Articles
U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Keith Davids, Commander of Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH), met with U.S. Ambassador Ronald D. Johnson along with Salvadoran Minister of Defense Rear Adm. Rene Merino Monroy, Chief of Defense Brig. Gen. Carlos Alberto Tejada, Chief of Naval Operations, Capt. Exon Oswaldo Ascencio and Salvadoran Special Operations military leaders at the brigade level in San Salvador, El Salvador, Dec. 10-11.
Colombian Army soldiers routinely attend military courses within the continental United States. However, no Colombian Soldier has ever attended the Joint Special Operations Forces Senior Enlisted Academy at the Joint Special Operations University.
First Sgt. Hector Ospina, an Instruction and Training Non-Commissioned Officer, became the first Colombian soldier to graduate from the JSOFSEA, on September 11, 2020.
Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla. – Special Operations Command South held a virtual change of command and change of responsibility ceremony in Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., July 24, 2020.
Very few people know what it means to serve your country, but for U.S. Army Sgt. Jehud Presume, a reserve noncommissioned officer assigned to headquarters and headquarters company, Special Operations Command South, serving his country doesn’t stop when he wears his Army uniform. Instead, when he is not under U.S. Army orders, he switches to a different one.
Presume, who was born in New York, has been an officer with the Miramar Police Department for approximately five years.
COBAN, Guatemala – The role of women has steadily increased in the United States military. Stories of women reaching positions of higher authority with thousands of troops under their command and control are becoming more common. News of females graduating elite courses such as the U.S. Army Ranger Qualification Course or the Special Forces Assessment and Selection are starting to be shared throughout different mediums. It seems that slowly the glass ceiling is being broken within the U.S. military.
The process may take a little longer for countries across Central and South America, but the Guatemalan military is making advances by expanding the role of women in United Nations peace keeping operations with a recently established Female Engagement Platoon.
The smell of the ocean, the sound of waves slowly coming into the shoreline, and visions of people kayaking and paddle boarding are all things one could expect of a vacation spot, but this last weekend the atmosphere provided the backdrop for a different scene.
Special Operations Command South hosted a parenting retreat in Baker’s Cay Resort, Key Largo, Fla., Sept. 13-15. The event falls under Special Operations Command’s Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF) readiness program designed to maintain a commitment to the first Special Operations Forces Truth, “Humans are more important than hardware.”
(CHIRIQUI, Panama) - Strengthening partnerships and improving critical skills with over ten government and civilian sector agencies were focus areas during a week-long first aid seminar held at Servicio Nacional de Fronteras (SENAFRONT), Batallon Occidental, Provincia de Chiriquí, Panama from Aug. 26 – 30, 2019.
(BOGOTA, Colombia) - The Colombian Advance Joint Special Operations Forces Noncommissioned Officer Course kicked off its second iteration after an opening ceremony held in Canto Norte, Bogota, Colombia, Aug. 26, 2019.
The first AJSOF NCO course in Colombia was initiated in March of this year after months of planning between Special Operations Command South, the Joint Special Operations University, and the Colombian military leadership in an effort to continue enabling the advancement of the NCO Corps.
Fuerzas Comando 19 Closing Ceremony Sees Familiar Team Win Title
(SANTIAGO, Chile) - Fuerzas Comando 2019 came to an end with a closing ceremony held in the Edificio Bicentenario Ejercito de Chile, Santiago, Chile, June 27, 2019.
BOE Holds Opening Ceremony For Fuerzas Comando
(SANTIAGO, Chile) - Despite the cold weather, Special Operations Forces from 19 countries gathered in Santiago, Chile for the Opening Day Ceremony of Fuerzas Comando 2019 at the Brigada de Operaciones Especiales “Lautaro.”
USA, Brazil Share Experiences During SMEE
(GOIÂNIA, Brazil) - U.S. service members assigned and attached to Special Operations Command South and the 1st Psychological Operations Battalion from the Command of Special Operations of the Brazilian Army, participated in a subject matter expert exchange April 15-19, 2019, in Goiânia, Brazil.
