The first contact Lesvia Leticia Gallardo Morales had with the Guatemalan Armed Forces was when she first saw soldiers patrolling near her house. The then 5-year-old turned to her mother and said, “When I grow up, I want to be a soldier.” Throughout the years, she kept reminding her mother, [ … ]
Royal Navy Captain Stephen Anderson is one of 11 foreign military advisors embedded at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) as part of the Partner Nations Military Advisor (PNMA) program. This program is designed to strengthen partnerships through increasing SOUTHCOM’s understanding of the region by adding perspectives from these advisors. A native [ … ]
A native of Lima, Peru, with 26 years of military service in his country’s Army, Colonel Rubén Requena has been serving as a Partner Nations Military Advisor (PNMA) at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) since March 2020. His work in the PNMA program strengthens relations of cooperation between Peru and regional [ … ]
Argentine Army Colonel Horacio Alonso, who has 36 years of military service, has been a Partner Nations Military Advisor (PNMA) at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) since September 2019. Col. Alonso spoke with Diálogo about the mission and his interagency work as a PNMA program representative. The program, which SOUTHCOM created in [ … ]
The history of the Brazilian Armed Forces reached a milestone in 2014. For the first time, women were able to enter the prestigious Naval Academy (EN, in Portuguese) — a higher education institution of the Brazilian Navy (MB, in Portuguese) in the heart of Rio de Janeiro, with a very [ … ]
Colombian Army Colonel Héctor Iván Macías, Partner Nations Military Advisor (PNMA) at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) since October 2020, has a very specific goal: to strengthen cooperation relations between the armed forces of his country and the United States. With 29 years of military service, Col. Macías is one of [ … ]
In early February 2021, Uruguayan Army Lieutenant Colonel Ana Lucas assumed the post of commander of the Florida Battalion, becoming the first woman to command an infantry unit in the history of the Uruguayan Army. She stands out in her professional career as a paratrooper, as well as for her [ … ]
Brazilian Army Major General Alcides Valeriano de Faria Junior serves as the deputy commanding general for Interoperability at U.S. Army South (ARSOUTH). This is the second time that a general officer from a partner nation holds this position. Only four countries (Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru) participate in this rotation, [ … ]
As a rescue firefighter, she feels very proud to wear her uniform and represent the Guatemalan Army’s Humanitarian Rescue Battalion. She feels committed to giving her all and accomplishing her mission, since her greatest satisfaction as a rescuer is saving lives and mitigating the effects of disasters. This is Master [ … ]
During Independence Day festivities in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, little Wendy watched as the students of the Instituto Adolfo V. Hall de Occidente (a military secondary school), wore their dress uniforms and marched with great discipline. From that moment on, her interest in military life grew. When she would accompany her father [ … ]
Doctor Carla Lyrio Martins is the first woman to rise to the rank of general officer in the Brazilian Air Force (FAB, in Portuguese). She was promoted to brigadier general on November 25, 2020. Born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brig. Gen. Carla Lyrio is married with two children, and [ … ]
In 1978, armed commandos of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) attacked Israeli citizens, causing many deaths, and leaving many injured. In response to these criminal acts, the Israel Defense Forces invaded Lebanon to counterattack PLO strongholds, whose members were taking refuge and had operational bases in the southern part of [ … ]
For more on security and defense issues around the globe, click on the links below:
