The Ministry of Defense will hold a hurricane relief exercise on the Windward Islands from September 11 to September 29. Hereby they will also practice with various local security partners on the islands. Defense trains this so that the military can be deployed quickly and effectively in the event of an actual hurricane threat.
After the relocations to Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius, small activities will take place on a rotational basis, spread over the various islands. The units will also use their stay to become more familiar with all three islands and the relevant partners located there, such as government organizations, non-governmental organizations and companies that play an important role in emergency relief.
The vast majority of the military personnel isalready present in the Caribbean Region and include amongst others of units from the Marine Squadron Carib (Aruba), the naval vessel Zr. Ms. Pelikaan, FRISC vessels and several other support units from both the Fleet and Marines. In addition, a marine detachment is permanently present on Sint Maarten. By training on the Windward Islands, in the event of an actual hurricane threat, it is possible to immediately after passage provide emergency aid and rescue people in need. In such a situation, the military can also support the civil authorities and contribute to public order and security.