Colombia's top military official honors the fallen in the Nation's Capital

ARLINGTON, Va. (Sept. 25, 2014) -- Gen. Juan Pablo Rodriguez Barragán, Commander of the Armed Forces, Republic of Colombia, paid his respects to America's fallen heroes during an Armed Forces Full Honors Wreath Laying ceremony with Maj. Gen. Jeffrey S. Buchanan, Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region/U.S. Army Military District of Washington commanding general, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery.

Following the ceremony Rodriguez received a tour of the Memorial Amphitheater Display Room and watched the Changing of the Guard. Colombia's top defense official then received a briefing by a Tomb Sentinel about the operations and history of the Tomb of the Unknowns and exchanged mementos honoring the sacrifice of the America's fallen and remembering his trip to the Nation's Capital.

Earlier in the day Rodriguez met with Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. Various topics of mutual interest to both nations were discussed including counterinsurgency. Colombia has been battling the terrorist group known as Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, for more than half a century.

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