Volume 1 Issue 5
Serving the U.S. Southern Command military family in South Florida,
— NEWS —
Quality of Life ................. p2
Flags at 1/2 Mast . ........... p3
Homebuyer Credit......... p3
NEO from Japan ............ p3
Eye Surgery Expert ....... p5
Fused Response .............. p8
Cigarette Butts ............ p10
S E C T I O N S
Feedback INFO .................. p2
Around the Americas ........ p6
After Hours ........................ p7
Tradewinds is an annual exercise
composed of more than 20 na-
tions designed to enhance stabil-
ity and security in the Caribbean.
See the story on page 10.
Quake Rocks PAIGH Conference
Arthur McQueen
USAG-Miami Public Affairs
U.S. Southern Command hosted the an-
nual meeting of the U.S. National Section,
Pan American Institute of Geography and
History (PAIGH), at the Conference Cen-
ter of the Americas, on March 10-11.
The meeting took an interesting turn
when news of the severe earthquake in Ja-
pan was heard early Friday morning.
NOSOTROS was fortunate enough to
interview Bruce Presgrave, Geophysicist
with the U.S. Geological Survey National
Earthquake Information Center in Golden,
Colo. and ask him about his office’s role
in assessing the potential effects of the
quake.
“I am the supervisor of the group that
does the 24/7 earthquake monitoring,” he
said. “It was my group that was responsi-
ble for reviewing this earthquake and get-
the Caribbean, Central and South America and the surrounding seas
March 24, 2011
Child Development Center To Open March 28
Arthur McQueen
USAG-Miami Public Affairs
DORAL, Fla. -- U.S. Army
Garrison-Miami will be open-
ing the doors to the military
community’s first Child De-
velopment Center March 28.
The soft opening will start
with 40 children and work up
to the maximum capacity of
100 children as qualified staff
is added.
The new director of the CDC,
Denise Gonzalez, comes to Arthur McQueen
Miami from Ft. Campbell, Ky.
Running the CDC at a large fa- PLAY CORNER: An interactive play area in the new Child Development
Center features activities designed to prepare children for school.
cility is different, she said, but
here in Miami, she appreciates “What we do is get your child “For example if we notice
the challenge and the oppor- developmentally ready for that the child has difficulty
tunity to “educate the parents school through creative curric- putting blocks together, we
about what we do in child care ulum, which we develop based know we need to work on hand
– that it is not just ‘dropping on the needs of the child,” she
off’ your child.” said. ... see CDC, page 9
How big is big?
The quake in Haiti seemed much dif-
ferent in effect. NOSOTROS asked why
ting out the initial information.”
some quakes generate tsunamis and others
The USGS’ role is to start the pro-
don’t? Why isn’t S. Fla. underwater?
cess of notification, relief and
“In the first place the Haiti
recovery, get the information
quake was much smaller. It was
out quickly, perform an ac-
a magnitude 7 (on the Richter
curate assessment of the
scale), this earthquake was
severity of the event and
an 8.9,” he said.
determine if it can be
If you are rating good
handled by local re-
looks, that might sound
sources, or needs na-
like a matter of opinion,
tional or international
but on the logarithmic
assistance.
Richter scale, the difference is
Presgrave was not called
significant. “Every factor of ten
back to Colorado “since
differences from say, magnitude
I was already here. I had a quiet
7 to 8,” Presgrave said, “is ten times the
night – but my cell phone was going nuts.”
amplitude on a seismograph – but it is 30
“SOUTHCOM is a major beneficiary
to 33 times the energy. So another way of
of PAIGH research in the area of natural
thinking about it is, an “8” is effectively
disasters, a critical part of the command’s
33 magnitude 7 quakes all wrapped up
mission,” said Dr. Bradley Coleman,
into one.”
SOUTHCOM historian and member of the
U.S. National Section.
... see QUAKE, page 4
2 Nosotros • We • Nou • NÓS • NOUS • Volume 1 Issue 5 • March 24, 2011 • U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Army Garrison - Miami

