SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras –
Joint Task Force-Bravo and Army Support Activity Command helped donate five vehicles of excess property to the Honduran FEMA-equivalent agency, Comision Permanente de Contingencias (COPECO) here, Dec. 19.
The five vehicles were donated to COPECO by JTF-Bravo's Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office on Soto Cano Air Base. DRMO offices receive and screen all property turned in by U.S. military services for reuse, transfer, donation, sale or disposal. Property is first offered for reutilization within the DoD, transfer to other federal agencies, or donation to state and local governments and other qualified organizations. In this case, DRMO transferred the property to the U.S. Agency for International Development, which in turn worked together with JTF-Bravo and ASA to donate the goods to COPECO, an organization dedicated to organizing and coordinating preventive measures and participatory efforts to protect life, property and the environment of the people of Honduras.
"We've had a long stretch of collaboration with JTF-Bravo," said Carlos Suarez, COPECO deputy commissioner. "At this time, COPECO has been receiving a lot of support, which has allowed us to save a lot of lives. We've worked together in the past, jointly, in life-saving and rescuing missions."
This collaboration not only strengthened JTF-Bravo's relationship with COPECO, but also their commitment to build and sustain enduring partnerships and promotes security, stability and prosperity throughout Central America.
"On behalf of Col. Dorr, the JTF-Bravo commander, we appreciate COPECO and USAID for coming down," said U.S. Army Lt. Col Joseph Leardi, JTF-Bravo director of operations. "Everything that JTF-Bravo does in Central America is a governmental or interagency effort. So we appreciate the support of COPECO and USAID, and we look forward to working together in the future."
As the papers that officially transfer the vehicles to COPECO were signed, Suarez expressed his gratitude for JTF-Bravo's support to the Honduran community.
"We've always felt that JTF-Bravo has been a right hand in helping us. So I would like to say God Bless to the United States and JTF-Bravo. We will properly maintain these vehicles, which will be used to help the community of Honduras."
JTF-Bravo conducts a variety of missions in Central and South America from supporting U.S. Government operations to counter transnational crime to humanitarian assistance/disaster relief and building partner capacities. The successful completion of these missions allows JTF-B to promote security throughout the region, which is the foundation for stable and productive societies.