The Seventh annual Senior Leader Logistics Symposium (SLLS) 2025, a key forum for promoting logistics interoperability, was carried out June 4-5, at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) headquarters. The SOUTHCOM-sponsored symposium aims to strengthen logistics ties with partner nations in the Western Hemisphere.
Under the theme “Strategic Logistic Vision,” 28 partner nations gathered to share experiences, lessons learned, and innovative solutions in logistics. Delegations from Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay participated in the event.
During his opening remarks, U.S. Navy Admiral Alvin Hosley, SOUTHCOM commander, emphasized the critical link between robust logistics and collaboration in the face of shared threats.
“The threats and challenges we face in this region will succeed and endure if we do not prepare, if we do not innovate, if we do not collaborate, do not deliver, do not build relationships and partnerships,” Adm. Hosley said. “The threats and challenges we face are not unique to one nation. They transcend nations and borders. And as these threats continue to evolve, so must our ability to think, act, and operate differently.”
Setting the course
This year’s agenda kicked off with updates on the goals set during the 2024 event. During his keynote address, U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Dion D. English, director for Logistics of the Joint Staff (J4), highlighted how adversaries have studied and adapted U.S. and allied logistics, exploiting vulnerabilities, while also mirroring some successful strategies.
“But the one thing that they can never count on, is the strength that we have as a united coalition of partners and allies,” he said.
U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Douglas R. Burke, SOUTHCOM director of Logistics, identified operational readiness and movement and transportation as the two critical elements for collective logistical efforts. He also announced the successful validation of the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Logistics Handbook. This handbook, designed to guide nations in coordinating their logistics during HADR operations in the region, proved effective during its implementation in multinational exercise Tradewinds 25, which recently concluded in early May.
“I’m happy to report that we were successful in validating the logistics handbook for HADR. It’s a credit to every member of this group, this organization. And I’d like to recognize some of the initial work and the foundation that was laid two years ago, especially by the partner from Chile, Captain Eduardo Torres from the Chilean Navy,” Scott Pierce, chairman of the Movement and Transportation Working Group, said.
Pierce specifically highlighted the Argentine Air Force as a key player, noting its C-130 aircraft served as the central element for the exercise. Alongside, the Jamaican Defence Force (JDF) and the Dominican Armed Forces conducted joint handling, loading, and unloading maneuvers, adhering to the manual’s established guidelines and phases.
TMPI news
Three regional partner nations shared updates on the progress of the Theater Maintenance Partnership Initiative (TMPI) program.
JDF Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell Gordon, president of the Caribbean Military Academy (CMA), detailed Jamaica’s participation. He highlighted CMA’s commitment to providing certified and accredited training and education, noting its status as a registered tertiary institution working towards university accreditation and offering its first degree program next year. Lt. Col. Gordon also stated that lessons learned from exercise Tradewinds 25 are being integrated into existing curricula, with plans underway to establish a military logistics school.
In Colombia, the TMPI program encompasses three main components: an official multinational logistics course, an aviation sustainment and training center, and a communications sustainment and training center of excellence.
“These three components of the TMPI represent seven impact areas that we seek to achieve through logistics,” said Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Andrés Vargas Pavón, head of the Logistics Department of the Colombian Military Forces’ General Command. “We understand, in the General Command, that together we are stronger, and that victories will come from logistics.”
Lieutenant Colonel Julio César Villanueva, director of the Colombian Army’s School of Military Communications (ESCOM), further explained the importance of preventive, corrective, and major maintenance in maximizing sustainability, particularly for long-term missions.
Captain Luis Camaño, head of naval engineering for the Panama Air and Naval Service (SENAN), shared insights into the creation of their Center of Excellence as part of the TMPI program.
“Since the creation of the Center of Excellence, with the help of the TMPI program, we can develop accreditations for all courses through state universities,” Capt. Camaño said. “We have developed agreements with state universities that provide technical training at the engineering and operational levels. We can also develop life cycle management for CPV-type vessels, training in the technical area of engineering, and budget planning. The goal is to be able to develop all these curricula and provide this advice or training at the regional level through and with the help of the TMPI program.”
Looking ahead
The SLLS 25 highlighted a clear path forward: Effective regional security relies on adaptable, interconnected logistics. As threats evolve, the ability to rapidly move personnel and aid across borders is crucial. The collaboration among 28 nations, paired with tools like the HADR Logistics Handbook and TMPI, contributes to building a more resilient and responsive security framework for the hemisphere.
