As commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District, headquartered in Miami, Florida, Rear Admiral Brendan McPherson is responsible for all Coast Guard operations in the southeast United States and the Caribbean Basin, including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Seventh District encompasses an area [ … ]
A Conversation With


Leadership and Experience Among Troops to Achieve Victory
Noncommissioned officers (NCOs) in Colombia are highly regarded regionally for their professionalism and hard work. Their leadership and experience in managing troops come with the great responsibility of being the commander’s right-hand man. Diálogo had the opportunity to talk with Joint Command Sergeant Major Luis Alfredo Bueno Márquez, sergeant major [ … ]

More Security, Less Violence for Southeastern Colombia
Strategic military operations such as Sodom (2010) and Armageddon (2012) have earned Joint Task Force Omega national and international recognition. The force has some 8,000 troops from the Colombian Army, Navy, and Air Force to protect citizens and territory in the departments of Meta, Caquetá, and Guaviare from the criminal [ … ]

CONAT, Elite Force Against Narcotrafficking
Colombia has a new military command to confront narcotrafficking and transnational threats — the Command Against Drug Trafficking and Transnational Threats (CONAT, in Spanish). Diálogo had the opportunity to visit CONAT’s facilities to talk with its commander, Colombian Army Brigadier General Walther Adrián Giraldo Jiménez, and to learn about the [ … ]

USSPACECOM Commander Driving Toward Full Operational Capacity
U.S. Army General James Dickinson, commander of U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) is committed to several lines of effort as the command drives toward full operational capability, including strengthening relationships, attracting new partners, and building and maintaining a competitive advantage. Gen. Dickinson spoke with Diálogo about his partnership with nations within [ … ]

Colombian Navy, Reputation and International Positioning
Protecting two seas, nine maritime borders, and confronting Colombia’s internal and external threats are Colombian Navy Commander Admiral Gabriel Alfonso Pérez Garcés’ main tasks. This is possible, he says in conversation with Diálogo, thanks to the personnel’s high level of professionalism, the institution’s national and international prestige, its technological means, [ … ]

The Inter-American Defense College Turns 60
The Inter-American Defense College (IADC) is turning 60 this year. To celebrate the date, Diálogo visited the educational institution, located at Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., to talk to its director, U.S. Army National Guard Major General James Taylor. Diálogo: How relevant is IADC today? U.S. Army National Guard Major [ … ]

First Woman Takes Command of Brazilian Air Force Operational Squadron
The Brazilian Air Force (FAB, in Portuguese) has a woman at the command of an operational unit for the first time. On January 26, 2022, Brazilian Air Force Major Márcia Regina Cardoso assumed command of the First Communications and Control Group’s First Squadron (1º/1º GCC, in Portuguese), based at Santa [ … ]

Humanitarian Demining Work, a Global Benchmark
The mission is clear: to make Colombia a country free of suspected antipersonnel mines. This is the task of the Army’s Humanitarian Demining Engineer Brigade, which seeks to clear and decontaminate Colombian territory from the threat of antipersonnel mines planted by illegal armed groups. In Colombia, the Navy’s Marine Corps [ … ]

Relentless Against Colombia’s Enemies
Combating narcotrafficking chains, their leaders, and dismantling criminal networks have been Colombian Minister of Defense Diego Andrés Molano Aponte’s priorities since he assumed his ministerial duties in February 2021. Minister Molano spoke with Diálogo about important topics for the security and defense sector, such as the frontal fight against narcotrafficking, [ … ]

Opening International Doors to Paraguayan NCOs
Paraguayan Army First Sergeant Antonia Paredes is the first noncommissioned officer (NCO) from her country to attend the Sergeants Major Course at the NCO Leadership Center of Excellence (NCOLCoE) in Fort Bliss, Texas. First Sergeant Paredes enrolled in the Army in 2013, and since then has focused her military career [ … ]

Celebrating 50 Years of Professional NCO Development
The Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Leadership Center of Excellence (NCOLCoE) is a premier institution driving innovative development for U.S. Army’s enlisted leaders (ELs). The center provides professional military education that fosters ELs to meet the challenges of today’s complex world. Previously known as the Sergeants Major Academy, the NCOLCoE is a [ … ]