REYNOSA, Mexico (Oct. 20, 2022) U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 520th Area Support Medical Company, 56th Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 62nd Medical Brigade, and Mexican army soldiers treat a simulated casualty in the back of an ambulance during exercise Fuerzas Amigas 2022 at Campo Militar Reynosa, Mexico, Oct. 20, 2022. This binational disaster-response exercise between the U.S. and Mexican militaries aims to improve readiness and strengthen the nations’ cooperative relationship. U.S. Army North, through Joint Task Force Civil Support will serve as the command-and-control element directing U.S. troops conducting a natural disaster response exercise with Mexican military forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael H. Lehman) VIEW ORIGINAL
REYNOSA, Mexico (Oct. 20, 2022) U.S. Army Lt. Col. Tiffianey Laurin, the Joint Task Force Civil Support Incident Support Team 4 officer-in-charge, greets General de División (Lt. Gen.) Norberto Cortés Rodriguez, the 4th Military Region Commander, during exercise Fuerzas Amigas 2022 at Campo Militar Reynosa, Mexico, Oct. 20, 2022. This binational disaster-response exercise between the U.S. and Mexican militaries aims to improve readiness and strengthen the nations’ cooperative relationship. U.S. Army North, through Joint Task Force Civil Support will serve as the command-and-control element directing U.S. troops conducting a natural disaster response exercise with Mexican military forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael H. Lehman) VIEW ORIGINAL
REYNOSA, Mexico (Oct. 19, 2022) U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Marcia McNeill, assigned to the 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, from Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., explains the medical evacuation capabilities of an HH-60M Blackhawk helicopter to Joint Task Force Civil Support commanding general, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Van and Mexican army General De Brigada (Maj. Gen.) Roberto Claudio del Rosal Ibarra, the 8th Military Zone commander, during exercise Fuerzas Amigas 2022 at Campo Militar Reynosa, Mexico, Oct. 19, 2022. This binational disaster-response exercise between the U.S. and Mexican militaries aims to improve readiness and strengthen the nations’ cooperative relationship. U.S. Army North, through Joint Task Force Civil Support will serve as the command-and-control element directing U.S. troops conducting a natural disaster response exercise with Mexican military forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael H. Lehman) VIEW ORIGINAL
REYNOSA, Mexico (Oct. 19, 2022) Mexican army Subteniente (2nd Lieutenant) Leticia Rodriguez Garcia, an aerospace medical nurse with Military Hospital San Miguel (Mexico State), explains the casualty evacuation capabilities of an UH-60M Blackhawk helicopter to Joint Task Force Civil Support commanding general, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Van and Mexican army General De Brigada (Maj. Gen.) Roberto Claudio del Rosal Ibarra, the 8th Military Zone commander, during exercise Fuerzas Amigas 2022 at Campo Militar Reynosa, Mexico, Oct. 19, 2022. This binational disaster-response exercise between the U.S. and Mexican militaries aims to improve readiness and strengthen the nations’ cooperative relationship. U.S. Army North, through Joint Task Force Civil Support will serve as the command-and-control element directing U.S. troops conducting a natural disaster response exercise with Mexican military forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael H. Lehman) VIEW ORIGINAL
REYNOSA, Mexico (Oct. 18, 2022) U.S. Soldiers and Mexican army personnel work together to treat a simulated casualty during exercise Fuerzas Amigas 2022 at Campo Militar Reynosa, Mexico, Oct. 18, 2022. This binational disaster-response exercise between the U.S. and Mexican militaries aims to improve readiness and strengthen the nations’ cooperative relationship. U.S. Army North, through Joint Task Force Civil Support will serve as the command-and-control element directing U.S. troops conducting a natural disaster response exercise with Mexican military forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael H. Lehman) VIEW ORIGINAL
REYNOSA, Mexico (Oct. 18, 2022) U.S. Army Cpl. Ryan Burns and Sgt. Alex Bustos, both assigned to the 520th Area Support Medical Company, 56th Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 62nd Medical Brigade, and Mexican army personnel assigned to the 19th Motorized Cavalry Regiment carry a simulated casualty from a notional disaster zone during exercise Fuerzas Amigas 2022 at Campo Militar Reynosa, Mexico, Oct. 18, 2022. This binational disaster-response exercise between the U.S. and Mexican militaries aims to improve readiness and strengthen the nations’ cooperative relationship. U.S. Army North, through Joint Task Force Civil Support will serve as the command-and-control element directing U.S. troops conducting a natural disaster response exercise with Mexican military forces. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Michael H. Lehman) VIEW ORIGINAL
REYNOSA, Mexico – The U.S. military conducted exercise Fuerzas Amigas 2022 with the Mexican military Oct. 16-21, 2022, at Campo Militar Reynosa in Reynosa, Mexico. Fuerzas Amigas is an annual bilateral exercise focused on defense support of civil authorities and Mexico’s National Defense Plan – III-E. The exercise aims to strengthen the bilateral military-to-military partnership conducting disaster response operations along the U.S.-Mexico border.
This year’s exercise included a Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) objective for the first time, integrating a gender perspective into exercise planning, design, and execution in support of our mutual WPS objectives.
WPS is a policy framework that evolved from U.N. Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), which recognized women as critical actors in international peace and security. Mexico signed its first WPS National Action Plan in 2021. The United States codified WPS into U.S. law with the WPS Act of 2017. Both the U.S. and Mexican militaries have mandates to implement this program.
“Our Defense Secretary has placed special emphasis on including women into all branches of the armed forces and all jobs,” said Mexican army soldier Subtiente (2nd Lt.) Guadalupe Tenorio Barragan, a nurse with Regional Military Hospital of Specialties Monterrey said, “Inclusion of women makes us a more effective force.”
WPS seeks to ensure the meaningful participation of women in peace and security processes and ensure the safety, security and human rights of women and girls. For disaster response operations, integrating a gender perspective is critical to understanding the distinct needs of an affected population. This helps the U.S. military, and our partners better understand the operational environment and tailor disaster operations to assist the communities we serve to save lives and mitigate human suffering.
Fuerzas Amigas 2022, a major hurricane scenario in the Texas-Mexico border region, tested both nations’ collaborative response and enhanced mutual understanding of response operations on both sides of the border. Both the U.S. and Mexican militaries employed diverse teams for the exercise.
“Deploying disaster response teams that look like the community we serve is important in building trust and confidence,” said Mexican Air Force Teniente (1st Lt.) Ozuki Velazquez Aparicio, a nurse from Helicopter Squadron Military Air Base Five.
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