612th Air Base Squadron

The 612th Air Base Squadron provides air base support to Joint Task Force-Bravo operations and 12th Air Force including air traffic control, logistics, base civil engineering, fire department, airfield operations and personnel functions.

Mission

The 612th Air Base Squadron operates and maintains the Soto Cano Air Base airfield as a critical strategic airlift capable hub in support of the U.S. Southern Command within Central America with day, night, all-weather capabilities. As the Senior Airfield Authority at Soto Cano Air Base, the 612th Air Base Squadron is the sole authority responsible for safe airfield operations, and for the control, operation, and maintenance of the airfield and supporting land and facilities.

The 612th Air Base Squadron's Fire Emergency Services conduct exercise CENTAM SMOKE, a biannual exercise hosted at Soto Cano Air Base that includes participation from multinational firefighters from all across Central America exchanging knowledge with U.S. counterparts, to strengthen partner nation capacities as well as professional and cooperative relationships to maintain regional readiness.

Video Dashboard

612th Air Base Squadron News

Tag: CENTAM SMOKE

A UH-60 Blackhawk from the 1-228th Aviation Regiment aims to extinguish a simulated wildfire to show the additional capabilities of Joint Task Force - Bravo during the Central America Sharing Mutual Operational Knowledge and Experiences (CENTAM SMOKE) exercise, April 11, 2019, at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras. CENTAM SMOKE brought together firefighters from Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala and El Salvador to train with U.S. Air Force members as well as develop bonds and understandings of one another’s culture with team building exercises. The weeklong training included aircraft and structural fires, vehicle extrication, and a firefighter combat challenge. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Eric Summers Jr.)

April 16, 2019

JTF-B burns cultural barriers during CENTAM SMOKE

SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras — Firefighters from five Central American countries and Joint Task Force - Bravo participated in Central America Sharing Mutual Operational Knowledge and Experiences (CENTAM SMOKE) exercise, from April 8 - 12, here. CENTAM SMOKE, a biannual event hosted by the 612th Air Base Squadron, brought together fire fighters from Honduras, Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala and El Salvador to train with U.S. Air Force members as well as develop bonds and understandings of one another’s culture with team building training.

Sept. 19, 2018

Central American firefighters graduate from exercise CENTAM SMOKE

Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras — Joint Task Force-Bravo hosted Exercise Central America Sharing Mutual operational Knowledge and Experiences (CENTAM SMOKE) 2018-2 at Soto Cano Air Base, September 10-14, with firefighters from the 612th Air Base Squadron fire department and 30 participants from Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador, Belize and Nicaragua.

A firefighter from Central America participate in a timed event after learning new techniques during Central America Sharing Mutual Operational and Experience at Joint Task Force – Bravo, Apr. 25, 2017. CENTAM SMOKE is a biannual exercise hosted by Joint Task Force – Bravo with 35 participants from across the 7 Central America nations that includes safety, personal protective equipment, apparatus familiarization, fire hose applications, structural/helicopter live fire evolutions, medical training, vehicle extrication, and aircraft (UH–60/CH–47) egress familiarization, Apr. 24-28, 2017. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Scott Thompson/released)

May 8, 2017

Partnership and camaraderie, the key to fighting fires in Central America

SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras — Thirty four firefighters from all across Central America came together here, from April 24 – 28, to participate in the Central America Sharing Mutual Operational Knowledge and Experiences exercise, also known as CENTAM SMOKE, and train in firefighting techniques with their U.S. counterparts from Joint Task Force-Bravo’s 612th Air Base Squadron Fire Department.

Thirteen Honduran PUMCIR (Personal Utilizado en Misiones Contra Incendio y Rescate – Personnel Used in Fire and Rescue) volunteers and six U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to Joint Task Force-Bravo who included firefighters and Personnel Recovery Coordination Cell members, led by Herberth Gaekel (left), 612th Air Base Squadron Fire Department liaison at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, and PUMCIR founder and instructor, pose for a photo midway through a three-mile hike up to a cave located in Comayagua National Park near El Volcan, Honduras, Sept. 24, 2016, to conduct search and rescue training. Gaekel seeks to involve U.S. service members in order to provide them an opportunity to share with and learn from their Honduran counterparts as well as to encourage positive relationship building between the two nations. Gaekel said the training he provides significantly augments what training the volunteers, who are also often full or part-time Bomberos, already receive, and in many cases would not receive if not for his program. (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. David Liapis)

Sept. 29, 2016

Honduran, U.S. volunteers conduct underground search and rescue training

SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras — Nearly a dozen Honduran PUMCIR (Personal Utilizado en Misiones Contra Incendio y Rescate – Personnel Used in Fire and Rescue) volunteers and seven U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to Joint Task Force-Bravo at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, conducted a search and rescue exercise in Comayagua National Park near El Volcan, Honduras.