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U.S. Army Soldiers from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade show off the capabilities of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter to a delegation from the Mexican Army as part of the Fifth Army Inter-American Relations Program (FIARP) on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Aug. 31, 2023. FIARP is a week-long event where Soldiers from U.S. Army North and the Mexican Army enhance relations and exchange ideas on operational compatibility and technology. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Keaton Habeck)
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U.S. Army Lt. Gen. John Evans, commanding general of U.S. Army North listens to a briefing on the capabilities of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade during the Fifth Army Inter-American Relations Program (FIARP) on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Aug. 31, 2023. FIARP is a week-long event where Soldiers from U.S. Army North and the Mexican Army enhance relations and exchange ideas on operational compatibility and technology. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Keaton Habeck)
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Secretaria de la Defensa Nacional Lt. Gen. Celestino Avila Astudillo, commander of the Mexican Army, listens to a briefing from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade during the Fifth Army Inter-American Relations Program (FIARP) on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Aug. 31, 2023. FIARP is a week-long event where Soldiers from U.S. Army North and the Mexican Army enhance relations and exchange ideas on operational compatibility and technology. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Keaton Habeck)
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A Mexican Army general officer sits in the cockpit of a UH-60A Blackhawk helicopter during a tour as part of the Fifth Army Inter-American Relations Program (FIARP) on Joint Base Lewis McChord, Wash., Aug. 31, 2023. FIARP is a week-long event where Soldiers from U.S. Army North and the Mexican Army enhance relations and exchange ideas on operational compatibility and technology. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Keaton Habeck)
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Leaders from U.S. Army North hosted Mexican Army leaders at America’s I Corps and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., as part of the Fifth Army Inter-American Relations Program (FIARP) Aug. 29, 2023. Dating back to World War II, FIARP is a tradition where the two countries enhance Army-to-Army relations and exchange ideas on interoperability and technology. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Keaton Habeck)
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Soldiers from 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team demonstrate the capabilities of the M1126 Styker armored vehicle to Mexican Army delegation as part of the Fifth Army Inter-American Relations Program at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., on Aug. 29, 2023. FIARP is a multinational exchange event where the U.S. and Mexican Army enhance relations and exchange ideas on operational compatibility and showcase new technology. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Keaton Habeck)
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U.S. Army Lt. Gen. John Evans (left), commanding general of U.S. Army North, Lt. Gen. Celestino Avila Astudillo, commanding general of the Mexican Army, and Maj. Gen. Michelle Schmidt, deputy commanding general of I Corps, listen to a brief about the capabilities and mission of ARNORTH on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Aug. 29, 2023. The brief was part of the Fifth Army Inter-American Relations Program where the U.S. Army and Mexican Army met to enhance relations and exchange ideas on operational compatibility and technology. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Keaton Habeck)
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1st. Lt. Lee Penninger, I Corps briefs Mexican Sgt. Maj. Jose Javier Juarez Arroyo, command sergeant major of the 6th Armored Reconnaissance Regiment, Mexican Army, about the specifications and capabilities of Stryker armored vehicles equipped with the satellite-based network communications capabilities during a tour at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Aug. 29, 2023. The demonstration was part of the Fifth Army InterAmerican Relations Program where members of U.S. Army North and the Mexican Army met to enhance relations and exchange ideas on operational compatibility and technology. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Keaton Habeck)
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Soldiers from 1-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division, discuss the medical capabilities of a Stryker armored vehicle to members of the Mexican Army delegation during the Fifth Army Inter-American Relations Program on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Aug. 29, 2023. FIARP is a multinational week-long event where members of the U.S. and Mexican Armies enhance relations and exchange ideas on operational compatibility technology. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Keaton Habeck)
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JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA – U.S. Army North (ARNORTH) and the Mexican Army participated in the 77th Fifth Army Inter-American Relations Program (FIARP) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and America’s I Corps from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1, 2023.
First established in 1946, FIARP is a program designed to enhance Army-to-Army relations and exchange ideas on how to increase operational compatibility and meet ARNORTH and U.S. Northern Command Security Cooperation objectives.
“It’s one of our longest bilateral relationships with one of our partners,” said Lt. Gen. John Evans, ARNORTH commanding general. “The idea really was to foster closer ties between the U.S. Army and the Mexican Army. We do this every year in hopes of building those relationships and at the same time, helping inform our partners to the south about the types of things we’re engaged in.”
The annual event is something participants from both the U.S. and Mexico said they looked forward to and the cooperation continues to help with issues both countries encounter.
“This is a good exercise to be able to learn the problem sets that we both face,” said Lt. Gen. Celestino Avila Astudillo, commander of the Mexican Army. “We can improve cooperation and understanding and how we might be able to respond to situations we may both face.”
The Mexican officials, along with their ARNORTH counterparts, discussed I Corp’s mission in the Indo-Pacific region and how they can contribute to enhancing security and stability in the area as well.
“We decided to come to JBLM and I Corps because of the focus on the Indo-Pacific,” Evans said. “I think it’s important that we help educate our partners and friends on some of the activities that are going on in INDOPACOM that can affect all of us. It was really a great place to come to get a feel for the type of capability that I Corps brings.”
Evans stressed the importance of sharing ideas about operational compatibility and being open about the U.S. Army’s capabilities.
“We don’t do anything unilaterally anymore,” Evans said. “We need to maintain a very close relationship with the Mexican military.”
Astudillo said he was very happy with his visit to JBLM and I Corps and is excited to learn more at future FIARP meetings.
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