveling with the secretary, said traditionally combatant commanders focus primarily on military readiness in a region, and less on humanitarian missions -- a model than will not work here. and discussing shared concerns about transnational crimes. He said specific requests from countries for support varied and included equipment, training, joint exercises and more humanitarian activities.
The secretary started his trip Oct. 2 in El Salvador, and then went on to Colombia, Chile, Peru, and finally ended here. Suriname is bordered by Guyana to its west, French Guiana to the east, and Brazil to the south. The country is slightly larger than Georgia and is home to about 500,000 residents.
The United States and Suriname enjoy a cooperative defense relationship. In that spirit we hope to work more closely together in defending our borders against unlawful trafficking, combating crime and protecting our citizens from natural disasters,” Gates said.
 USNS Comfort off of Suriname’s coast today, Gates had high praise for the ship, its staff and recent mission. He said it symbolized the United States’ intention of cooperation in the region, and that the U.S.-Surinamese relationship can now build on the goodwill generated, However, as the result of that mission, the friendship with the Surinamese people has been strengthened and our bilateral relationship has been renewed,” Gates said. “In the spirit of shared values and interests our two nations can now build upon the Comfort’s success to achieve an even closer degree.

Central and South America and the Caribbean. The ship’s 780-person staff worked to treat almost 2,500 patients in Suriname. Some needed treatments for multiple complaints, so, in all, doctors, nurses and technicians delivered nearly 8,400 treatments.
El Salvador saw the most patients treated at 12,500. Ecuador, though, had the most total treatments, including multiple treatments per patient, at 51,000. Officials said that was because the ship was able to dock at the pier of those two countries and patients, Dental care was probably the highest priority at many of the stops, besides general medical treatments. Overall, dentists and staff treated 25,000 patients on the tour, extracting 300 teeth, and performing 4,000 fillings,7,000 sealings, and 20,000 fluoride applications.
Colombia, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago. The Comfort leaves tomorrow to return to the United States. It will make stops in Miami, Fla., and Norfolk, Va.