Amistad 2026 launches in Paraguay

DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. — Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern) launched Amistad 2026 in Paraguay June 15, beginning a series of health security cooperation engagements designed to strengthen partnerships and bolster regional health security across the Western Hemisphere.

Now in its third consecutive year in Paraguay, Amistad 2026 builds on enduring relationships established through previous missions. Teams will work side by side in hospitals, clinics and community health facilities selected by Paraguay’s Ministry of Health to exchange expertise, expand medical capabilities and strengthen collective readiness.

“Amistad is about being better together than we are on our own,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Brian Gavitt, AFSOUTH command surgeon. “Every time our medical teams work side by side with partner-nation providers, we’re improving care and building the trust that underpins how we respond together when a crisis hits.”

The mission brings U.S. military medical professionals together with host-nation health care providers for two weeks in Paraguay, followed by two weeks in the Dominican Republic later this summer.

In Paraguay, Amistad 2026 will focus on audiology, dental and optometry services, pairing U.S. and Paraguayan providers in clinical settings to deliver patient care while sharing best practices. The engagements are coordinated with host-nation ministries of health and U.S. Embassy country teams to align efforts with local priorities and health care needs.

“One of the greatest strengths of Amistad is that everyone involved learns from one another,” Gavitt said. “Our teams bring specialized expertise, and our partners bring proven solutions from their own health care systems. That exchange makes all of us better prepared for the challenges we may face in the future.”

Amistad, which means “friendship” in Spanish, brings together U.S. military medical personnel, partner-nation health care professionals and international collaborators to exchange expertise, strengthen expeditionary medical skills and improve interoperability in support of regional health security.

“Strong partnerships are built through shared experience,” Gavitt said. “By working shoulder to shoulder with our partners, we gain a clearer understanding of one another’s capabilities and strengthen the networks that help ensure a safe, secure and prosperous hemisphere.”

U.S. Air National Guard Lt. Col. Peter Mudge, Amistad 2026 mission commander, said the engagement highlights the value of working closely with regional partners.

“Our joint medical teams are excited,” Mudge said. “Amistad 2026 is about partnership, readiness and service. Working alongside our Paraguayan partners, we’re enhancing interoperability, strengthening medical capabilities and advancing security cooperation across the region.”

“Health security is regional security,” Gavitt said. “Every patient treated, every procedure performed and every lesson shared contributes to stronger health care systems and stronger partnerships. When challenges arise, those relationships ensure we don’t respond as individual nations — we respond together.”

As medical professionals work side by side throughout the summer, Amistad continues to strengthen the relationships, trust and cooperation that enable the United States and its partners to meet future challenges together.