A Thought for Japan, and Discussing

Commander’s Call Latin America and the Caribbean
As we continue our important work situation. To prepare generals and admirals for this role, the chiefs
with our partners in the Americas, it’s im- of the military services established the Joint Flag Officer Warfight-
portant to reflect on the tragedy unfolding ing Course at Maxwell AFB, Ala. This two-week course provides
in Japan after the devastating 11 March potential joint task force commanders with insights into forming
earthquake, the subsequent tsunami, and and operating joint task forces in a variety of situations, within the
their ongoing nuclear power plant crisis. various combatant commands, and together with U.S. interagency
Japanese society is resilient and well- partners and international partners. I had the pleasure to talk to the
prepared for emergencies, but the scope current class this March about joint task force operations from a
of the disaster is difficult to comprehend. USSOUTHCOM perspective.
During my career, I’ve worked closely This was not the only chance I had to discuss Latin America and
with members of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. I’m confident the Caribbean -- recently, along with the other Combatant Com-
in their ability to meet the demands of this disaster and offer my manders and the Service Chiefs, I had the high honor to meet with
sincere condolences to those affected. The United States Armed the President, and, along with my wife, dine at the White House
Forces are steadfast friends to the Japanese Self Defense Force and with him and Mrs. Obama. The timing was fortuitous as the Presi-
the Japanese people, and through U.S. Pacific Command are pro- dent took his trip to the USSOUTHCOM AOR two days afterward.
viding disaster relief support to help Japan recover. The President and First Lady looked forward to their visit to Bra-
In a similar manner, when a natural disaster or other crisis strikes, zil, Chile, and El Salvador, and strengthening our ties with these
depending on the size of the crisis and the requests for support by important countries and with the rest of Latin America.
the affected country, the DOD will designate a senior U.S. military
officer to form and command a joint task force to respond to the General Doug Fraser
U.S. Army Garrison - Miami hosts first SOUTHCOM Quality of Life Meeting
Special to NOSOTROS that we schedule quarterly quality-of-life ed members.
meetings, several weeks before the ALL – He is also considering a weekly meet-
The Garrison recently held their first HANDS, so that the commander can ad- ing with all Senior Enlisted Leaders – and
Quality of Life meeting to discuss dress special issues. possibly some civilians – to ensure infor-
SOUTHCOM issues. This is an optimal – A rumor alleging that training holidays mation is flowing throughout the chain.
forum for the junior members of our com- may be canceled is wrong. The command – Effective immediately the “Head-
mand to make their voices heard. schedules training holidays as a means of quarters Update” on the portal has been
We should encourage our newer mem- recognizing the your hard work. The com- changed to “HQ Update/QOL Issues.” We
bers to provide input as this may be the mander has stated however, that everyone will use this venue to provide feedback to
only way they can voice their concerns to needs to be appreciative of training holi- the command on issues and improve ser-
senior leadership. days when requesting time off. vices to the SOUTHCOM family. We need
– Gen. Fraser agreed with Sgt. Maj. Es- – Better Opportunities for Single Ser- representation from the Directors/Chiefs
pinal’s recommendation that ALL HANDs vicemembers. Sgt. Maj. Espinal has asked at these meetings.
meeting be scheduled quarterly. Sgt. Maj. Geressy to ensure that BOSS is For questions, please contact Col. Hilton,
– The Sgt. Maj. also recommended getting visibility with our younger enlist- Mr. Snodgrass or Sgt. Maj. Espinal.

Like/Dislike NOSOTROS? Want to share Ideas? Feedback? Do your colleagues deserve notice? Let us know!
Contact Public Affairs at 305.437.1213, or visit us on: Facebook: southcomnosotros; Twitter: SCNosotros or E-mail: southcomnosotros@
gmail.com. Submissions to NOSOTROS should be received by the Friday preceeding the publication date.

“NOSOTROS” is an authorized internal bi-

weekly publication intended for: uniformed mem-
bers of the Department of Defense, US Government
civilians, contractors and liaisons working for U.S.
SOUTHCOM Commander NOSOTROS Office Address: Southern Command or in its Area of Responsibility
Gen. Douglas Fraser, USAF and their dependents.
Director, Public Affairs 9301 NW 33rd St. The contents of “NOSOTROS,” including listings
Room A1423 of public events or services, are not necessarily the
Col. Scott Malcom, USA official views of, or constitute an endorsement by
Doral, FL 33172 the U.S. Army Garrison-Miami, Installation Manage-
Chief, Internal Information ment Command, U.S. Southern Command, DoD or
Raymond Sarracino Phone: (305) 437-2685 the U.S. Government.
The content of this publication is solely the
Editor Web: http://www.southcom.mil responsibility of the SOUTHCOM and USAG-Miami
Arthur McQueen Public Affairs Offices.
Nosotros • We • Nou • NÓS • NOUS • Volume 1 Issue 5 • March 24, 2011 • U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Army Garrison - Miami 3

Why is the flag sometimes flying at half mast?

Ray Sarracino
U.S. Southern Command Public Affairs
March 15 brought SOUTH-
COM staffers arriving to work
to find the flag at half-mast,
leaving many scratching their
heads and wondering why.
Here at NOSOTROS, we de-
cided to conduct a completely
unscientific research project,
asking random people on the
SOUTHCOM campus if they
knew why the flag was at half
mast.
Most had no idea.
Tech. Sgt. Mario Barillas
of J-2 responded, “Maybe be-
cause of Japan?”; when asked
if she knew why, Seaman
Heather Hefflemire of J-2 di-
rectorate had “no idea,” while
Gilbert Garcia of J-6 thought it
may have something to do with
the recent anniversary of the
Haiti earthquake, and Milton
Centeno of TCSC said it was
the first he’d heard of it.
While not correct, these were
reasonable responses, consid-
ering that there isn’t a mecha-
nism in place to inform people
of the reason for flying the flag
at half-mast
While true that it’s not usual-
ly publicized, there are numer-
ous web-based resources avail-
able to learn why the U.S. flag
is flying at half mast. Promi-
nent among these is halfstaff.
org, an unofficial compendium
of days the federal government
has scheduled to honor specific
people and events.
However, it’s not just about
honors, there are other resourc-
es available to help with proper
display and etiquette for the
national ensign, these include:
www.ushistory.org/betsy/
flagetiq.html
www.senate.gov/reference/
resources/pdf/RL30243.pdf
www.va.gov/opa/publica-
tions/celebrate/flagdisplay.pdf
And by the way – the flag
flew at half-mast on March 15
in honor of the late Cpl. Frank
Buckles, last surviving Ameri-
can veteran of WWI. Ray Sarracino

