Press Releases 2008

Beyond the Horizons 2008 in Panama

March 28, 2008

Students at Macaracas during the closing ceremony

Since February 11 2008, the U.S. Army South had a team of 14 engineers in Panama who were making repairs and improvements to facilities that the U.S. Army constructed in recent years at Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Comarca Ngobe Bugle, and Los Santos.  They have been coordinating with the Ministry of Government and Justice, SINAPROC, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Health.  On 2 Apr 08, they moved on to make repairs and improvements at facilities in Guatemala and Belize. 

This is a small follow-up to much larger construction missions performed in the past, as recent as last year when we had the Task Force Estamos Unidos with some 400 soldiers who constructed clinics and schools around Rambala, Bocas del Toro.  In 2005, the U.S. Army constructed schools and community centers in the Los Santos area, including the two-room school and bathrooms at the Macaracas school.

Beyond the Horizon is a Humanitarian and Civic Assistance Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, to train our U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers in construction and medical skills.  Over the years, this Program has undergone some minor changes in mission and name - many Panamanians may recall the names “Fuertes Caminos” and “Nuevos Horizontes”.   Over the past 25 years of this Program, the U.S. Army engineers have constructed hundreds of schools, clinics, community centers, drilled many water wells, and provided medical care to thousands of people.  

We execute this Program not only in Panama, but everywhere in the Southern Command’s area of responsibility, i.e. Central and South America, and the Caribbean.   For example, the U.S. Army currently has projects in Trinidad & Tobago, Honduras, and Suriname, and for 2009 we are planning projects in Haiti, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, and El Salvador.   The U.S. Southern Command will be coordinating with the Government of Panama to conduct another large-scale Beyond the Horizon construction and medical mission in Panama in the near future.

The 14-man engineer team in Panama completed the following 16 projects:

Province of Bocas del Toro and Comarca Ngobe Bugle:
1.  Nueva Estrella 3 Room School with Latrine: electrical generator installation, latrine improvements, roof repairs, plumbing repairs, drainage improvement, lock repairs
2.  Molejones 2-room School with Latrine: electrical generator installation, latrine improvements, roof repairs, plumbing repairs, drainage improvement, lock repairs
3.  Norteno 2 room School: electrical generator installation, roof repairs, plumbing repairs, drainage improvement, lock repairs
4.  Norteno Clinic: electrical generator installation, roof repairs, plumbing repairs, drainage improvement, lock repairs
5.  Higueron Clinic: electrical generator installation, roof repairs, plumbing repairs, drainage improvement, lock repairs

Province of Chiriquí and Comarca Ngobe Bugle:
6.  Quebrada Guabo 2 room School: roof repairs, drainage improvements, lock repairs, sidewalk construction
7.  Cerro Iglesias Clinic: roof repairs, plumbing repairs, drainage improvements, lock repairs
8.  Hato Juli Clinic: roof repairs, plumbing repairs, drainage improvements, lock repairs
9.  Quebrada Hacha Clinic: electrical generator installation, roof repairs, drainage improvements, lock repairs
10.  Quebrada Hacha 3 room School with Latrine: roof repairs, drainage improvements, lock repairs, latrine repairs
11.  Las Lajas 3 room School with Latrine: drainage and site improvements, latrine improvements, roof repairs, lock repairs, latrine repairs

Province of Los Santos:
12.  Macaracas 2 room School with Latrine: playground equipment installation, parking area, fence construction, latrine improvements, roof repairs, drainage improvements, lock repairs
13.  Los Higos 2 room School with Latrine: latrine improvements, roof repairs, plumbing repairs, lock repairs
14.  La Mesa Community Center: playground equipment installation, fence construction, roof repairs, plumbing repairs
15.  Llano de Piedras Community Center: roof repairs and improvements, plumbing repairs, lock repairs
16.  Macaracas Community Center: roof repairs and improvements, lock repairs