Home »

[bana2166]

U.S. troops in Barahona start leaving Dominican Republic soil

BARAHONA.- The 300 permanently rotated American soldiers brought and stationed here by the U.S. Southern Military Command for the operations New Horizons 2006, packed the duffel bags and began their departure today after 3 months of temporary duty during which they built 4 clinics and conducted joint exercises with their Dominican counterparts.

Their presence in this southwestern region sparked protests by social, religious and political groups that sought convincing explanations on the real reasons for their presence, during the very moments in which UN troops occupy Haiti and Dominican Republic is immersed in an electoral process.

The events, according to Armed Forces Sigfrido Pared, were just a coincidence.

Helicopters and other transport, construction and engineering equipment, today began to be dismantled for their return to the Southern Commando, aboard a Russian manufacture Antonov airplane.

The troops brought only their standard weapon, the M-16 assault rifle when they arrived in February, and started to provide medical assistance for more than 18,000 people in Ophthalmology, Deontology and Pharmaceuticals and distributed 1.500 pounds of garments and thousands of toys among the poor people in remote communities near the border.

The also built 4 clinics in the same number of communities at a cost of 72,000 dollars each, while the exercises were conducted at a cost of US$1.36 million, among other expenditures for schools in the region.

For his part, U.S. ambassador Hans Hertell headed the farewell of thePuerto Rico National Guard 130th Engineering Battalion, held in the headquarters of the National Army?s 5th Brigade, with the presence of senior Dominican Armed Forces officers, including the Army, Navy and Air Force

In his speech, 5th Brigade commander, general Ubaldo Reyes praised the exercises, and revealed that they also served to train the Army?s Air Cavalry pilots in the use of night-sight equipment.

During the ceremony senior Southern Command officers were recognized with plaques, as well as an air rescue unit which took part in the mission to recover the bodies of 3 Dominican pilots killed in the hills of San Cristóbal in early April.