Authorized departure of Eligible Family Personnel Security

Clearance Process
Members from the Island of Honshu, Japan Improvements
The State Department has approved voluntary effect until terminated by DoS. EFMs who leave
authorized departure of eligible family mem- under this authority may not return until the au- Over the past four years,
bers from U.S. Embassy Tokyo, Foreign Service thorized departure is terminated. DoD has worked with several
Installation Yokohama, and Consulate Nagoya Travel to the island of Honshu for all DoD de- offices to streamline processes,
for a period not to exceed 30 days. pendent personnel in all categories is suspended make changes to policies, in-
All three installations are located on the island until DoS terminates authorized departure. troduce extensive information
of Honshu, Japan. Dependents of uniformed personnel will be technology improvements, and
This memorandum authorizes Department processed for Safe Haven allowances in ac- eliminate a backlog of approxi-
of Defense (DoD) EFMs located on Honshu to cordance with Joint Federal Travel Regula- mately 100,000 pending secu-
voluntarily depart. The designated ‘safe haven’ tions (JFTR), Chapter 6, Part A. Eligible family rity clearance cases.
location is the United States. members will be processed as indicated in Joint These improvements led to
The authorized departure status will remain in Travel Regulations, Chapter 6, Part C. a 72 percent reduction in the
time it takes to process an in-

