Joint Task Force Bravo
Encyclopedia
Joint Task Force Bravo is one of three Task Forces under United States Southern Command
(USSOUTHCOM). JTF-B is headquartered at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras
(formerly known as Palmerola Air Base), located 10 miles south of the Honduran city of Comayagua
.
), then Joint Task Force Alpha (JTF-A), JTF-B's mission was to support US forces in Central America
, provide training and advisory support for the armed forces of Honduras and Guatemala, as well as at least some indirect support for the Nicaraguan Contras
.
Additionally, JTF-B has provided disaster response support to various Central American countries upon request. For example, in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch
in 1998 they played a vital role in civilian search and rescue efforts as well as supporting host governments' post-disaster recovery operations. JTF-B continues to engage in Operation New Horizons
that are designed to help build local infrastructure
through the construction of roads, bridges, school
, clinics, well
s, etc. Units permanently assigned to JTF-B perform this work routinely, often in conjunction with other US military active duty, reserve, and national guard medical and engineer units that travel to Central America to assist with the MEDRETEs
and New Horizons.
Other examples of humanitarian aid
rendered by JTF-B include relief missions responding to Hurricane Stan
in Guatemala in October 2005, Hurricane Beta and Hurricane Gamma in Honduras in November 2005, a medical mission to León, Nicaragua in September 2006 in response to widespread alcohol poisoning, and a relief effort in response to massive flooding in Colón, Panama in November 2006.
New Horizons efforts have included El Salvador, Honduras and the Dominican Republic
in 2006 and Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, and Panama in 2007.
In August 2007 JTF Bravo dispatched teams to Peru
in response to a 8.0 magnitude earthquake
. JTF-B also sent a team to Belize following Hurricane Dean. In September a teams were sent to aid Honduras and Nicaragua following Hurricane Felix
.
An example of multinational partnering and training is an annual airborne operation
called Iguana Voladora during which JTF-B hosts military and police personnel from throughout the Western Hemisphere
for a week of training and jump operations.
Recent humanitarian projects have included medical readiness exercises in the Mosquita Coast of Honduras in August 2008. In September 2008, JTF-Bravo sent a team of medical professionals to the border of Costa Rica and Panama to participate in a three-day medical readiness exercise. While in November of that year a team was dispatched to assist with flood relief in Costa Rica and Panama. In January 2009 members from JTF-B returned to Costa Rica and in conjunction with USAID assisted with relief and recovery efforts following a 6.1 magnitude earthquake
.
Central America
United States Southern Command
The United States Southern Command , located in Miami, Florida, is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning and operations in Central and South America, the Caribbean The United States Southern Command...
(USSOUTHCOM). JTF-B is headquartered at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
(formerly known as Palmerola Air Base), located 10 miles south of the Honduran city of Comayagua
Comayagua
Comayagua is a city in Honduras, some 80 km northwest of Tegucigalpa on the highway to San Pedro Sula at an elevation of 594 meters above sea level. In 2003 the estimated population was 60,000 people. It is the capital of the Comayagua department of Honduras. The city is noted for its wealth...
.
Mission
JTF-Bravo conducts joint, combined and interagency operations, and supports contingency operations throughout the assigned geographical area in order to enhance theater-wide operational security and reinforce regional cooperation.History
When the task force was first established in 1983 as Joint Task Force 11 (not to be confused with a similarly named task force from World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
), then Joint Task Force Alpha (JTF-A), JTF-B's mission was to support US forces in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, provide training and advisory support for the armed forces of Honduras and Guatemala, as well as at least some indirect support for the Nicaraguan Contras
Contras
The contras is a label given to the various rebel groups opposing Nicaragua's FSLN Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction government following the July 1979 overthrow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle's dictatorship...
.
Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch was the most powerful hurricane and the most destructive of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season, with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph . The storm was the thirteenth tropical storm, ninth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the season. Along with Hurricane Georges, Mitch...
in 1998 they played a vital role in civilian search and rescue efforts as well as supporting host governments' post-disaster recovery operations. JTF-B continues to engage in Operation New Horizons
Operation New Horizons
Operation New Horizons is a series of recurring U.S.-led operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean Islands. It has had several names over the years, including New Horizons and Beyond the Horizons . U.S. Southern Command sponsors these operations and uses active duty, reserve and...
that are designed to help build local infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
through the construction of roads, bridges, school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, clinics, well
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
s, etc. Units permanently assigned to JTF-B perform this work routinely, often in conjunction with other US military active duty, reserve, and national guard medical and engineer units that travel to Central America to assist with the MEDRETEs
Civic action program
A civic action program also known as civic action project is a type of operation designed to assist an area by using the capabilities and resources of a military force or civilian organization to conduct long-term programs or short-term projects...
and New Horizons.