Opening Ceremony Celebrates Milestone for Colombia’s SOF NCOs
(TOLEMAIDA, Colombia) - The noncommissioned officer has often been described as the "backbone" of the United States Armed Forces for being the most visible force charged with executing an organization's mission and training its personnel. Developing the NCO has long been a strategy in the U.S. military for maintaining readiness by providing the education and training needed to operate in complex environments.
Guardians of the South Change Guard
Story by
Sgt. 1st Class Alexis Ramos |
Special Operations Command South | 06.05.2018
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Florida - Special Operations Command South held a change of command ceremony in its headquarter building in Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida, June 5, 2018. Rear Adm. Collin P. Green relinquished command to U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Antonio M. Fletcher...
SOCSOUTH Career and Community Resource Fair
Derek Auguste (right), Miami first platoon leader for Mission Continues, explains the role of his organization to a service member from Special Operations Command South during a Career and Community Resource Fair held at SOCSOUTH Headquarters, Feb. 9, 2018. The fair was designed to give service members the opportunity to meet with employers in an informal setting and learn more about job and internship opportunities offered by companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Alex R. Ramos)
Honoring PFC Little
A ceremony honoring a World War II veteran, Pvt. 1st. Class John W. Little, was held Feb. 8, 2018, at the Miami City Cemetery. During the ceremony, U.S. Army Capt. Angel E. Reynoso, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Special Operations Command South, company commander, presented a flag to Leonard Mowry, Pfc. Little’s cousin.
(Photo by U.S. Army Capt. Cesar H. Santiago)
Panama Training Exchange
A U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier describes range movements to Panamanian counterterrorism Special Forces police officers Jan. 30, 2018, during marksmanship joint combined training in Panama City, Panama. Marksmanship training is necessary before forces conduct interoperability exercises. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Osvaldo Equite/RELEASED)
SOCSOUTH Commander Promoted to Two-Star Admiral
Members of Special Operations Command South congratulate U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Collin P. Green after a promotion ceremony Dec. 1, 2017, at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Osvaldo Equite/RELEASED)
Special Operations Forces getting the job done in Caribbean
Loadmasters with the 15th Special Operations Squadron walk to an MC-130H Combat Talon II at Barbados, Sept. 24, 2017. Approximately 50 Air Commandos are part of a group deployed to provide humanitarian aid after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated islands in the Caribbean. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joseph Pick)
SOCSOUTH deploys team in support of response efforts in the Caribbean
Story by Maj Cesar H. Santiago |
Special Operations Command South | 09.18.2017
HOMESTEAD, Fla., (Sept. 18, 2017) – A Special Operations Command South situational assessment team departed Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Sept. 9, 2017, in support of Joint Task Force – Leeward Islands’ (JTF-LI) aid response to areas affected by....
Story by Sgt. Christine Lorenz |
Special Operations Command South | 07.17.2017
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. – Special Operations Command South honored 142 fallen warriors during a ceremony here March 3, 2017 unveiling a memorial that preserves the names and legacy of those who died in the line of duty in Latin America and the Caribbean since 1963....
Story by
Staff Sgt. Osvaldo Equite |
Special Operations Command South | 03.03.2017
This event initiated the 13th annual Fuerzas Comando competition in Mariano Roque Alonso, Paraguay, July 17, 2017. The 11-day competition features 20 countries challenging one another in 15 events that test strength, endurance and perseverance...
Story by
Staff Sgt. Osvaldo Equite |
Special Operations Command South | 02.10.2017
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. – Special Operations Command South and Special Operations Command North co-hosted the second Western Hemisphere Operations Conference here February 6-10, 2017 bringing together experts intent on building a stronger interagency effort against Transregional and Transnational Threat Networks, or T3N....
