U.S. and Brazil army-to-army staff talks, a weeklong series of meetings held to strengthen professional partnerships and increase interaction between armies, was inaugurated at the Army South headquarters on October 20. The U.S. Army Staff Talks Program serves as a bilateral engagement for military discussion between respective armies. This year [ … ]
Capacity Building
US Embassy Provides $6 Million for Emergency Ops Centers in Grenada, Carriacou
On October 19, U.S. Ambassador to Grenada Linda Taglialatela joined Grenadian Minister of Finance Gregory Bowen, Minister of State with responsibility for Disaster Management Winston Garraway, and Permanent Secretary Rhonda Jones to commission a new emergency operations center and warehouse in Morne Jaloux. This center will serve as the headquarters [ … ]
US Donates Search and Rescue Equipment to Peruvian Air Force
On October 13, the U.S. government donated search and rescue equipment to the Peruvian Air Force (FAP, in Spanish), valued at $2 million. During the handover ceremony held at Las Palmas Air Base, in Surco, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires in Peru Denison Offutt praised the FAP work that connects remote [ … ]
SOUTHCOM Hosts US-Chile Space Engagement Talks with USSPACECOM and US Space Force
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) hosted U.S.-Chile Space Engagement Talks with U.S. military and Chilean representatives during separate virtual sessions October 28-29. The virtual talks served to reinforce the United States and Chile’s already strong security partnership while highlighting opportunities for cooperation in space — the fifth domain. Participants from the [ … ]
Army South Hosts Center for Army Lessons Learned Seminar with Salvadoran Army
U.S. Army South conducted a virtual Center for Army Lessons Learned, or CALL, program development seminar with the Salvadoran Army and El Salvador’s Joint Center of Doctrine and Military Education, September 23-24. Since 2017, Army South and CALL have supported El Salvador’s efforts in developing a lessons learned capability program [ … ]
US Donates 2 Field Hospitals to Guatemala to Treat COVID-19 Patients
On October 22, the U.S. government donated two field hospitals to Guatemala’s Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance to support the fight against COVID-19. The hospitals have a total capacity of 80 patients and are equipped with water, power, air conditioning, and heating inside. The generators and 80 beds [ … ]
Western Hemisphere Allies Work Together to Ensure Stability
A sign outside an office in the Pentagon summarizes the feelings of the people inside the office: “The Western Hemisphere Is the Best Hemisphere.” Sergio de la Peña, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere affairs, says that, despite some problems, the “neighborhood” is safe and prospering. Still, this [ … ]
JTF-Bravo Rescues Victims of Hurricane Eta
A U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopter crew assigned to Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-Bravo) in Honduras rescued victims stranded in floodwaters November 5, following the effects of Hurricane Eta. At the request of the governments of Honduras and Panama, the task force is supporting immediate, life-saving efforts in [ … ]
US Helps Improve Guatemalans’ Lives
The United States government, through the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced the donation of $7 million to the Trifinio Plan, to be used in four new and existing projects in Guatemalan municipalities that share borders with El [ … ]
In light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, SOUTHCOM Humanitarian Assistance in Uruguay and the Region Shows Friendship and Focuses on Vulnerable Populations
The Office of Defense Cooperation of the U.S. Embassy in Uruguay is constantly working on building and strengthening bonds and institutional ties to promote the security, stability, and prosperity of Uruguayan citizens through a wide array of programs, donations, and exchange initiatives. The COVID-19 pandemic was not the exception, since [ … ]
NCO Career Is Theme at Conference of American Armies
The professionalization of noncommissioned officers (NCO) was the central theme during the second videoconference of army commanders at the Conference of American Armies (CAA) on September 30, 2020, with the participation of 26 countries. “The Brazilian Army commander, General Edson Leal Pujol, addressed the aspects of training and specialization in [ … ]
Partnership and Trust: SOUTHCOM Commander Visits Soto Cano Air Base in Honduras
Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-Bravo), a task force under U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and the oldest standing task force in U.S. military history, hosts approximately 500 U.S. military personnel — a relatively small team but a strong, qualified, and competent force that has left a long-lasting footprint in a rapidly [ … ]