Browsing: Spotlight Interviews

Colombian Navy, Reputation and International Positioning

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, and suitable naval and river fleet. The institution, he says,…

April 05, 2022
The Inter-American Defense College Turns 60

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 General James Taylor, IADC director: This year, the IADC celebrates…

March 31, 2022
First Woman Takes Command of Brazilian Air Force Operational Squadron

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 Cruz Air Base, in Rio de Janeiro. The officer’s pioneering…

March 29, 2022
Humanitarian Demining Work, a Global Benchmark

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 Explosives and Demining Group and five civilian organizations also carry…

March 28, 2022
Relentless Against Colombia’s Enemies

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, the defense of biodiversity, and the capabilities of the Military…

March 17, 2022
Opening International Doors to Paraguayan NCOs

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 on showing that gender is no obstacle to achieving professional…

March 08, 2022
Celebrating 50 Years of Professional NCO Development

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 recognized international institution, which trains NCOs of all U.S. military…

March 02, 2022
Ensuring Partnership, Trust, Teamwork

Ensuring Partnership, Trust, Teamwork

U.S. Navy Rear Admiral James A. Aiken Jr., commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. Fourth Fleet (USNAVSO/4THFLT) is committed to work with the maritime forces of Latin American and Caribbean partner nations to enhance the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere. Rear Adm. Aiken spoke with Diálogo about his engagements with SOUTHCOM’s partner nations and the regional security…

February 22, 2022
Colombia Delivers Historic Results Against Narcotrafficking Value Chain

Colombia Delivers Historic Results Against Narcotrafficking Value Chain

General Jorge León González Parra, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Colombian Military Forces, spoke with Diálogo during his official visit to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) in Miami. During the interview, Gen. González spoke about Colombia’s advances in the fight against criminal organizations, expert exchanges on information capabilities, and the important role of citizens in national security.…

February 15, 2022
First Female Pilot Marks Milestone in the Chilean Navy

First Female Pilot Marks Milestone in the Chilean Navy

The Chilean Navy, created in 1817, has a female pilot in its ranks for the first time in its history. On October 14, 2021, Lieutenant Junior Grade Daniela Figueroa Scholz finished the Naval Aviation course at the top of her class, fit to fly the Pilatus PC-7. Lt. j.g. Figueroa spoke with Diálogo about her achievements and goals for the…

December 23, 2021
AMAN: a World-Class Military Educational Institution

AMAN: a World-Class Military Educational Institution

The Agulhas Negras Military Academy (AMAN, in Portuguese), in Resende, Rio de Janeiro state, is the higher education institution entrusted with training career officers of the Brazilian Army (EB, in Portuguese). The school recently hosted the U.S. Army and EB combined exercise CORE 21/Southern Vanguard 22. Diálogo spoke with EB Major General Paulo Roberto Rodrigues Pimentel, AMAN commandant, following the…

December 21, 2021
72nd Poseidon Task Force against Narcotrafficking: Direct Offensive against Narcotrafficking

72nd Poseidon Task Force against Narcotrafficking: Direct Offensive against Narcotrafficking

Amid the inclement weather and the inhospitable swamps, rivers, and coastal areas of the Colombian Pacific, members of the 72nd Poseidon Task Force against Narcotrafficking, a unit of the Colombian Navy, conduct operations to curb the boom of narcotrafficking in the area, which has large concentrations of coca leaf, and close maritime routes to illegal traffic that seek to move…

December 14, 2021