Homebuyer tax credit extension dividual’s security clearance -

David R. McDonald, Jr.
Special to NOSOTROS
There is still a time for mili-
tary, foreign service and intel-
ligence personnel that qualified
for the extension to the home-
buyer tax credit to take action –
significant to active and reserve
folks that deployed in 2009 or
2010. a home before May 1, 2011 and
In the IRS Form 5405 instruc-
tions it says you have additional
time to purchase a home and
qualify for the tax credit if you
(or your spouse if married) if:
– You were on duty outside
of the U.S. at least 90 days be-
tween Jan. 1, 2009 and May
1, 2010 as a member of the
uniformed military services,
foreign service or intelligence
community.
If you meet these criteria, you
must be under contract to buy
complete the purchase before
July 1, 2011.
If you do so, you qualify for
an $8,000 tax credit (not de-
duction – credit, meaning it is
money in your pocket) as a first
time home buyer (cannot have
owned a home for the last 3
years) – or $6,500 if you are a
long-time resident of the same
house (owned and used as a
main home) for a consecutive
five-year period in the last eight
years.
If you are considering a pur-
chase and qualify – it is clearly
worthwhile to consider doing it
quickly enough to get the extra
$8,000 or $6,500.
from an average of 165 days in
2006 to 47 days today.
The improvements led the
Government Accountability
Office to remove this process
from its “high risk list,” the
first time GAO has removed
any DoD area since the lists
1990 inception.
“The improvements made
in the quality of our clearance
decisions will ensure that we
better safe-guard our nation’s
critical secrets.” said Deputy
Chief Management Officer
Elizabeth McGrath.
4 Nosotros • We • Nou • NÓS
... QUAKE, from page 1
This meant that at almost a magnitude 9,
the Japan quake is almost a thousand times
bigger than the quake in Haiti in terms of
the energy released.
It’s not the size of the quake; it’s the
motion of the ocean
Big earthquakes are more likely to pro-
duce tsunamis, said Presgrave. The mech-
anism, the way the earth ruptures, also has
a big effect on whether there is a tsunami
potential or not. “For the most part, the
Haiti earthquake was a horizontal motion,
called strike-slip motion,” he said. This
helped cause the collapse of many build-
ings.
“There was some vertical motion, but to
create a tsunami, you have to have a big
earthquake, in shallow water, that displac-
es vertically large masses of water.”
Cooperation.
Part of the Organization of American
States, PAIGH promotes cooperation
among countries of the Western Hemi-
sphere through projects in the fields of
cartography, geography, geophysics, and
history.
“The two organizations share common
goals and objectives—stability, security,
and prosperity in the Americas—and we
used this event to strengthen the relation-
ship between SOUTHCOM and PAIGH,”
Coleman added.
While being interviewed, Presgrave was
watching for news on the tsunami wave
heights off the coast of Hawaii.
We asked, what is the significance of a
tsunami, when there are 30-foot waves off
the coast of Hawaii on a regular basis?
“Good point,” he said. “We often hear of
people saying they want to surf a tsunami,
but it’s not that type of wave (more like a
storm surge) and you don’t want to surf it
because there is so much debris in it.”
He described an earthquake in
Christchurch, New Zealand. Even though
it was a smaller quake, it occured right un-
der the city and produced stronger effects
than expected. Presgrave explained that
location is everything with earthquakes.
“If it is near a city and shallow, it will pro-
duce dangerous effects.”
Much criticism was leveled at the gov-
ernment of Haiti regarding building codes,
but Presgrave said that doesn’t always
matter in the end.
“Something to remember is that with
the earthquake in Haiti, the building con-
• NOUS • Volume 1 Issue 5 • March 24, 2011 •
Bruce Presgrave, Geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center
in Golden, Colo. speaks during the meeting of the Pan American Institute of Geography and History at
the Conference Center of the Americas, on March 10-11.
struction issues turned a disaster into a
catastrophe, but the earthquake itself pro-
duced shaking that can cause damage to
well-built buildings – it would have been
a dangerous earthquake in any city in the
world.”
Did Florida get lucky last year?
Presgrave says with good humor, “We
very often get calls after a quake that say,
‘My wife says we’re moving to a place that
doesn’t have earthquakes! – tell us some-
place that doesn’t have them.’” He chuck-
les again. “When I mention that Southwest
Texas and North Dakota are the least seis-
mically active places in the contiguous
US, they’ll think about that for a while,
and say, ‘How about just … fewer earth-
quakes than southern California?”
Even though Japan is a very developed
and prepared country, an earthquake of
this size can produce devastation so that it
would need assistance from foreign agen-
cies.
Why is earthquake prediction hard?
“Most of the time there are no fore-
shocks,” Presgrave said. “Just yesterday
(March 10) there was a magnitude 7 in
Japan, but that is an exception; Haiti – no
foreshocks, Chile – no foreshocks, the
1964 Alaska quake (9.2) – no foreshocks.”
There is ongoing research looking for
indicators, but effectively scientists cannot
predict earthquakes.
“What we can do, and Japan is very
good at doing,” he said, “is that we know
the east coast of Honchu is very prone to
U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Army Garrison - Miami
Juan Chiari
earthquakes and build earthquake-resis-
tant buildings. It’s one of the things we see
in Chile vs. Haiti. You saw many pictures
in Chile of buildings where there was some
superficial damage but the building was
intact. If you keep buildings from collaps-
ing, that will increase the survival rate.”
Are we near an earthquake zone?
The closest seismic zones that Presgrave
knows of are Charleston, SC and along the
south coast of Cuba. Those are the closest
plate boundaries, he explained.
“It is important to understand that small
earthquakes can happen anywhere in the
world,” he said, but noted Florida is not an
area that is considered a risk -- at least for
earthquakes.
“One of the things we try to stress is
that you need to be aware of the natural
hazards in your area. The most important
thing is that people should listen and fol-
low the directions of their local civil de-
fense officials,” he said.
Members of SOUTHCOM are among
the 200,000 subscribers to the earthquake
warning system. “We also inform the UN
Office of Disaster Relief in Geneva and
the White House Situation room,” Pres-
grave said. “We are not directly involved
in the relief efforts, but we trigger those
responses.”
“Looking forward, I expect even greater
cooperation between SOUTHCOM and
PAIGH because of this meeting in Miami,”
said Coleman. “It’s a natural partnership.”
Nosotros • We • Nou • NÓS
Cataract Surgery Expert Visits Trinidad
In June 2008, Trinidad and
Tobago Ministry of Health in-
dicated that cataract backlog
existed of more than 5,000
patients, and that timely and
efficient cataract surgery was
a serious need for the citizens
of Trinidad and Tobago. The
three priority areas in which
assistance was discussed were:
cataract surgery, spinal surgery
and prostate surgery.
U.S. Army South scheduled
a Cataract Medical Readiness
Training Exercise for July 24
to Aug. 7.
This MEDRETE was to fo-
cus on a distinctive cataract
surgery technique spearheaded
by Dr. Geoff Tabin from the
University of Utah Medical
School.
“This guy is a rock-star,” said
• NOUS • Volume 1 Issue 5 •
Chief Master Sgt. Daniel T.
Condon, U.S. Embassy, Trini-
dad and Tobago Military Liai-
son Office.
U.S. Army ophthalmologists
were trained and were going
to utilize this technique to help
reduce the backlog of patients
in Trinidad and Tobago.
In March 2010, two Trinidad
ophthalmologists, Dr. Ronnie
Bhola (Eric Williams Medi-
cal Service Center at Mt. Hope
- EWMSC) and Dr. Anil Ar-
moogum (San Fernando Gen-
eral Hospital), traveled to the
country of Nepal to train in
this technique. Dr. Tabin pro-
vided this training in Nepal to
Doctors Bhola and Armoogum
gratis. They were both sched-
uled to assist and participate in
the scheduled MEDRETE.
March 24, 2011 • U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Army Garrison - Miami 5
Courtesy of the Moran Eye Center Dr. Geoffrey Tabin with the University of
Utah’s Moran Eye Center receives the Unsung Heroes of Compassion award
from the Dalai Lama in 2009.
The MEDRETE was can- trauma eye care) traveled to
celled in July, 2010 due to un- Trinidad and Tobago, Feb 20th
certainty amongst the Trinidad to commence the SMEE.
and Tobago ophthalmological This SMEE is designed to
community on whether the perfect the existing cataract
MEDRETE should take place. surgery model in Trinidad and
Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Chang of teach current advanced eye
the U.S.Army 807th Medical care (corneal transplant, retina
Command, realizing the mag- procedures, and emergency
nitude of the cataract backlog eye care) to the local eye care/
and the ex- ophthal-
clusive skills
possessed
“This guy is a mological
community.
by doctors
Bhola and
rock-star,” All Trini-
dad ophthal-
Armoogum, Chief MSgt. Daniel T. Condon,
mologists,
visited U.S. Embassy, Trinidad and Tobago nurses, and
Trinidad in Military Liaison Office. eye care
December personnel
to discuss were invited
the potential opportunity of to attend a Continuing Medi-
a cataract subject matter ex- cal Education (CME) Seminar
pert exchange (SMEE) to be hosted by doctors Tabin and
hosted in Trinidad. This pro- Tabin at no cost. The CME
posal was well received by the seminar took place at EWM-
U.S. Ambassador, Minister of SC, February 21st.
Health, and Minister of For- Doctors Bhola and Ar-
eign Affairs. Subsequently, moogum are expected to be-
Gen. Chang persuaded doctors come proficient in this surgi-
Geoff and Jean Tabin to partic- cal procedure, as this SMEE
ipate, via an invitational travel was designed to be a “train
order sponsored by U.S. Army the trainer” event, making
South to facilitate the SMEE. Trinidad and Tobago a Center
Doctors Geoff and Jean Tabin of Excellence for cataract eye
(Mrs. Tabin specializes in care in the Caribbean Region.
6 Nosotros • We • Nou • NÓS • NOUS • Volume 1 Issue 5 • March 24, 2011 • U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Army Garrison - Miami

