UNITAS

PACIFIC COAST, Colombia - SK1 Hiram Bonds lands a Colombian helicopter on the deck of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Forward just before the sun sets into the Pacific Ocean. The Forward is participating in UNITAS, a two-week naval exercise involving 18 ships, two submarines and 18 fixed and rotary wing aircraft from Colombian, Chile, Panama, Peru and the United States. UNITAS is a Spanish phrase that stands for "togetherness." The purpose of UNITAS is to foster cooperation and develop naval interoperability in the region.