For the first time in the history of the Uruguayan Army, a woman is commanding a basic combat unit. On February 13, Lieutenant Colonel Lorena Cardozo took over as chief of the 8th Armored Cavalry Regiment, located in Cerro Largo department. Lt. Col. Cardozo’s promotion is a milestone for the [ … ]
Capacity Building
Chilean Navy Officer Stands Out Among the First Generation of Female Lieutenants
Since late 2019, the Chilean Navy has its first generation of female lieutenants. Twenty-four women from all over the country rose to this rank, marking a milestone for the naval institution, which seeks to increase female participation in its units. Among these women, one officer stands out for her participation [ … ]
Peruvian Armed Forces Strengthen Cyberspace Defense
Peruvian Minister of Defense Walter Martos Ruíz inaugurated the headquarters of the Armed Forces Joint Command’s Cyber Defense Operational Command (COCID, in Spanish) in Lima, in late January 2020. The command’s mission is to plan and carry out cyberspace operations to counter attacks against national security. “The unit is equipped [ … ]
Colombian Armed Forces Stand Up Field Hospitals to Battle Coronavirus
As the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Colombia continues to rise, the military is doing its part to help assist in combatting the virus. These efforts range from securing the nation’s borders, patrolling the streets with police to enforce stay at home orders and social distancing, and handing [ … ]
Exercise Vita: JTF-Bravo, Colombian Partners Conduct Interoperability Training in La Guajira
Combined forces from Colombia and the United States concluded Exercise Vita at Fort Buenavista, Colombia, during a ceremony March 17 that marked more than two weeks of operations in the country's La Guajira region. More than 150 members of Joint Task Force Bravo (JFT-Bravo), based out of Soto Cano Air [ … ]
First Woman Leading Coast Guard Station in Colombia
The Colombian Navy has 15 Coast Guard stations tasked to counter crime at sea, monitor environmental protection, and contribute to search and rescue operations to ensure maritime security throughout the territory. For the first time in the history of the Colombian naval institution, a woman is leading one of these [ … ]
Brazilian Institutions and Teams Fight Cyberattacks
In 2019, federal, municipal, and state agencies all over Brazil recorded 23,717 notifications and 12,365 incidents in their networks and systems. The threats included website invasion, fraud, and interference in network and system availability. The Brazilian Government Response Team for Computer Security Incidents, a governmental organization tasked to gather, analyze, [ … ]
Central American, US Firefighters Grow Competencies, Partnerships
Like past years going back more than a decade, Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-Bravo) welcomed 25 Central American firefighters from Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to be trained during an iteration of CENTAM SMOKE — a biannual firefighting exercise — February 3-7 at Soto Cano Air Base, [ … ]
VIGIA Program Integrates Military and Public Security Institutions to Protect Brazilian Borders
On December 16, 2019, Brazil launched its first Integrated Border Operation Center (CIOF, in Portuguese) in Foz do Iguaçu, in the state of Paraná, as part of the VIGIA Program. The Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP, in Portuguese) created the program in April, which the Secretariat of Integrated [ … ]
SOUTHCOM Announces Upcoming Airborne Exercise with Colombia, US Army South, and 82nd Airborne Division
About 75 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and 40 personnel from U.S. Army South will arrive in Colombia, January 23, to participate in an airborne assault exercise through January 29. During the airborne exercise, U.S. and Colombian paratroopers will conduct an airborne training insertion [ … ]
Exercise Mercury Prepares Panamanian and US Forces for Disaster Response
When a disaster strikes, many factors can come into play as different agencies and organizations try to respond. From emergency first responders, nongovernmental organizations to military and public forces, everyone wants to lend a helping hand. However, those components may not always have the right capabilities, or simply may not [ … ]
Brazil and US Sign Agreement on Use of Alcântara Launch Center
The technology safeguards agreement allows for the launch of rockets and satellites that use U.S. technology out of the Brazilian base. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro signed a technology safeguards agreement (TSA) with the United States, during a visit to U.S. President Donald Trump in March 2019. On November 20, the [ … ]