WRESTLER: Chief Petty Officer

Rodrigo Celones, master-at-arms,
demonstrates mechanical advantage
control holds and takedowns to
Ecuadorian soldiers participating in
a week-long subject matter expert
exchange in support of Southern
Partnership Station 2011. SPS-11 is
an annual deployment of U.S. ships
to the U.S. Southern Command area
of responsibility in the Caribbean
and Latin America

BUILDER: SAN LORENZO, Honduras

-- Navy Builder 1st Class Clifton
Horn and Builder 2nd Class Joshua
Helton, assigned to Naval Mobile
Construction Battalion 28, install
security bars in a Southeast Asia hut
at Escuela Eneas Avarado during a
Southern Partnership Station 2011
subject matter expert exchange.

Around
the
AMERICAS
Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jeffery Tilghman Williams

COMFORT: The Military

Sealift Command hospital
ship USNS Comfort departs
Baltimore for the five-
month Continuing Promise
2011 deployment. Continu-
ing Promise is a humani-
tarian assistance mission
to nine countries in Central
and South America and the
Caribbean.

Shoshona Pilip-Florea

After Hours:
Nosotros • We • Nou • NÓS • NOUS
Family and MWR announcements may be found on
the portal under “Command Announcements.”
Are you on facebook? Go to our official facebook
page, USAG-MIAMI FMWR, and click “LIKE” for
information on tickets, trips events!
To be placed on the Family and MWR e-mail list,
send your name, phone number and e-mail address
to mwrcustomervice@hq.southcom.mil.
Classes:
n SPANISH CLASS The Relocation Program will
offer intensive Spanish classes taught by Atlantis
University. This 48-hour course meets, March 15
through May 31, three times a week, 9-11 a.m.
The curriculum is specifically designed to fit the
needs and requirements of our civilian, military
and family members. For more information and to
register, call Roxanna Acosta at 305-437-1958,
or e-mail roxanna.acosta@hq.southcom.mil.
Tickets offered by the Information, Tickets and
Registration (ITR) Office, 305-437-1595 or
305-437-2400
n MIAMI HEAT
April 6 – Milwaukee Bucks
300 level seats, $50–$70, limited tickets
available.
n FLORIDA PANTHERS Ticket prices start at
$20.
n ZOO MIAMI
(formerly
Miami Metro
Zoo) tickets
now available.
Adult: $14,
Child: $10.
Save up to 18%
per person.
n BE THERE! THE FAIR! Miami-Dade County
Fair & Expo Mar 17 - Apr 3. General Admission:
- $8, 22 Coupon Ride Sheet: $17, P*O*P Ride
Card: $20.
n n DISNEY ON ICE – LET’S CELEBRATE, Thurs.,
Mar 24, 7:30 p.m. Opening night, Fri., Mar 25, 7
p.m., Sat., Mar 26, 11 a.m., 3 p.m. & 7 p.m. Sun.,
Mar 27, 1 p.m. & 5 p.m. Bank Atlantic Center.
Opening night: $21, regular tickets: $26, rows 18
& up, $31, rows 9-16. Seats in lower level.
n WET N’ WILD MILITARY APPRECIATION
DAYS Free admission for military. Get a free
one day admission ticket valid for active duty
or retired military service members with valid
military photo ID from now until Mar 31. Buy
extra tickets for your friends and family for $32
adults and $26 children.
n FLORIDA MARLINS OPENING NIGHT Fri.,
Apr 1, 7 p.m. Join the Florida Marlins in their
season opener as they play The New York Mets
at Sun Life Stadium. Bullpen box seats, $28.
n WICKED Sun., Apr 10, 7:30 p.m. Winner of
35 major awards, including a Grammy and three
Tony Awards, WICKED is Broadway’s biggest
Blockbuster and a cultural phenomenon. Broward
Center for the Performing Arts. Mezzanine seats,
$70.
• Volume 1 Issue 5 • March 24, 2011 • U.S. Southern
Family & Morale, Welfare and
Recreation activities and events
n Florida Grand Opera presents DON
GIOVANNI Sat., Apr 30, 8 p.m. Considered
by many to be the most perfect opera ever
written, Mozart’s Don Giovanni continues to thrill
audiences today as it did at its premiere in 1787!
Adrienne Arsht Center, right tier 3 seats, $40.
n WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT Now
through Sep 28 active and retired
U.S. military personnel (including
active and retired members
of the United States Coast
Guard, National Guard and
Reservists) or their spouses
can purchase:
• Disney 4-Day Military
Promotional Tickets with Park
Hopper Option for $135
each
• Disney 4-Day Military
Promotional Tickets with Water
Parks Fun and More Option for
$135
• Disney 4-Day Military Promotional Tickets
with Park Hopper and Water Parks Fun and
More Options for $162 each
• Disney Military Promotional Tickets (including
any options) expire and may not be used after
Oct 1. Disney 4-Day Military Promotional Tickets
(including any options) for the Walt Disney
World Resort may not be used on the following
blackout dates: Apr 17-23 at all Walt Disney
World Theme Parks and other gated attractions
and Jul 4 at Magic Kingdom Park.
Sports & Fitness
n INDOOR SOCCER LEAGUE begins in March
at the Fitness Center.
Teams of 5-to-8 players.
Family and MWR
will provide t-shirts,
refs and trophies.
Games will be played
on Saturdays and
Sundays, Two games
per day. Games will
consist of 4, 15 minute
quarters. The number of
games depends on the
number of teams. Must
wear indoor soccer shoes and chin guards. Team
captains contact Jill Hauser, ext. 1682 or Coach
Franklyn, ext. 1373.
n SOCCER LEAGUE Family and MWR sports
will register a SOUTHCOM team in the Doral
Soccer League at Doral Meadows Park. Games
will be Saturday and Sunday mornings. Contact
Jill Hauser or Coach Franklyn.
n FUNCTIONAL FITNESS 6-7 a.m., 1130 a.m.-
1:00 p.m. and 3-7 p.m., Mon.-Fri. For more
information, call Frank Same, ext. 1152, Jill
Hauser, ext. 1682 or the fitness center front desk
0123/0124.
n Join the FAMILY AND MWR INDOOR
WALKING GROUP. Meets every Mon., Wed.
and Fri., at 11:30 a.m. on the indoor track. To
join, contact Angie Williams, ext. 0123.
7
Command and U.S. Army Garrison - Miami
n MERCEDES-BENZ 2011 CORPORATE RUN
Apr 28, Bayfront Park. Family and MWR Sports
and Fitness will enter a SOUTHCOM team. www.
Mercedesbenzcorporaterun.com. Contact Jill
Hauser.
South Florida Community Events
n Discounts
n TRATTORIA DAL NONNO,
