VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSJ #0525/01 1761847
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 251847Z JUN 09 ZDK ZUI RUEHBS #6624
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0963
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/NGB WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFIUU/HQ USSOUTHCOM J5 MIAMI FL
RHMFISS/HQ USARSO FT SAM HOUSTON TX
RUMIAGH/COMJTF-B SIMS SOTO CANO HO

UNCLAS SECTION01 OF 03 SAN JOSE 000525 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
EPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/PPC AND P/M; 
ALSO FORUSAID/LAC AND OFDA 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR FPA AND SJFQ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MASS MARR SOCI EAID CS
SUBJECT: COSTA RICA: MORE MEANINFUL MILITARY MISSIONS 
 
REFS: A) 2008 SAN JOSE 00, B) 2008 SAN JOSE 0800, 
      C) 2008 SAN JOSE 01, D) 2008 SAN JOSE 551, 
      E) SAN JOSE 0028 F) SAN JOSE 0023, 
  G) SAN JOSE 499, ALL NOTAL 
 
SAN JOSE 00000525  001.11 OF 003 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  Significant U.S. military humnitarian missions 
and training took place in Cosa Rica during April and May, 
continuing the strig of activities begun in late 2007.  In April, 
oer 150 U.S. military personnel practiced disaster mnagement and 
recovery techniques with civilian clleagues from Costa Rica and 
Panama as part of te regional FA-HUM exercise.  This was the 
larges U.S. military exercise conducted here in recent yars, and 
the first deployment to Costa Rica of avation assets from the New 
Mexico National Guard s part of the State Partnership Program. 
Over 150 patients were treated by U.S. and Costa Rican pesonnel in 
an accompanying Medical Readiness Traiing Exercise (MEDRETE) along 
the mid-Pacific coas. In May, 16 Air Force South personnel teamed 
with Costa Rican counterparts in a MEDRETE which treated another 
4000 patients in northern Alajuela province.  Both activities 
received prominent and positive media coverage (coordinated by the 
Embassy) with the Ambassador leading a VIP visit to the FA-HUM 
sites.  Both activities also underscore how far bilateral 
civilian-military relations have progressed during the Arias 
administration.  As long as we continue to coordinate closely with 
the GOCR, moving neither too far nor too quickly, this positive 
trend should continue. END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
FUERZAS ALIADAS HUMANITARIAS (FA-HUM) 2009 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (U) REGIONAL REACH: FA-HUM 2009 was the latest in an annual 
series of exercises designed to improve regional disaster 
preparedness and cooperation.  The focus was on Central America and 
the Caribbean Basin, with the exercise taking place simultaneously 
in Antigua, Grenada, Honduras and Costa Rica, involving personnel 
from 25 countries.  The action in Costa Rica took place April 20-25 
as U.S. personnel from SOUTHCOM, Air Force South, Army South and the 
New Mexico National Guard (the State Partner with Costa Rica) worked 
with Embassy personnel (from the Office of Defense Representative 
and OFDA), Costa Rican civilian counterparts, and a canine rescue 
team from Panama.  Observers from Argentina, Bolivia and Chile were 
also involved. 
 
¶3. (U) COSTA RICA COMPONENT:  Under direction of SOUTHCOM's Standing 
Joint Force Headquarters (SJFHQ) element (which also coordinated all 
FA-HUM 2009 activities around the region), an international, 
inter-agency command center was established in San Jose with two 
local operations centers set up in the Quepos-Parrita area on the 
central Pacific coast.  Disaster scenarios, designed in close 
coordination with Costa Rican National Emergency Commission (CNE) 
and Red Cross staff, were intended to provide realistic training in 
response to pandemics, mudslides and earthquakes.  At the same time, 
14 medical personnel from AFSOUTH (81st Medical Group at Keesler 
AFB) and 12 from the New Mexico National Guard (44th Medical Group), 
worked with Costa Rican counterparts to conduct a real-life MEDRETE. 
 Over a 10-day period, they provided pediatric, dental, optometry, 
gynecological, dental and general medical care to 1,543 patients in 
10 communities in the region.  As with other recent MEDRETEs, the 
communities were selected by the GOCR because of their need and 
isolation.  None of the local residents has access to regular 
medical care. 
 
¶4. (U) VIP VISIT: On April 23, the Ambassador, Vice Minister of 
Security Marcela Chacon, CNE Director Vanessa Rosales, and 
legislators Xinia Nicolas (PLN), Olivier Jimenez (PLN) and 
Bienvenido Venegas (PUSC) flew to Quepos in New Mexico National 
Guard helicopters from the 1-171st General Aviation Battalion to 
visit the local command post and observe building rescue exercises. 
The legislators represented Puntarenas province, where FA-HUM was 
taking place, and the site visit to a U.S. military-supported 
humanitarian activity was the first-ever for Nicolas and Venegas. 
 
¶5. (U) POSITIVE PRESS:  International and national media coverage of 
FA-HUM 2009 (facilitated by the Embassy, SOUTHCOM and the New Mexico 
National Guard) was positive and extensive.  There were 20 stories 
in local and international newspapers, 11 local television reports 
and four local radio reports.  In addition to the MEDRETE, 
journalists covered the arrival of the two USAF C-17 Globemaster II 
aircraft that transported the New Mexico Blackhawks, over 60 
 
 
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