Other examples of humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
rendered by JTF-B include relief missions responding to Hurricane Stan
Hurricane Stan
Hurricane Stan was the eighteenth named tropical storm and eleventh hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It was also the sixth of seven tropical cyclones to make landfall in Mexico. Stan was a relatively weak storm that only briefly reached hurricane status...
in Guatemala in October 2005, Hurricane Beta and Hurricane Gamma in Honduras in November 2005, a medical mission to León, Nicaragua in September 2006 in response to widespread alcohol poisoning, and a relief effort in response to massive flooding in Colón, Panama in November 2006.
New Horizons efforts have included El Salvador, Honduras and the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
in 2006 and Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, and Panama in 2007.
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
in response to a 8.0 magnitude earthquake
2007 Peru earthquake
The 2007 Peru earthquake was an earthquake measuring 8.0 on the moment magnitude scale that hit the central coast of Peru on Wednesday, August 15, 2007; it occurred at 23:40:57 UTC and lasted for about three minutes...
. JTF-B also sent a team to Belize following Hurricane Dean. In September a teams were sent to aid Honduras and Nicaragua following Hurricane Felix
Hurricane Felix
The name Felix was used for four tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean.* 1989's Hurricane Felix - A Category 1 storm that dissipated in the Atlantic without threatening land....
.
An example of multinational partnering and training is an annual airborne operation
Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
called Iguana Voladora during which JTF-B hosts military and police personnel from throughout the Western Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
for a week of training and jump operations.
Recent humanitarian projects have included medical readiness exercises in the Mosquita Coast of Honduras in August 2008. In September 2008, JTF-Bravo sent a team of medical professionals to the border of Costa Rica and Panama to participate in a three-day medical readiness exercise. While in November of that year a team was dispatched to assist with flood relief in Costa Rica and Panama. In January 2009 members from JTF-B returned to Costa Rica and in conjunction with USAID assisted with relief and recovery efforts following a 6.1 magnitude earthquake
2009 Costa Rica earthquake
The 2009 Costa Rica earthquake , occurred at 1:21:34 pm local time on January 8, 2009. The epicenter of the 6.1 Mw earthquake was in northern Costa Rica, north-northwest of San José...
.
Previous designations
- Joint Task Force Bravo (1984-present)
- Joint Task Force Alpha (1983-1984)
- Joint Task Force 11 (1983)
Assigned Geographic Area
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
- BelizeBelizeBelize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
- GuatemalaGuatemalaGuatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
- HondurasHondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
- El SalvadorEl SalvadorEl Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
- NicaraguaNicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
- Costa RicaCosta RicaCosta Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
- PanamaPanamaPanama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
Major Subordinate Commands
- Air ForceAir forceAn air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
Forces (AFFOR) provides administrative support to Air Force personnel assigned to the joint staff and makes up the 612th Air Base SquadronSquadron (aviation)A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
(612 ABS) which is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the U.S. portion of Soto Cano Air Base, including the maintenance and operation of a C-5C-5 GalaxyThe Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It provides the United States Air Force with a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo. The Galaxy has many...
capable runway.
- ArmyArmyAn army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
Forces (ARFOR) provides administrative support for Army personnel assigned to the joint staff and provides a Search and Rescue (SAR) capability to JTF-B.
- Medical Element (MEDEL) provides routine and emergency health care for JTF-B personnel. MEDEL also conducts Medical Readiness Training Exercises (MEDRETEs) throughout Central AmericaCentral AmericaCentral America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
to provide a verity of medical services for the local populations. Additionally, MEDEL has a Mobile Surgical Team (MST) capable of responding to an emergency situation.
- Joint Security Force (JSF) conducts Law Enforcement and Security Operations for JTF-B personnel and equipment anywhere within the Central American AGA. A previous official description, retained via Globalsecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...
, was that the JSF was composed of Air Force, Army and Marine force protection personnel who patrol the base and downtown areas frequented by U.S. servicemembers.
- 1st BattalionBattalionA battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
, 228th Aviation RegimentRegimentA regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
(1-228) consists of CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Blackhawk aircraft. With these assets the 1-228 conducts general support aviation operations within the Central American AGA and the wider USSOUTHCOM Theater when required.