Article by Paula A. Villa
Joint military training of the armies of the United States and Colombia, in the National Training Center of Tolemaida. PHOTO COURTESY DVIDS
Around 100 American soldiers arrived in Colombia to start tactical and airport security training.
The military exercises carried out in Colombia sought that both forces can prevent an airport from being taken by terrorists, in addition to facing and responding to an air attack.
As reported by EL TIEMPO, a Colombian media outlet, the training was so troops from the U.S. Southern Command and Colombian troops in the city of Tolemaida could develop "solid military forces and improve interoperability."
The visit of the American military troops came months after their commander, Craig Faller and U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, went to Colombia and extolled the importance of “the cooperation between the two countries and their institutions”, according to El Colombiano, another media outlet in Colombia.
According to EL TIEMPO, a military source mentioned that the military exercises between the two countries are "relatively frequent" and in this case "the air component" was the one with the greatest attention. The same source also reportedly said that naval exercises are much more common as both countries work together "on drug interdiction issues in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans."
Joint military training of the armies of the United States and Colombia, in the National Training Center of Tolemaida. PHOTO COURTESY DVIDS
An official statement from the Colombian armed forces said that the Colombian military will contribute their experience with "FAC warplanes: the Kfir, the C-295 and the C-130, as well as helicopters and aeromedical transport units." The Colombian military force statement also indicates that this was an "opportunity to strengthen the fight against transnational threats, strengthen the fight against drug trafficking and exchange information and training."
Several images have been published on the All American Division’s Instagram account, which is the official account of the 82nd Airborne, American Division. In the pictures it can be seen some of the training carried out between the military of both countries.
The training ended on Jan. 29, when the American troops returned to US territory. In addition to the training exercise that was done between the two countries, Brazilian military troops also made presence but, as observers.