US Army, Colombian senior military leaders converge at Fort Bragg for bi-annual exchange

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command welcomed a 12-member Colombian senior enlisted delegation Oct. 20 to its headquarters as part of the 23rd iteration of the Programa Integral para Suboficiales de Alta Jerarquía (Comprehensive Program for Senior Noncommissioned Officers), or PISAJ 23, a bi-annual engagement that strengthens professional ties between the U.S. and Colombian militaries.

The delegation includes senior enlisted leaders representing Colombia’s joint staff, Army, Marine Corps, military education and training institutions, as well as legal-affairs and support personnel. Senior Enlisted Advisor Wilfredo Quiñones Banguera, Colombian Army Sergeant Major Elí Mosquera Cruz and Navy senior enlisted leader Julián Adolfo Medina Quintero are among the visiting leaders.

“Senior enlisted leaders are central to readiness,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Nema Mobar, the U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command senior enlisted leader. “We advise commanders, uphold standards, develop leaders and take care of Soldiers, so the chance to have candid conversations with our Colombian counterparts is invaluable.”

Mobar and members of the headquarters staff welcomed the delegation at Marshall Hall as part of a weeklong series of professional engagements focused on leader development, readiness, interoperability and shared learning.

During the opening engagement, the Colombian delegation received an overview of USAWHC’s mission and its role in strengthening relationships with partner nations across the hemisphere. Maj. Gen. Brian Miller, chief of staff for USAWHC, provided opening remarks. Senior enlisted leaders from across the headquarters joined the discussion, representing personnel, operations, logistics, communications, resource management, medical, legal, inspector general, public affairs and chaplain functions.

The discussion centered on the role senior enlisted leaders play in advising commanders, shaping readiness, developing formations and caring for Soldiers. The visit also provided an opportunity for the Colombian delegation and USAWHC senior enlisted leaders to exchange perspectives on professional military education and leader development.

Following the headquarters engagement, the delegation visited the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg Noncommissioned Officer Academy, where participants toured the academy and observed classroom instruction. The visit gave the Colombian leaders an opportunity to see how the U.S. Army prepares noncommissioned officers for increasing levels of responsibility.

The group also observed an airborne pre-jump briefing to better understand how U.S. Army NCOs and Soldiers prepare for and execute airborne operations.

Later this week, the delegation will continue engagements with the 82nd Airborne Division and XVIII Airborne Corps.

Previous PISAJ iterations have taken participants to Fort Benning, Georgia, and Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as well as Washington, D.C., Miami and Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Partner-nation observers, including from Brazil, have also joined past engagements.

PISAJ is led by U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command. Designed to develop and professionalize the senior noncommissioned officer corps of Colombia’s armed forces, the program has been a recurring geo-strategic event since 2015. For more information on PISAJ, visit https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/PISAJ