The 34th cycle of the Conference of American Armies (CAA), focusing on noncommissioned officer (NCO) education and COVID-19 lessons learned, was held February 9-11 at U.S. Army South (ARSOUTH) headquarters in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
The CAA is an international military organization integrated and run by 23 member armies of the Americas, three observer armies and the Spanish Army as a special observer. Each cycle lasts two years, and is led by a different volunteer member army, which chooses a topic. This cycle is led by Argentina.
During the conference, subject matter experts presented NCO educational topics, while three working groups addressed matters concerning academic course structure, online education, opportunities to share NCO educational resources, and COVID-19 adaptations to NCO education.
“We’re really focusing on the NCO piece, trying to strengthen the NCO Corps of all the armies across the region,” said Robert Pike, ARSOUTH liaison officer to the CAA. “This conference is about NCO education, and other conferences will look at NCO career profiles, NCO leadership, the role of the NCO, the future of the NCO, and NCO training.”
“We’re really focusing on the NCO piece, trying to strengthen the NCO Corps of all the armies across the region,” Robert Pike, ARSOUTH liaison officer to the CAA.
Overall, this conference was productive, said Brazilian Army Brigadier General Alcides V Faria, Jr., ARSOUTH Deputy Commanding General of Interoperability.
“This event allowed us to develop and consolidate our interoperability and strengthen our partnership with concrete benefits for our organizations and our countries,” said Brig. Gen. Alcides. “I am very confident that we have produced excellent results that will be very useful to all the armies of the CAA.”
The CAA was created in 1960 with the aim of establishing a forum of discussion for the exchange of experiences, analysis, and debate between the armies of the Western Hemisphere to enhance collaboration, security, and democratic development of member countries.