United States Department of Defense
NEWS RELEASE
August 21, 2001

 U. S. FORCES IN ARGENTINA FOR PEACEKEEPING EXERCISE

The Department of Defense announced today that U.S. special operations forces assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, NC and Special Operations Command-South, Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, will participate in "Cabanas 2001," a joint multinational peacekeeping exercise in Salta, Argentina, from Aug. 22 through Sept. 11, 2001.

Cabanas 2001, sponsored by the headquarters, United States Southern Command, Miami, Fla., and hosted by Argentina will involve about 400 U.S. airmen, sailors and soldiers. More than 700 military personnel from the host nation, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay will participate, while Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela will send observers.

This exercise is the largest joint and combined service exercise held in the region and it focuses on a variety of U.N. peacekeeping tasks including: tactical troop movements, food distribution, identification and marking of mines, civil-military, security and police operations.