NASSAU, Bahamas – The crew of the Cape Canaveral, Fla., based 210-foot Coast Guard Cutter Confidence conducted humanitarian assistance in Nassau as part of the Exercise Tradewinds 2009, Wednesday.
The crewmembers volunteered for the humanitarian assistance project at the Bahamas Association for Social Health or BASH. The crew of the Confidence is in Nassau to provide training for 15 Caribbean nations in support of maritime security in the Caribbean Basin.
BASH is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Nassau, Bahamas. It houses approximately 34 adults dealing with various degrees of drug and or alcohol addictions. BASH offers horseback riding and tours of the surrounding forest as part of an eco-tourist project that helps provide funding for the center. BASH also is funded about 10 percent through the government and through donations.
Tradewinds 2009 is a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff directed, U.S. Southern Command-sponsored exercise that is conducted in cooperation with Caribbean Basin partner nations. Tradewinds 2009 includes personnel from the Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, Joint Interagency Task Force South, Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Drug Enforcement Administration. Additionally partner nations maritime security forces, Royal Marine Commandos and the personnel from the Caribbean Regional Security System are also participating.
