Ministry of Defense, General Commander of the Military Forces Colombia, representatives of USA and Brazil in Multinational Strategic Exercise in Tolemaida
The National Training Center of the Military Forces in Tolemaida (CENAE) was the site chosen for the joint exercise of the Military Forces of Colombia, the United States and Brazil, which was carried out in order to reaffirm the capabilities of the military Forces, share doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures, increase training, facilitate multilateral operation with the Military Forces of the region and conduct cooperation operations to combat criminal structures and strengthen infiltration techniques such as air assault.
The exercise, which consisted of the jump of paratroopers from Colombia and the United States and an airborne defensive operation, was accompanied by Defense Minister, Holmes Trujillo; the US ambassador in Colombia, Philip Goldberg; the General Commander of the Military Forces, General Luis Fernando Navarro and the Commander of the South Army of the United States, Daniel R. Walrath.
“We work to be increasingly interoperable, share knowledge at strategic and tactical levels. These types of exercises are a valuable tool and opportunity to strengthen our joint struggle against the transnational threats we face. They will in the same way lead us to exchange information and identify the areas to be reinforced to obtain very heavy results in matters of mutual interest such as the fight against drugs”, Minister Trujillo said to highlight the relevance of these exercises and the transnational cooperation.
Ambassador Goldberg highlighted that this exercise is of great importance for several reasons: it demonstrates the joint operational preparation of our military and, in addition, builds the capacity to respond quickly in support of our allies and partners in the region. “This exercise is not only preparation, but in the same way demonstrates regional unity. The close training with Colombia shows our commitment to the region and the excellent relations with the country”, he said.
For General Navarro, the exercise consisted specifically in unifying criteria to achieve interoperability in doctrine, operation, training, equipment and leadership. "At this time, we can say that this stage of interoperability in airborne operations has already been achieved and, another fundamental aspect to highlight of the exercise, is the camaraderie that exists between the military forces of the three countries," he said.
Finally, the Commander of the US Southern Army, Daniel R Walrath, said that the exercise is a continuation of the long relationship of the armies of the United States and Colombia and represents the unity and capacity of joint training.
Today the motto of the southern army of the United States is exemplified: defense and fraternity. The brotherhood we share with our partners in the Colombian army is the clearest way to protect the way of life in our neighborhood in the Western Hemisphere and our shared values of democracy, sovereignty and individual freedom”, he concluded.
Source: Sector Communication - Ministry of National Defense