10802 NW 58th St., Doral offers
a 20% discount to all members
of SOUTHCOM (all federal,
state, military agencies.)
Show ID. 305-477-8804,
www.trattoriadalnonno.com
n AAAA UNIVERSE,
7800 NW29th St., Miami,
FL 33122, 10% discount
or discounted price “B”
to military on brand name
electronics and appliances.
Come in uniform or show them your
military ID. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.,
Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun., 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Call to verify hours. 305-688-1000.
Conference Center of the Americas:
n On 31 Mar 2011 from 1000-1130 in the Main
Conference Room of the CCA --
“Venezuela’s Petro-Diplomacy: Hugo Chavez’s
Foreign Policy”
Over the last decade Venezuela has exerted
its influence on the Western Hemisphere and on
global international relations. In considering
the reasons for this influence, one must take into
account the country’s vast petroleum depos-
its. Since coming to power, President Chavez
has used the windfall of high oil process to
remake Venezuela internally along the model
of Twenty-First Century socialism and to rewrite
global relations by directly challenging U.S. in-
fluence. Professors Ralph S. Clem and Anthony
P. Maingot, authors of a new book, offer fresh,
authoritative insights into a wide array of ques-
tions hanging over Venezuelan foreign policy
and the leadership of Venezuela’s president.
Speakers: Anthony P. Maingot, Ph.D.
- Professor Emeritus of Sociology and
Anthropology, Florida International University
Ralph S. Clem, Ph.D. - Professor of International
Relations, Florida International University
Combat Infantrymen’s Badge and Bronze
Star Ceremony
CCA Main Conference Room Thursday,
March 31, 2011 at 2 p.m.
WW2 Veteran John Beaugard served as a
Riflemen and due to being Medically Evacu-
ated he never received the decorations he was
awarded for his service in World War II. We
are honored to recognize the service of this hero
here at SOUTHCOM.
The following Awards will be presented:
1. Bronze Star Medal
2. Combat Infantryman Badge
3. Ardennes-Alsace Campaign
4. One additional bronze service star to be af-
fixed to previously awarded European - African
- Middle Eastern Campaign medal
8 Nosotros • We • Nou
Exercise Fused Response 2011 Fosters Continued Partnership
Sgt. 1st Class Alex Licea
SOCSOUTH Public Affairs
SANTO DOMINGO, Do-
minican Republic - It was all
about teamwork and communi-
cation during this year’s Fused
Response exercise, a U.S. and
Dominican special operations
forces military exercise held
March 7-11 in Santo Domingo.
The purpose of Fused Re-
sponse, which involved ap-
proximately 250 Special Opera-
tions troops from the U.S. and
Dominican forces, was to allow
both nations to train on skills,
such as personnel planning,
reconnaissance, joint integra-
tion, as well as improving the
interoperability and increasing
the capacity to confront com-
mon threats such as illicit traf-
ficking, organized crime, and
terrorism.
To support the exercise, Spe-
cial Operations Command
South personnel provided key
logistic, operational, medical
and staff support.
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jason Stahl,
the lead planner for Fused Re-
sponse, stated that the focus of
the exercise is to ensure both
countries’ military forces are
comfortable and confident
working with each other as they
face common threats.
“The focus of the exercise is
how to deal with threats such as
drug trafficking,” said Lt. Cmdr.
Stahl. “This exercise helps
build rapport between the two
nations as we work together and
establish new relationships. By
cross-training, they are learn-
ing from each other and, at the
same time, building friendships
that last a lifetime.”
From planning, tactical opera-
tions, and logistics movements,
the weeklong exercise chal-
lenged troops from both mili-
taries to perform at a high level
in a short amount of time.
“This exercise is an extremely
• NÓS • NOUS • Volume 1 Issue
A U.S. Army Noncommissioned Officer assigned to Special Operations Command South advises Dominican Commandos
on the best methods to exit a helicopter. The training is in preparation for Fused Response 2011, a combined U.S. and
Dominican military exercise designed to increase the capacity to combat terrorism and illicit trafficking.
rapid process and truly takes a
combined effort to make ev-
erything work,” said Lt. Cmdr.
Stahl.
At the tactical level, U.S. and
Dominican units conducted
room-clearing procedures,
close-quarters battle training
and personnel recovery opera-
tions. The battle staff also re-
ceived key training as both U.S.
and Dominican military leaders
learned how to work together as
part of a joint task force.
U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Daniel
Flaherty, the senior enlisted
advisor for the SOCSOUTH
training and exercise section,
said that Fused Response al-
lows both nations to see which
skill sets are strong and which
ones need improvement.
“The whole thing about the
exercise evaluation process is
that you get another set of eyes
watching you from planning to
execution,” he said. “You get
all the great training tools you
need because it identifies all the
areas that you need to train in.”
Sgt. Maj. Flaherty also said
that a training event such as this
one is vital to enable both part-
5 • March 24, 2011 • U.S. Southern
ners to build upon their existing
relationships and be prepared to
work together in the event of an
actual crisis.
“We know who we are go-
ing to be working with, so if
a real-world situation were to
evolve, we are not starting from
scratch. You have a rolodex of
people to contact and you know
what to expect from the partner
nation,” he said.
From the Dominican Re-
public’s role in assisting Haiti
relief efforts, to hosting Fuer-
zas Comando 2010, which is a
major Special Operations skills
competition with 23 participat-
ing countries, the Dominican
Republic is viewed as an in-
valuable security partner in the
region.
