MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Tampa, Fla. (May 23, 2012) -- The United States Special Operations Command is inviting the public to watch U.S. and international Special Operations Forces demonstrate their combined combat capabilities outside the Tampa Convention Center, today at 1 p.m.
USSOCOM commander Adm. William H. McRaven is inviting Special Operations Forces, known as SOF, delegates from 96 nations to Tampa for a conference focused on "Building the Global SOF Partnership."
The capabilities demonstration will be a highlight of the conference.
The demonstration will feature SOF forces from ten different nations "assaulting" mock enemy positions and rescuing "hostages" next to the convention center, both on land and in the bay. Spectators are invited to come and watch the half-hour demonstration. Boats, assault vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, helicopters and other aircraft will all be involved in the rescue scenarios as Special Operators from the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force work alongside SOF from partner nations around the world.
Partner nations in the demonstration will include Canada, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Thailand, Norway, Poland, Norway, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates. All nations represented in the capabilities demonstration have either trained or engaged in combat alongside U.S. SOF forces over the past several decades.
The northern tip of Harbor Island, west of the Harbor Island Bridge, and the bridge itself are available as good viewing areas for the demonstration. There will also be limited viewing space on the water's edge adjacent to the Tampa Convention Center, but much of it will be restricted to attendees of the conference and will be cordoned off for a safety perimeter.
The channels leading to the demonstration area behind the convention center will be blocked leading up to the demonstration, in order to ensure the safety of the public and the operators. Boats and other water craft will not be allowed on the water in that area during the demonstration.
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