Maj. Gen. retired Felix A. Santoni, civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army for Puerto Rico Emeritus, his wife Carmen I. Santoni, and Luis A. Soto, civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army, were among the participants.
During the meeting, Samples acknowledged the dedicated service of Maj. Gen. (ret.) Santoni and his wife, Carmen Santoni, to the country, the U.S. Army, and Fort Buchanan. VIEW ORIGINAL
FORT BUCHANAN, PUERTO RICO- Members of several local Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) convened at the installation headquarters to participate in the Retired Soldier Council June 9, in an encounter hosted by Col. John D. Samples, Fort Buchanan's commander and Command Sgt. Maj. Kimberly D. Bergman-Gándara, the installation command sergeant major.
Maj. Gen. retired Felix A. Santoni, civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army for Puerto Rico Emeritus, his wife Carmen I. Santoni, and Luis A. Soto, civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army, were among the participants.
During the meeting, Samples acknowledged the dedicated service of Maj. Gen. (ret.) Santoni and his wife, Carmen Santoni, to the country, the U.S. Army, and Fort Buchanan.
"At Fort Buchanan, we enable the readiness of the warfighter, but we have an absolute duty to honor those that have worn the uniform before us. And we will do that every day because we have a responsibility to do what's right for those that will wear the uniform after us. General Santoni is an inspiration for all of us. We appreciate his presence here today," said Samples.
Born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Santoni entered the service at Fort Lee, Virginia, in 1955. During his military career, he served in many important positions in active duty, National Guard and Army Reserve, including commander of the U.S. Reserve Forces, Puerto Rico, and chief for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) with headquarters at Quarry Heights, Panama.
Since retirement in 1995, Santoni has continued his commitment and service to our nation as the senior civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army for Puerto Rico.
After the recognition to Santoni and his wife, representatives from the Directorate of Family Morale Welfare and Recreation (DFMWR), Army Community Service (ACS), Directorate Emergency Services (DES), and Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization, and Security (DPTMS) provided updates on events and services available to veterans and retirees at the installation as well as information about new policies regarding Real ID at Fort Buchanan.
For Eduardo Rodriguez Hernández, an outreach specialist of Endeavors Puerto Rico, veteran oriented non-profit organization, the meeting was very important.
"This type of meeting is essential because you receive different feedback from the different organizations as well as the command group from Fort Buchanan. It also provides the opportunity to bring some ideas, some information regarding the community, and allows us to receive accurate information about the services Fort Buchanan provides to all the VSOs," said Rodríguez.
Retired Soldiers Councils serve as advisory bodies to the Garrison Commander on matters relating to Retired Soldiers. They consist predominantly of Retired Soldier volunteers who serve as the primary interface between the Retired Soldier Community and the garrison commander, who is responsible for the day-to-day operation and management of installations and base support services.
For more information about veteran services at the home of the U.S. Army in the Caribbean, call (787) 707-3938 or (787) 707-3384.
With an annual budget of over $500 million, Fort Buchanan supports approximately 15,000 active-duty Reserve, Puerto Rico National Guard, Marine Corps Reserve, and Navy Reserve personnel. The installation serves as a readiness enhancement platform, ensuring military personnel are prepared for deployment anytime, anywhere.
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