Dominican Maj. Ambrocio
Castillo-Volquez, the Com-
mander of the Ministerio de Es-
tado de las Fuerzas Armadas,
known as the MIFA, said that
he and his commandos have
been working with the Ameri-
can military for the past three
years and that the training has
helped them improve as a mili-
tary organization.
Command and U.S. Army Garrison - Miami
“Our unit is more profession-
ally developed and there has
been improvement in areas such
as planning. The entire opera-
tional climate has improved,”
said Maj. Castillio-Volquez.
“Our interoperability with our
soldiers and the American Sol-
diers is excellent and we are
like brothers,” he added.
Prior to Fused Response, an
Operational Detachment-Alpha
team (ODA) assigned to the
7th Special Forces Group has
been training with members of
the MIFA for the past couple of
months.
The officer-in-charge of the
ODA stated that the Dominican
Soldiers are capable of defeat-
ing any threat.
“They are well-trained and
are consistently improving,” he
said. “The goal is for them to
develop their own training pro-
grams.”
“This exercise is very impor-
tant for us,” said Rear Adm.
Brown. “We are grateful for
the Dominican military, their
friendship, and look forward to
working with our partners again
in the future.”
Nosotros • We • Nou • NÓS
... CDC, from page 1
and eye coordination. We will
concentrate on that and get the
child ready.”
Strong Beginnings Pre-K is
an Army initiative designed to
prepare children for kindergar-
ten. The program has a greater
academic focus covering sci-
ence, math, language/literacy,
social studies and physical fit-
ness, preparing the whole child
for school success.
The process for engaging
the CDC is simple. “We try
to make it as convenient as
possible,” said Gonzalez. Reg-
istration forms are available
on-line; parents then make an
appointment to get registered,
look in the rooms and see what
is available.
“If there is space you can be
placed right away, otherwise
you will be placed on a wait-
ing list.” Those on the wait-
ing list will not be left without
care. “We have centers around
Miami that you will be able to
bring your child to that are ac-
credited,” she said. “So you
will not be left alone, we will
take care of you.”
When space opens up parents
can come back to the CDC or
stay with the facility they had
been using.
Gonzalez pointed out that
the main advantage to having a
child on post was convenience.
“They are both great, I can’t
tell you anything negative
about the outside facilities,
they are accredited, work with
us hand-in-hand, and follow a
lot of the same regulations that
we do.”
Customers know that the
Army is very strict about clean-
liness and safety – there are 50
cameras in the facility that are
recording constantly, so there
is peace of mind, says Gonza-
lez – “if anything happens we
can always retrieve the video.”
The center is required to be
“hospital” clean. Additionally,
• NOUS • Volume 1 Issue 5 • March 24, 2011 • U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Army Garrison - Miami 9
all of the staff must go through extra outside of those hours,” from the Recruiting Battalion,
an extensive background check she said. but through the Outreach pro-
through both local and nation- The CDC will have children gram, the staff can make them
al databases, to ensure that it up to 5, and School Age Ser- aware of child care providers
is safe for them to work with vices which starts this sum- that are suitable.
children. mer, will take children up to 11 “I’m extremely excited, the
All of the rooms have glass years old. center looks beautiful, the staff
panels to monitor the kids, and This will begin with a sum- is getting trained,” Gonzalez
everyone participates in yearly mer camp, a program for said.
Child Abuse Prevention train- Christmas and Spring break, The staff is also developing a
ing. and the staff will assess the mobilization and contingency
Just visiting the center is very needs of the command to de- plan for hurricanes or anything
restrictive, said Gonzalez. termine the demand for after- else that can happen in the
“When you walk into a child school care. Many schools building.
development center, we need outside the command already “We are here to support the
to know why you are there offer programs. mission, we’re here to support
if you’re not a parent. If you As far as other military or- the families – and we can’t wait
want to register, you can’t just ganizations in the Miami area, for people to come by, check
walk to the rooms, you will be the CDC cannot accept ad- out the center and register their
escorted to look around, be ditional children, for example children,” she said.
identified and sign in and out.
One of us will be with you at
all times.”
“We should have about 15
staff and 40 children lined up
for the start,” she said.
Parents already on the wait-
ing list have been contacted to
get registered and completing
an orientation to explain and
gradually fill up the center as it
is staffed.
How to Apply
Dual Military, Single Mili-
tary, and DoD Civilians where
both parents are employed are
the highest priority.
Documentation is required:
Copy of the LES or other Proof
of Income, copy of orders as-
signing them here, an identifi-
cation card, or birth certificate
for the children.
Cost?
DoD has 9 pay categories
based upon total family in-
come. The bottom rate for
school-age services is very
competitive. That will open
in summer, for now the team is
focused on opening the CDC.
The normal operating hours
are Monday-Friday, 6 to 6,
which is full time.
Hourly care is something that
is being evaluated for the time
the center is open. “We are Stairs on changing tables allow toddlers to walk (with assistance) up for
simply not funded for anything changing, increasing confidence and reducing lifting of larger children.
10 Nosotros • We • Nou • NÓS • NOUS • Volume 1 Issue 5 • March 24, 2011 • U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Army Garrison - Miami

