Belizean troops returned from the United States on June 14, 2023 after participating in a three week combat training with U.S. military and international counterparts at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The group included 144 personnel from the Belize Defence Force and the Belize Coast Guard, who provided support for the training of units within the Louisiana National Guard’s Infantry Brigade Combat Team. A total of 5,509 military personnel from the United States and partner nations engaged in the exercise.
The training gave U.S. troops an extended opportunity to refine their military skill sets on and off the field, through real world simulations. Belizean military exercised home station deployment activities and benefitted from interoperability operations with U.S. forces, gaining a better understanding of how to operate in large scale combat operations.
Acting Security Cooperation Chief for the U.S. Embassy Major Josiah Rawlings welcomed the Belizean troops at the Philip Goldson International Airport. Major Rawlings was accompanied by Belize Defence Force Deputy Commander Colonel Anthony Velasquez and Force Sergeant Major Wilfred Majano.
Major Rawlings underscored, “The United States and Belize armies are continually looking for ways to further strengthen the strong security cooperation we share and leveraging the 30-year state partnership between Belize and the Louisiana National Guard. This exercise is a unique opportunity to work alongside our partner nations and build upon the camaraderie and trust between our respective forces, while at the same time increasing overall skill and readiness.”
The exercise was carried out at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fork Polk, Louisiana, a premier combat training center. Annual training periods bring brigade personnel from across the United States and around the world to a central location to build combat readiness and capacity.
