Defense Caribbean Region during the forthcoming two weeks will hold a hurricane emergency relief exercise on Saint Marten and Saba. During this exercise, with the name ‘Windward Express’, soldiers will train together with local security partners to increase their preparedness and strengthen cooperation, with the aim of ensuring that the military can be deployed quickly and effectively after the passage of a hurricane.
Several units from Defense will be participating in ‘Windward Express’, including Marines from the Detachment Saint Marten, Marines from Marine Squadron Carib Aruba, and soldiers from Curaçao. Also, the Marine Ship HLNMS Pelikaan, boat groups, with their FRISC boats, and other supporting units, are part of the hurricane emergency relief exercise.
After arrival on Saint Marten the units perform exercises on a rotational basis on both Saint Marten as Saba. These activities help the military to become familiar with the specific conditions on the islands and to collaborate with local partners, such as government organizations, non-governmental organizations and companies that play a crucial role in emergency response.
By performing a practice exercise as ‘Windward Express’ on the Windward Islands, in the event of an actual hurricane threat, the military is optimally prepared to provide emergency aid, support civil authorities and maintain public order immediately after the passage of the storm.