Multinational Vessels Conduct Counter-Illicit

Trafficking Training During Tradewinds Exercise
SAINT JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda - The second day of Ex-
ercise Tradewinds 2011’s fleet track field training exercise began
on the morning of March 15.
The scenario in place had three vessels, the Barbados Coast
Guard Ship Trident, the Trinidad and Tobago Ship Gaspar Grande
and the Dominican Republic Coast Guard Ship Canopus patrol-
ling just off the Coast of Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda.
Once in their designated positions, the lookouts onboard each
ship were instructed to keep a sharp eye out for any suspect ves-
sels. The designated “illicit traffickers,” role played by FBI small
boats, we reportedly in the area and if discovered, the ships were
supposed to launch a boarding team and observer from the U.S.
Coast Guard Cutter Diligence.
Onboard the Gaspar Grande, the lookout spotted the target of
interest at about 11 a.m., and immediately alerted the ship’s cap-
tain. The maritime law enforcement officers onboard sprang into
action, putting on the proper equipment and checking each other
to ensure the boarding team’s safety.
The rest of the ship’s crew started making preparations to lower
the small boat. The ratchet straps holding the boat down were re-
moved and each tending line was held before the boarding team
climbed into the boat. Radio communications frequencies were
confirmed and an up to date position of the target vessels was
passed to the boat crew.
Once life jackets and helmets were donned, the boarding team
and Ens. James Heuser, a boarding officer from Diligence, were
hoisted into the air and swung out over the water. As soon as the
boat hit the water, the coxswain started the engines and the Gas-
par Grande’s deck crew tossed the lines connecting the two boats Petty Officer 3rd Class George Degener
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua -- A boarding team from the Trinidad and Tobago Ship
into the air. Boat crewmembers secured each line and the roar
Gaspar Grande and an observing boarding officer from the U.S. Coast Guard
of the engines filled the air as the boarding team shot across the Cutter Diligence conduct a boarding on FBI small boats role playing as
water toward their targets. possible smugglers as part of the fleet track of Exercise Tradewinds 2011,
March 15. Tradewinds is an annual exercise composed of more than 20 na-
tions designed to enhance stability and security in the Caribbean.

This evolution was the first time that information and tactics
shared by personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard and the other in-
volved nations would actually be used in a simulated boarding.
After coming alongside the target vessel, boarding team members
scrambled onboard and asked, “without reaching for or touching,
do you have any weapons” and conducted an Initial Safety In-
spection, a quick search of the vessel that ensures the safety of
both the boarding team and the vessel’s crew.
“They did very well out there,” said Heuser. “They took the
things we talked about during our discussions on land and actu-
ally used those procedures in the field.”
Once their boarding was complete and all objectives had been
met, Gaspar Grande’s law enforcement officers returned to the
ship and Heuser met with them and the command for a de-brief
and critique.
“That was an extremely well done job,” he told the team. “Ev-
erything followed proper procedures and had this been an actual
field operation, you would have everything needed to detain the
suspects and build a strong case against them.”