| FAHUM PLANNING CONFERENCE EL SALVADOR 11th - 13th December 2007 |
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| The FAHUM Exercise, is an Annual exercise usually held in Central America and hosted by the United States Southern Military Command (US SOUTHCOM) and the local Defense Forces (in this case El Salvador Defense Forces) with a focus on disaster relief and humanitarian assistance operations. The Planning session is being held to propose, discuss and agree on the 2008 FAHUM Exercise elements. The theme for the 2008 Exercise will be "Connected for good Regional Response and Integration" |
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| FAHUM � NEWS ITEM
Lester Blackett, Director of the Nevis Disaster Management Department, in the Premier�s Ministry, is one of the Caribbean representatives attending the �Fuersas Aliadas Humanitarias� or FAHUM 2008, Mid Planning Conference, being held in El Salvador from 11th to 13 December 2007. The FAHUM Exercise is an annual exercise held in Central American or the Caribbean region. It is hosted by the United States Southern Military Command (US SOUTHCOM) and the Defense Forces in the host country with a focus on disaster relief and humanitarian assistance operations. The focus of the Planning session is to discuss and agree on the 2008 FAHUM Exercise elements including: 1. Developing and synchronizing of training objectives 2. Presenting and finalizing exercise concept of execution 3. Determining all communication systems to be used 4. Incorporating of various agency objectives into the exercise 5. Creating and synchronizing scripting of the exercise and creation of a storyboard The theme for the 2008 Exercise, likely to be held in May, will be "Connected for good Regional Response and Integration". FAHUM 2008 is planned as a U.S. Southcom/Salvadoran Ministry of defense sponsored, regionally oriented disaster relief exercise, involving military and civilian agencies from throughout the Western Hemisphere. The exercise enhances military to military, military to civilian and civilian to civilian contacts between participating organizations, and promotes Regional cooperative engagement. The exercise will promote and exercise regional responses to disasters. The 2008 exercise is being planned for El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rico and Trinidad & Tobago. The 2008 Exercise Objectives included: 1. Development and improvement of regional information sharing and capabilities among partner nations 2. Promotion and improvement of interoperability among the Regional and Inter-Regional organizations to conduct Humanitarian Response/Disaster Assistance 3. Improvement of participating nations� ability to respond to consequence management situations 4. Development and improvement of information operations capability for disaster response 5. Exercising humanitarian disaster relief operations involving U.S. participation Mr. Blackett�s participation in the Planning Conference was facilitated by U.S. Southcom and the Nevis Island Administration. |
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