• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

PANAMAX 2010 Comes to a Close

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100830-02
8/30/2010

From U.S. 4th Fleet Public Affairs

MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- The commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet (COMUSNAVSO/C4F) spoke at the closing event Aug. 26 for this year's PANAMAX exercise involving 19 different nations at the Ocean Breeze Conference and Catering Center on Naval Station Mayport.

"Buenas tardes, boa tarde and welcome to the CFMCC closing event PANAMAX 2010," said Rear Adm. Vic Guillory. "This year our CFMCC staff integrated the expertise from 18 partner navies here in Mayport. I want to thank each and every one of you for your personal sacrifice and outstanding work."

During PANAMAX 2010 Guillory served as the exercise's Combined Force Maritime Component Commander (CFMCC). As such, Guillory had operational control of all maritime components in and around the Panama Canal.

At the event, Guillory presented each of the CFMCC partner nation leaders with awards and a unique PANAMAX 2010 coin.

"I want to thank all of you," said Guillory. "I am very proud of your efforts… I look forward to further strengthening our relationships and hope to interact with you in Mayport or in your countries in the future. Muchas gracias and muito obrigado."

PANAMAX is one of the largest multinational training exercises in the world. The annual U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) sponsored exercise focuses on ensuring the defense of the Panama Canal, crucial to the unrestricted flow of global maritime commerce.

During the two-week long exercise, C4F with the assistance of multinational forces conducted a series of simulated exercises at the C4F headquarters, and in the USSOUTHCOM Area of Responsibility. These exercises helped prepare the U.S. and participating nations with protecting the passage of traffic through the Panama Canal, ensure its neutrality, and respect national sovereignty.

COMUSNAVSO is the naval component command for U.S. Southern Command and is responsible for all naval personnel and assets in the area of responsibility. COMUSNAVSO conducts a variety of missions in support of the U.S. Maritime Strategy, including theater security cooperation, relationship building, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, community relations, and counter-illicit trafficking operations.