FORT BENNING, Ga., (Dec. 16 2015) -- In front of a crowd of family and friends, Col. Gustavo Nuñez Kocher, with the Chilean Army, was "re"-promoted to brigadier general Dec. 10 in the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation auditorium.
Kocher, who has been serving with the U.S. Army for two years as the assistant commandant of WHINSEC, was officially promoted in his native country with a more formal ceremony. The ceremony at WHINSEC was held as an opportunity for his family to be involved, and for his WHINSEC counterparts to congratulate him.
"In my country, the (promotion) ceremony is more formal and focuses on me and what I've done," he said. "But here, I get to focus more on my Family and let them be involved and thank them for what they have done for me - for us."
Kocher's wife, Maite, and daughter, Javiera, pinned on his general stars after the orders promoting him to brigadier general were read, in Spanish, to the general were read, in Spanish, to the crowd.
Maj. Gen. Scott Miller, commanding general of the Maneuver Center of Excellence, was the guest speaker at the ceremony.
"Today we have an opportunity to thank somebody for their great service to this institution," Miller said. "But what does it mean to be promoted to general officer? It's a mark of recognition of everything you have done until today, but more importantly, it's everything you will do for your army and your nation.
"That's the recognition; it's the future not the past."
Nunez took a moment to thank his Family, and everyone in the audience, for helping him along the way and coming out to celebrate the achievement.
"It is an honor for me to get this promotion serving in the U.S. Army; the most important and powerful army in the world," he said. "I've had the opportunity to learn a lot here, and that's the reason it's so important to me to get this rank here.
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