By: Lt Suzanne Nogue, Public Affairs Officer

Las Calderas Naval Station, Dominican Republic – As Canadians back home begin to experience warmer weather, a small group of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members are currently experiencing heat waves down south as they take part in Exercise TRADEWINDS 2019 at the Las Calderas Naval Station in the Dominican Republic. Captain Noel Haliski from the Land Force Intelligence Center based out of Ottawa, Ontario, is one of them.

During the first phase of Exercise TRADEWINDS 2019, Capt Haliski, along with other CAF mentors and instructors, is working alongside partner nations to assist in the planning and execution of fictional operational-level manoeuvres. Focused mainly on the Canadian Operational Planning Process, the training provides exercise participants with the skills and tools needed to establish an effective Caribbean Task Force (CTF) and successfully contribute to complex multinational operations.

Functioning as the CTF Intelligence mentor, Capt Haliski is contributing to this training by sharing Canadian intelligence fundamentals and concepts with participating staff members. This training will provide participants with processes and techniques to effectively analyze and collect information against security threats in the region.

“It’s important for the Canadian Armed Forces to engage with all international partners, especially ones that are close to home,” said Capt Haliski. “By taking part in exercises such as TRADEWINDS, it provides participating nations with an opportunity to not only work together, but to share information and operational planning techniques. Should a real life crisis occur, partner nations will have a common baseline and will be better positioned to respond accordingly.”

According to Capt Haliski, the use of critical thinking skills and operational planning techniques are a key part of the exercise. That said, the efficient interoperability of various Caribbean and North American military and police forces is crucial, he added.

Exercise TRADEWINDS 2019 is a United States-led multinational land and maritime exercise predominantly focused on increasing safety and security in the Caribbean. Broken down in two phases, the exercise is taking place from May 30 to June 8 in the Dominican Republic and from June 14 to 21 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.  Held annually, this year’s exercise marks the 35^th year since its inception.

Among the 22 nations participating in this year’s exercise, Capt Haliski is providing mentorship to military members from Belize, Bermuda, Guyana, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and police forces from Trinidad and Tobago, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Although this is his first deployment on Exercise TRADEWINDS, the experience so far has provided him with a unique opportunity to instruct in a senior role and learn about the security challenges faced in this region of the world.

When asked about why it’s important for the CAF to participate in exercises such as TRADEWINDS, he said “it’s essential for us to grow our community of allies abroad so that we are secure regionally and can rapidly engage on international missions at any time.”