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	Multinational Firefighting Teams Train Together During CENTAM Smoke
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        <h1 class="title">Multinational Firefighting Teams Train Together During CENTAM Smoke</h1>
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            <div class="image-title">CENTAM SMOKE ENDEX</div>
            <div class="image-caption">CENTAM SMOKE participants from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Jamaica and the 612th Air Base Squadron, Joint Task Force-Bravo, stand together at the closing ceremony at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, April 26, 2024. During the week-long exercise, participants learned vehicle extrication, rescue tactics, techniques and procedures, and structural live fire training.</div>
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            <div class="image-caption">A Guatemalan firefighter, and CENTAM SMOKE participant, smashes a window during CENTAM SMOKE vehicle extrication training at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, April 23, 2024. During this training, Joint Task Force-Bravo’s 612th Air Base Squadron firefighters train firefighters from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia and Jamaica.</div>
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            <div class="image-caption">CENTAM SMOKE participants, practice low-angle mechanical advantage rescue procedures at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, April 25, 2024. A safe, stable Central America is dependent on multinational exercises like CENTAM SMOKE that increases interoperability and builds combined partner capabilities.</div>
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            <div class="image-caption">A CENTAM SMOKE participant competes in the Fire Ground Obstacle Course at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, April 22, 2024. The purpose of CENTAM SMOKE, a bi-annual exercise, is to strengthen capabilities through the exchange of practices between countries and train under real scenarios.</div>
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            <div class="image-caption">CENTAM SMOKE participants put out a live fire on an aircraft trainer during CENTAM SMOKE at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, April 23, 2024. During this training, Joint Task Force-Bravo’s 612th Air Base Squadron firefighters train firefighters from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia and Jamaica.</div>
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            <div class="image-caption">U.S. Army Col. James Wiese, Joint Task Force-Bravo Commander, provides closing remarks during the closing ceremony of CENTAM SMOKE to all participants and guests at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, April 26, 2024. During the week-long exercise, participants learned vehicle extrication, rescue tactics, techniques and procedures, and structural live fire training.</div>
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            <div class="image-caption">Distinguished visitors, to include Joint Task Force-Bravo, Army Support Activity and 612th Air Base Wing leadership, attend the CENTAM SMOKE Closing Ceremony at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, April 26, 2024. During the ceremony, each member received a participation certificate presented by U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Anthony Rendon, 612th Air Base Squadron Commander.</div>
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            <div class="image-caption">U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Gerald Allen, Fire Chief assigned to the 612th Air Base Squadron, Joint-Task Force Bravo, speaks to CENTAM SMOKE participants and guests during the closing ceremony at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, April 26, 2024. During the week-long exercise, participants learned vehicle extrication, rescue tactics, techniques and procedures, and structural live fire training.</div>
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            <div class="image-caption">Herbert Gaekel, Lead Fire Inspector assigned to the 612th Air Base Squadron, Joint-Task Force Bravo, speaks during the CENTAM SMOKE Closing Ceremony at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, April 26, 2024. During the ceremony, each member received a participation certificate presented by U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Anthony Rendon, 612th Air Base Squadron Commander.</div>
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            <div class="image-caption">CENTAM SMOKE participants from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Jamaica and the 612th Air Base Squadron, Joint Task Force-Bravo, sit during the CENTAM SMOKE closing ceremony at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, April 26, 2024. During the ceremony, each member received a participation certificate presented by U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Anthony Rendon, 612th Air Base Squadron Commander.</div>
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                 alt="Jamaican firefighters receive the “Top Country Performers” Award for the Firefighter Challenge Obstacle Course at the CENTAM SMOKE Closing Ceremony at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras April 26, 2024. The team averaged a time of two minutes and 43 seconds for the course, which consisted of techniques and procedures on hose advancements up two stories, nozzle control, vehicle extrication, rescue operations and carrying a 150-pound mannequin."
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            <div class="image-caption">Jamaican firefighters receive the “Top Country Performers” Award for the Firefighter Challenge Obstacle Course at the CENTAM SMOKE Closing Ceremony at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras April 26, 2024. The team averaged a time of two minutes and 43 seconds for the course, which consisted of techniques and procedures on hose advancements up two stories, nozzle control, vehicle extrication, rescue operations and carrying a 150-pound mannequin.</div>
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                 alt="Gustavo Pena, a Colombian firefighter receives the “Top Performer” Award for the Firefighter Challenge Obstacle Course at the CENTAM SMOKE Closing Ceremony at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras April 26, 2024. He completed the course in two minutes and 19 seconds, which consisted of techniques and procedures on hose advancements up two stories, nozzle control, vehicle extrication, rescue operations and carrying a 150-pound mannequin."
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            <div class="image-caption">Gustavo Pena, a Colombian firefighter receives the “Top Performer” Award for the Firefighter Challenge Obstacle Course at the CENTAM SMOKE Closing Ceremony at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras April 26, 2024. He completed the course in two minutes and 19 seconds, which consisted of techniques and procedures on hose advancements up two stories, nozzle control, vehicle extrication, rescue operations and carrying a 150-pound mannequin.</div>
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    <div><b>By Capt. Dorothy Sherwood</b> <span class="date">/ Published April 29, 2024</span></div>
    <span class="dateline-text">SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras  , </span>
    <p>The multinational exercise CENTAM SMOKE ended with a closing ceremony awarding the five participating countries’ firefighters at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, April 26, 2024.</p>

<p>Twenty-six firefighters from Colombia, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Jamaica earned a diploma at the closing ceremony of the 17th iteration of CENTAM SMOKE inside Joint Task Force-Bravo’s 612th Air Base Squadron’s Fire Station.</p>

<p>“Remember this, we are living in challenging times, and it’s only by training together and preparing to face these challenges together that we can better support the people and the communities of this region,” said U.S. Army Col. Wiese, JTF-Bravo commander. “I know that the training was tough and at many points you were exhausted, but you persevered through it — by doing so you are now better prepared to assist your teams when needed.”</p>

<p>The first three days of the exercise focused on techniques and procedures on hose advancements up two stories, nozzle control, vehicle extrication, rescue operations and carrying a 150-pound mannequin.  


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                CENTAM SMOKE participants put out a live fire on an aircraft trainer during CENTAM SMOKE at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, April 23, 2024. During this training, Joint Task Force-Bravo’s 612th Air Base Squadron firefighters train firefighters from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia and Jamaica.
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<p>On day four, the firefighters got to use these learned techniques and procedures in structural live fire training and low-angle rescue evolutions.</p>

<p>“This week, we all joined together in training events to better understand how we operate independently, so that one day, if called upon, we can operate jointly,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Gerald Allen, 612th ABS fire chief. “You have all demonstrated what we can accomplish when we come together as a team.”</p>

<p>At the closing ceremony, Jamaica was awarded “top country performers” of the Firefighter Challenge Obstacle Course averaging two minutes and 43 seconds. The “top performer” of the Fire Ground Obstacle Course was Gustavo Pena, a firefighter from Colombia, completing it in two minutes and 19 seconds.</p>

<p>Joint Task Force-Bravo is dedicated to its security commitments to our partner nations in Central America. This commitment is shown through the four-month preparation on these various training events to well-prepare these five countries firefighters to face any obstacle.</p>

<p>Together with our partner nations, Joint Task Force-Bravo plans, develops capabilities, trains, and conducts exercises to prepare for natural and manmade disasters in the region. </p>

<p align="center">“Visto lo visto. Retirada? Nada, au au!”</p>
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