#Bahamas, November 23, 2022 – The United States Government is committed to helping The Bahamas prepare for future disasters. US Major General Connie Jenkins, Director of Logistics and Engineering from
The US Department of Defense’s Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) visited Nassau November 15-18 to participate in a ceremony recognizing recently donated supplies. The donated material included a field hospital, temporary shelters, communications equipment, transportable weapons, generators and flood rescue boats worth about $5 million. This equipment gives the Bahamas the ability to rapidly deploy needed supplies from New Providence to the Family Islands for humanitarian and disaster response.
“One of the things we focus on broadly with our partner countries is working on different avenues within logistics and engineering to make everyone more resilient, especially when it comes to things like crises, storms and climate issues ,” said Major General Jenkins.
During Maj. Gen. Jenkins’ visit, she discussed with Bahamian military leaders ways to address gender-related challenges and disparities in disaster response operations and humanitarian assistance. Both USNORTHCOM and the Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) have made significant efforts to increase gender equality within their respective forces. As Major General Jenkins mentioned in her meetings with the RBDF and the National Emergency
Management Agency (NEMA), empowering women benefits everyone in a society: “A rising tide lifts all boats.”
The equipment donations represent half of the $10 million USNORTHCOM has committed to the Bahamas in 2022 as part of theater security cooperation efforts. During the pandemic, USNORTHCOM provided the Bahamas with diagnostic systems, ventilators and ultra-low temperature freezers. This assistance from the United States demonstrates its continued commitment to strengthening the Bahamas’ disaster response and humanitarian assistance capabilities.
Photo Captions:
Head: Permanent Secretary Colin Higgs, Ministry of Health and Welfare, NEMA Director Captain Stephen Russell and senior executives from the Public Hospital Authority (PHA) thank Major General Jenkins and showcase the compact size and mobility of the 20-bed field hospital. donated | Nassau, Bahamas | November 17, 2022
First entry: Major General Jenkins celebrates achievements of senior female officers and enlisted personnel in the Royal Bahamas Defense Force | Nassau, Bahamas | November 16, 2022
2nd entry: RBDF Capt. Glenn McPhee, Captain of Coral Harbor, gives a tour of Coral Harbor to Maj. Gen. Jenkins after a ceremony commemorating the donation of $2.5 million in armaments, communications equipment and SAFE boat supplies to the Defense Force | Nassau, Bahamas | November 16, 2022
3rd entry: Major General Jenkins thanks RBDF Chief of Mines Romeiko Burrows for his many contributions during his time at NEMA following a roundtable on gender equality in a disaster response environment | Nassau, Bahamas | November 17, 2022
