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Soto Cano Air Base (commonly known as Palmerola Air Base) is a Honduran military base to the south of Comayagua in Honduras. It houses between 500-600 US troops and is also used by the Honduran Air Force academy.〔http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article23123.htm〕〔http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/soto-cano.htm〕 The airbase became operational in 1981, changing the old location of the Honduras Air Force Academy in Toncontin, Tegucigalpa to Palmerola.〔() (Spanish)〕 The US government once used Palmerola as a base of operations to support its foreign policy objectives in the 1980s. Now the US military uses Soto Cano as a launching point for counter-narcotics missions in Central America as well as humanitarian aid missions throughout Honduras and Central America.〔 In addition to the Honduran Air Force Academy, the US military's Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-B) is headquartered at Soto Cano.〔 JTF-B consists of four groups: MEDEL (Medical Element) a Military Hospital, ARFOR (Army Forces), JSF (Joint Security Forces), and the 1st Battalion-228th Aviation Regiment (consisting of some 18 aircraft, a mix of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, MEDEVAC configured Black Hawks, and CH-47 Chinook helicopters). Until 2006, the JSF and 1-228th Aviation Regiment were the only permanent party organizations. JSF consisted of approximately 21 permanent, 1-year tour, Air Force Security Forces personnel, including the Commander and the 1-228th consisted of approximately 55 permanent Army aviation personnel - pilots, crew chiefs, and aviation maintainers. The rest of the JSF personnel consisted of Army, Air Force, and U.S. Marines personnel who would be temporarily assigned to JSF rotating every 6-months. In that year, MEDEL, which was a U.S. Army-only unit, began receiving Air Force personnel, however it is no longer a joint billet. The requirement is for an U.S. Army Colonel to be the Commander of JTF-B and an U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel to be the Deputy Commander. In addition, MEDEL is commanded by the U.S. Army, 1-228th AR is commanded by the U.S. Army, ARFOR is commanded by the U.S. Army, AFFOR is commanded by the U.S. Air Force, and JSF is commanded by the U.S. Air Force. ==About Soto Cano and JTF-Bravo command and structure== José Enrique Soto Cano Air Base is a Honduras military installation and home of the Honduras Air Force and Honduras Air Force Academy. It is located less than from Comayagua (population: 33,000), and from the Honduras capital, Tegucigalpa. The base is about ; lies in the Comayagua Valley and is ringed by mountain peaks to the east and west. Soto Cano sits at an elevation of above sea level. The American contingent at Soto Cano Air Base is designated Joint Task Force-Bravo〔()〕 and consists of both U.S. military personnel and Honduran civilians. They work in five different major support commands including the 612th Air Base Squadron, Army Forces Battalion, Joint Security Forces and Medical Element. The fifth MSC is a tenant unit also based at Soto Cano. The 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment, a U.S. Army South asset, provides aerial support for the JTF-Bravo mission. The Joint-Staff provides command and control for JTF-B. The Joint Staff fall under the Army Forces Battalion for administrative and accountability purposes. The 612 ABS has among its functions; weather forecasting, fire protection, and maintaining a 24-hour C-5 Galaxy-capable runway. The Army Forces operate finance, personnel and airborne operations. Joint Security Forces consists of Air Force and Army force protection personnel who patrol the base and provide gate guard duty alongside their Honduran counterparts. Health care services are performed by the Medical Element. The 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment performs a variety of airlift support missions throughout Central and South America with UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters. U.S. forces are guests on the base which is the home of the Honduran Air Force Academy. Soto Cano is not a U.S. installation as some media report. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Soto Cano Air Base」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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