Lima, Peru. (June 19, 2024): America’s big heart was on display this week during Exercise Resolute Sentinel 2024, a joint exercise involving U.S. and local forces from host countries Peru, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador. In this photo by Technical Sergeant Devin Boyer, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Kim Broughton (left) conducts leg surgery alongside Peruvian surgeons as part of humanitarian and disaster preparedness exercises.

Hosted by the U.S. Southern Command, Resolute Sentinel 2024 is both a training event and a chance to forge critical relationships that will be vital in any future emergency. Some 1,500 American medical personnel trained with their local counterparts on everything from disaster response and medical readiness to cyber defense and small arms combat tactics. This year, special emphasis was placed on medical readiness with joint medical teams operating field hospitals to provide care to local communities.

The primary goal of the training is to enhance America’s ability to respond collectively to natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes and floods, which are prevalent in the region.

America and Peru have warm diplomatic relations and extensive military cooperation. For more than 61 years, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has worked in Peru investing more than $4.2 billion in more than 1,500 programs. In 2022, U.S. Assistance to Peru was $100 million in humanitarian assistance and another $140 million in development, security, and health assistance.

Peru also works closely with the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement to reduce crime, increase access to justice, and strengthen security institutions for the benefit of both nations.