Navy photograph by PO1 Marie A. MontezU.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Sam Hawksley, assigned to USCG Cutter Charles David Jr. (WPC-1107), discusses the plan of the day for small boat operations with Royal Marine commandos during Tradewinds 2018. Tradewinds is a U.S. Southern Command sponsored exercise that provides participating Caribbean nations the opportunity to improve security and disaster response capabilities. This year’s focus is on countering transnational organized crime in the region.
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Sam Hawksley, a Tehachapi, Calif., native assigned to USCG Cutter Charles David Jr., recently took part in Tradewinds 2018 — a joint and multinational military exercise that takes place annually in the Caribbean.
The 2012 graduate of Tehachapi High School is a four-year veteran of the armed forces. He was joined by 1,700 military and civilian personnel from 21 partner nations in the Bahamas and St. Kitts and Nevis from June 4-21.
Tradewinds, sponsored by U.S. Southern Command, is an annual joint, multinational and interagency training exercise conducted in conjunction with partner nations to increase regional cooperation in complex multinational security operations and humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.
During the Caribbean-focused exercise, Hawksley is providing culinary services in support of servicemembers training aboard the ship.
Nations participating in the exercise include Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, France, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom and the United States.
