U.S. Army concludes staff talks with Salvadoran army at Army South headquarters

Maj. Gen. Simeon G. Trombitas (center), U.S. Army South commanding general and Command Sgt. Maj. Gabriel Cervantes (right), host bilateral staff talks with the Salvadoran army at the Army South headquarters Sept. 5.

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - The U.S. Army concluded its annual army-to-army staff talks with the Salvadoran army Sept. 6 during a closing ceremony here at the U.S. Army South headquarters.

The U.S. Army Staff Talks Program serves as a bilateral forum for strategic-level discussion between respective armies. The program seeks to promote bilateral efforts in order to develop professional partnerships and increase interaction between partner nation armies.

The staff talks program enhances existing military relationships and capabilities and promotes bilateral professional engagements between the two armies. This year marked the sixth consecutive year that Army South has conducted staff talks with the Salvadoran army.

“These talks demonstrate to El Salvador that we value them as a close ally,” said Lt. Col. Andrew MacLean, the Army section chief in El Salvador. “It also honors their contributions in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

The Salvadoran army deployed more than 3,400 soldiers during 11 rotations to assist in Operation Iraqi Freedom.  In addition, the Salvadoran army participates annually in humanitarian, natural disaster preparation and security exercises, such as Peacekeeping Operations Americas, Fuerzas Aliadas Humanitarias and PANAMAX, with the Army South and other partner nation armies and security forces.

Next year Army South, with the approval of the Salvadoran government and working alongside the Salvadoran army, will conduct the Beyond the Horizon exercise in El Salvador.  BTH is an annual humanitarian and civic assistance operation that provides training for military and government personnel, while providing medical, dental, veterinary and engineering support to rural communities in Central and South America.

Through a series of professional briefings, the two-day-long staff talks focused on the U.S. perspective on emerging threats in Central America and Department of Defense support to civil authorities in combating transnational organized crime and Border Operations.

Following the staff talks, Maj. Gen. Simeon G. Trombitas, the U.S. Army South commanding general, and Brig. Gen. Francisco Eugenio Del Cid Diaz, the Salvadoran army chief of staff, signed a formal memorandum that detailed the agreed-to-actions that will govern the interaction between the U.S. and Salvadoran armies over the next year.

“It’s a great honor that one of my final acts as the commander of Army South is to be able to work alongside the Salvadoran army commanders, some of my first friends in Central and South America and the members of that army will always have a place in my heart,” said Trombitas. “I am confident that with young officers like we have here today working side-by-side, our armies can continue the strong relationship that we have worked hard to establish.”

In addition to El Salvador, Army South conducts bilateral army-to-army staff talks with Brazil, Chile and Colombia on behalf of the U.S. Army and as part of the U.S. Southern Command’s theater security cooperation mission in Central and South American and the Caribbean.