Units of the Belize Defence Force and the Dominican Republic Army conduct close quarter battle training during a tactical combined exercise in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, June 11, 2018. (Photo: U.S. Army National Guard Staff Sergeant Shane Hamann)U.S. Southern Command- (SOUTHCOM) sponsored exercise Tradewinds 2018, brought together more than 1,000 military, law enforcement, and rescue personnel from 22 nations to the Caribbean, June 4th–21st. The yearly multinational exercise is intended to enhance Caribbean defense forces’ capacities. Tradewinds 2018, held in Saint Kitts and Nevis and The Bahamas, focused on combating transnational organized crime and conducting disaster relief operations through specialty training and mock situations.