Photo By David Hernandez | During a visit to the U.S. Army's Home in the Caribbean, Honduran Minister of Defense...... read more read more
FORT BUCHANAN, PUERTO RICO - During a visit to the U.S. Army's Home in the Caribbean, Honduran Minister of Defense Rixi Moncada Godoy and General Roosevelt Leonel Hernández Aguilar, Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of Honduras, met with Col. John D. Samples, the installation's commanding officer, and Command Sgt. Maj. Kimberly D. Bergman-Gándara, the Garrison command sergeant major, April 22.
The delegation visited the installation as part of the State Partnership Program with the Puerto Rico National Guard.
During the encounter the leaders briefly discussed how Fort Buchanan has contributed to the longstanding U.S.-Honduran security partnership.
"On behalf of Major General Patricia R. Wallace, Fort Buchanan's senior commander, welcome to our installation, where we recently enabled the mobilization of an Army Reserve civil affairs team to the Soto Cano Air base in Honduras," said Samples.
The Fort Buchanan commander also expressed the installations availability to supporting the U.S.-Honduras partnership.
"Regardless of the component—Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard—we are dedicated to this partnership between our countries. Please let us know what Fort Buchanan can do for you to further support the efforts to promote peace, prosperity, and democratic values across the region," added Samples.
Minister Moncada Godoy explained the purpose of their visit.
"Our medium- and long-term goals are to maintain a positive relationship with the U.S. on security issues. We recognize that these relationships are based on agreements dating back to the 1950s, and we wish to deepen them, particularly in our fight against drug trafficking," stated Moncada Godoy.
Hernández Aguilar described the relationship between Honduras and the U.S.
"In Honduras we are very familiar with the military doctrine of the U.S., and we have had more than 70 years of alliance. It has been a fruitful journey, and we expect our future to be even better together."
Samples and Moncada Godoy exchanged coins as a sign of respect, and Hernández Aguilar also presented a coin to Samples.
"I have this coin for you. It symbolizes the Armed Forces in Honduras, and it is an honor to give it to you,” added Hernández Aguilar.
Fort Buchanan's history includes defending the Panama Canal Zone during World War I and providing critical support for missions throughout the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.
Recently, the installation's Logistics Readiness Center and transportation division mobilized dozens of soldiers from the Army Reserve, 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion, Delta company to Soto Cano, Honduras, from where they will conduct missions in several Latin American countries.
This meeting underscores how Army Reserve soldiers from units at Fort Buchanan consistently demonstrate their resolve to defend freedom, both at home and abroad, as we celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States Army.
With an annual budget of over $500 million, Fort Buchanan supports a military community of approximately 15,000 personnel from Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, Marine Corps Reserve, and Navy Reserve. Fort Buchanan's mission is to serve as a platform to enhance readiness and facilitate the deployment of military personnel anywhere, at any time.
| Date Taken: | 04.22.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.22.2025 17:00 |
| Story ID: | 495921 |
| Location: | PR |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Honduran Minister of Defense Visits Fort Buchanan, by Carlos Cuebas, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
