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Exercise New Horizons 2005 Begins in Nicaragua

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS050308-01
Release Date: 3/8/2005 8:01:00 AM

By Journalist 1st Class Vance Youmans, Naval Reserve Detachment Nicaragua

CHINANDEGA, Nicaragua (NNS) -- Members of the U.S. and Nicaraguan military participated in opening ceremonies for New Horizons 2005 at a Nicaraguan military base Chinandega, Nicaragua, March 4.

The joint-combined field training engineer and medical humanitarian aid exercise includes participants from all branches of the U.S. military and the Nicaraguan armed forces.

"New Horizons 2005 is a great example of cooperation between our countries, and we're very proud to be involved," said Peter Brennan, charge d'affairs of the U.S. Embassy in Managua.

The goal of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed exercise is to deliver humanitarian and civic assistance through exercise-related construction projects and basic medical attention for the people of Nicaragua. Navy Operational Health Support Unit Great Lakes will provide the first Medical Readiness Training Exercise (MEDRETE), with 15 Sailors providing basic medical assistance to the local population.

"Since the primary purpose of the exercise is to enhance joint training readiness, MEDRETEs will enhance our operational readiness as providers, nurses and corpsmen while providing humanitarian assistance for more than 500 people per day," said Cmdr. Joan Lefkof.

The team includes optometrists, nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, corpsmen and pharmacists.

"They're 15 of the best, selected because of their expertise and experience," Lefkof said.

Most of the Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force Reservists detached to Nicaragua will be in-country for about two weeks, performing rotational service as part of their annual training requirements. Some, however, arrived in January as the advance party to set up the base camp at a Nicaraguan military base, and to begin ground-breaking on the construction of four schools and two medical clinics.

New Horizons exercises began in the mid-1980s. The 2005 exercise includes humanitarian and civic assistance in Antigua, Dominica, El Salvador, Haiti and Panama. This is the fifth New Horizons exercise held in Nicaragua. It is scheduled to conclude in May.