Belize, US Launch Joint Military Exercise to Tackle Crime and Disasters

Belize’s armed forces kicked off a week-long military training exercise today, being done in collaboration with Joint Task Force-Bravo, a United States military unit based in Honduras. Exercise Agile Bear is aimed at boosting the readiness of local military forces and their U.S. counterparts to respond to natural disasters and combat transnational crime. Key participants include Joint Task Force-Bravo, the Belize Coast Guard, the Belize Defence Force, the U.S. Embassy in Belize, and the British Army Training Support Unit-Belize. The training focuses on a variety of specialized skills. Troops are working on everything from operating small, unmanned aircraft systems and combatives to advanced first aid. They’re also practicing procedures for Helocasting, which is when personnel and equipment are deployed into water from a hovering helicopter and moving troops to remote locations. The training will run until August 8.