Ecuador has joined the Partner Nation Military Advisor (PNMA) program at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). Army Colonel Juan Xavier Riofrío Játiva assumed the post in March 2021. Col. Riofrío, a native of Quito with 35 years of military service, is one of the 11 military advisors in the PNMA, a [ … ]
A Conversation With
Colombian Air Force Seeks to Become a Benchmark Following Leadership Role
General Ramsés Rueda Rueda, commander of the Colombian Air Force, spoke with Diálogo during his May 2021 visit to U.S. Air Forces Southern/12th Air Force (AFSOUTH) for the conclusion of Red Flag-Rescue, a premier combat search and rescue exercise. The exercise, with the participation of the Colombian Air Force (FAC, [ … ]
US Southern Command’s Exercises and Coalition Affairs Directorate (J7/9) Strengthens International Cooperation and Interoperability among Partner Nations
Colombia and the United States have had a mutually supportive relationship for decades, with strong ties of teamwork, operations, exercises, and combined efforts. This relationship has been further consolidated with Colombian Army Brigadier General Erik Rodríguez, who leads the Exercises and Coalition Affairs Directorate (J7/9) at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). [ … ]
New AFSOUTH Commander Stresses Building Strong Partnerships in the Region
On August 21, 2020, Major General Barry Cornish assumed command of U.S. Air Forces Southern/12th Air Force (AFSOUTH) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. AFSOUTH, is U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) air component, focused on countering regional threats, assisting with humanitarian aid, and training partner nations. Maj. Gen. Cornish [ … ]
Canadian Military Advisor Discusses Importance of SOUTHCOM’s Liaison Officer Program
A native of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, Lieutenant Colonel Ghislain Rancourt joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1982. As an air navigator, Lt. Col. Rancourt has over 3,800 hours flying on the CP 140 Aurora and CC 130 Hercules aircraft, with two deployments to Afghanistan. During his second tour, he [ … ]
Chile and SOUTHCOM: Two Decades United through the PNMA
With 32 years of military service, Chilean Navy Captain Guillermo Ceballos is one of the 11 partner nation military advisors (PNMA) at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). Capt. Ceballos is a marine corps specialist and a native of San Fernando city, in the Libertador General Bernardo O’Higgins region of Chile. He [ … ]
The Work of a Female Soldier Following the Hurricanes in Guatemala
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, [ … ]
British Captain Talks about His Role in the Partner Nation Military Advisors Program at SOUTHCOM
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 [ … ]
Peruvian Military Advisor Strengthens Bonds with SOUTHCOM
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 Military Advisor is Committed to Interoperability
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 [ … ]
Brazilian Navy Has First Female Marine Corps Midshipman
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 [ … ]
Colombia United to SOUTHCOM through Military Advisor
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 [ … ]