CSIS: "Changing of the Guard: It’s Time for Washington to Strengthen SOUTHCOM"

 

 

"Changing of the Guard: It’s Time for Washington to Strengthen SOUTHCOM"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez and Dr. Ryan Berg

Americas Program

Center for Strategic and International Studies

23 October, 2024

Published: https://www.csis.org/analysis/changing-guard-its-time-washington-strengthen-southcom

United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) will soon experience a changing of the guard. On November 7, U.S. Navy vice admiral Alvin Holsey will assume command of SOUTHCOM from Army general Laura Richardson. During her time at the helm of SOUTHCOM, General Richardson carried out several initiatives to strengthen relations with U.S. allies and partners throughout the Western Hemisphere.

With a new commander in Miami and a new administration coming in Washington, it is time for U.S. policymakers to (finally) provide SOUTHCOM with the assets it needs to fully perform its mission. With an area of responsibility encompassing 31 countries and 12 dependencies, the Caribbean Sea, and waters in the Eastern Pacific and South Atlantic down to Antarctica, SOUTHCOM has much to do with limited resources. The change of leadership and the elevation to Service Component Command in mid-September of the U.S. Air Force Southern (AFSOUTH), the air component of SOUTHCOM, should encourage the next administration to engage more actively with SOUTHCOM.

 

CIMSEC: "Hospital Ships: A Vital Asset for SOUTHCOM and South American Navies"

 

"Hospital Ships: A Vital Asset for SOUTHCOM and South American Navies"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

The Southern Tide

Center for International Maritime Security

24 January 2023

Originally published: https://cimsec.org/hospital-ships-a-vital-asset-for-southcom-and-south-american-navies/

The hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) has returned to Latin American waters, as the vessel carried out a medical assistance mission across the Caribbean from October to December 2022. This is the first time in years Comfort has been in the region since the pandemic begun. Other South American navies also have hospital vessels that carry out similar missions, primarily for their domestic populations. Hospital ships are some of the region’s most vital yet underappreciated assets, while also being one of the most tangible elements of how many regional populations interact with navies. The U.S. and regional countries should consider the benefits of hospital ship operations with a view toward potentially investing in more of these valuable vessels.

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CIMSEC: U.S. Southern Command Needs a Permanently-Assigned Hospital Ship

 

"U.S. Southern Command Needs a Permanently-Assigned Hospital Ship"

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez

The Southern Tide

Center for International Maritime Security

09 September 2021

Originally published: https://cimsec.org/u-s-southern-command-needs-a-permanently-assigned-hospital-ship/

 

Written by Wilder Alejandro Sanchez, The Southern Tide addresses maritime security issues throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. It discusses the challenges regional navies face including limited defense budgets, inter-state tensions, and transnational crimes. It also examines how these challenges influence current and future defense strategies, platform acquisitions, and relations with global powers.

“We focus on partnerships…Our partners want to work with us. They want the advantage of the United States education, training, exercises and military equipment. It’s the best in the world. And so it’s up to us to deliver that in a way that’s relevant and also provides a return on investment for American taxpayer. So that is our focus.” –Navy Adm. Craig S. Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command, before the Senate Armed Services Committee July 9, 2019.

By Wilder Alejandro Sánchez

The variety of extreme natural disasters that annually hit U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibilities, exacerbated by climate change, demonstrates the Command’s need for a permanently-assigned hospital vessel. While the Command can obtain assets if needed in case of a crisis, like the current deployment of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD-24), among other naval units, to Haiti after the deadly earthquake on August 14, there are benefits to having a permanently-assigned hospital vessel.

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