NEW CUMBERLAND, Pennsylvania - Col. Pedro Aires Pereira Jr., incoming deputy chief of the Brazilian Army Commission, visited the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania June 15, 2021.
Aires’ purpose for the trip was twofold. The first order of business was to discuss the role and responsibilities of Brazil’s newest security assistance liaison officer, Lt. Col. Carlos Pauloni, stationed at USASAC.
“During his visit, Colonel Aires highlighted the importance of the Brazilian army SALO working closely with (USASAC’s) country case management team and SALOs from other countries,” Pauloni said. “This allows for interoperability and exchange of experiences regarding the FMS program, and it contributes to optimizing and speeding up solutions for problems involving the Brazilian (FMS) cases.”
SALOs provide pivotal support to on-site partner nation representatives and allow for faster implementation and execution of FMS cases.
Brazil has maintained a SALO at USASAC for more than a decade; but it wasn’t until 2021 that a Brazilian officer would be stationed in New Cumberland. In years past, Brazilian SALOS were assigned to USASAC’s Redstone Arsenal headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama.
The relocation from Alabama to Pennsylvania not only places Brazilian SALOs closer to the attaché office in Washington D.C., but also gives the South American nation direct, daily face-to-face access to the country case management team.
The opportunity to work so closely with the Brazilian case management team in New Cumberland increases transparency and fosters the relationship building that is a hallmark of USASAC’s security assistance mission.
USASAC’s SALO Manager Terra Good was instrumental in the smooth transition for the Brazilian SALO’s move to Pennsylvania. Having a Brazilian army representative within walking distance of her office would ensure better support to the partner nation throughout the foreign military sales process.
“USASAC is pleased to have Brazil in Pennsylvania where we can better support and meet their FMS requirements,” said Good. “The SALOs are USASAC's face to the world and we want to ensure we are meeting their expectations.”
The second order of business for Aires was to discuss how USASAC could help strengthen the Brazilian army through the acquisition of defense materials, systems and services. USASAC senior leaders and its country case management team provided Aires an extensive FMS overview.
After business concluded, Aires exchanged gifts with the country case management team and USASAC leadership in appreciation for their hard work.
ABOUT USASAC:
USASAC executes one of the United States’ most powerful foreign policy tools—Security Assistance and Foreign Military Sales, commonly known as FMS.
The FMS program is a form of security assistance authorized by the Arms Export Control Act of 1976. Under Section 3 of this Act, the U.S. may sell defense articles, services and training to other sovereign nations and international organizations, when the president finds that to do so will strengthen the security of the U.S. and promote world peace.
Executing security assistance and FMS with partner nations has many benefits—for U.S. national security, U.S. Armed Forces and America’s allies across the globe. Among its many benefits, it:
- Enhances political-military ties and regional stability;
- Helps deter aggression and promote democratic values;
- Supports Combatant Command goals and objectives;
- Reduces production costs and keeps industry production lines hot;
- Enhances defense industry interest of both nations and
- Decreases U.S. deployments as our partners are able to defend their own borders
Currently, USASAC manages over 6,500 FMS cases, worth more than 205 billion dollars, for over 140 countries.
For more information about USASAC and its contributions to U.S. foreign policy, visit https://www.usasac.army.mil.
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