Story by
Staff Sgt. Osvaldo Equite |
Special Operations Command South | 02.02.2017
Special Operations Command South hosted 128 parents and their children at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida on February 2, 2017 during Miami-Dade County’s “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.”...
Story by
Staff Sgt. Osvaldo Equite |
Special Operations Command South | 12.07.2016
FLORENCIA, Colombia – Every December 7 for the past sixteen years, Colombian soldiers from the National Army’s Special Anti-drug Brigade (BRCNA) have gathered in Larandia, Florencia for an end-of-year ceremony to celebrate the unit’s anniversary and recognize distinguished service....
Story by
Staff Sgt. Osvaldo Equite |
Special Operations Command South | 12.06.2016
BOGOTA, Colombia – Colombia’s superior war college recognized three Special Operations Command South members December 6, 2016 for their contributions to the military education institute known in its Spanish acronym as ESDEGUE in Bogota, Colombia....
Story by
Maj. Cesar H. Santiago |
Special Operations Command South | 10.06.2016
A U.S. Army Military Information Support Operations team partnered with State Department and Salvadoran officials to increase young adult awareness of national police opportunities offered during a recruiting event Oct. 6, 2016 in El Salvador’s Morazan department....
Story by
Maj. Cesar H. Santiago |
Special Operations Command South | 09.27.2016
U.S. Special Operations Forces assigned to Special Operations Command South trained with Trinidad and Tobago Defense Forces, Police Services and their Coast Guard as part of a Joint Combined Exchange Training exercise focused on maneuver warfare, marksmanship, counter terrorism, tactical military techniques and maritime operations from Sept. 20-27, 2016 throughout Trinidad and Tobago....
Story by
Capt. Brigida Sanchez |
Special Operations Command South | 09.09.2016
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. – Members of Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH) supported by families and members of the Homestead community participated in the SOCSOUTH annual 9-11 run to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. Participants began their journey at the iconic Southernmost Point Marker of Key West to cover a distance of 140-miles in......
Story by
Maj. Cesar H. Santiago |
Special Operations Command South | 08.04.2016
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. – Special Operations Command South hosted military personnel from the partner countries of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and Peru from July 25 – Aug. 4 during this year’s Panamax in Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla. PANAMAX is an annual U.S. Southern Command-sponsored multinational exercise focused on ensuring the security of the......
Story by
Staff Sgt. Osvaldo Equite |
Special Operations Command South | 07.28.2016
ANTOFAGASTA, Chile – Multinational Special Operations Forces from Chile and the U.S. completed exercise Southern Star on July 28, 2016 amid Antofagasta, Chile’s arid desert plains and mountain sights along the Pacific coastline....
Story by
Cpl. Joanna Bradshaw |
Special Operations Command South | 06.06.2016
Sweaty faces. Gritted teeth. Sandy, camouflaged uniforms. The clicking mechanism inside a pistol, ringing ears after a gunshot, heavy breathing, and radio chatter are all familiar sounds to commandos around the world. Accustomed to the smell of gunpowder and the taste of sweat dripping down their faces, all commandos share a bond. The brotherhood forged in training and on the battlefield is......
Story by
Staff Sgt. Chad Menegay |
Special Operations Command South | 05.12.2016
ANCON, Peru, May 12, 2016 — After 11 days of Olympic-level exertion,160 special operations competitors from 20 countries across the Americas and the Caribbean know through experience how competition and cooperation can coexist. The sport and spirit of Fuerzas Comando, a U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM)-sponsored international competition and partnership, culminated in a closing ceremony......
Story by
Sgt. Eric Roberts |
Special Operations Command South | 05.04.2016
Ancon, Peru - Special operations military and police forces from 20 countries across Central and South America began Fuerzas Comando 2016, a multinational special operations skills competition, with a ceremony May 2 in Ancon, Peru....
Story by
Staff Sgt. Osvaldo Equite |
Special Operations Command South | 03.04.2016
A U.S. Navy SEAL became Special Operations Command South’s latest commander during a change of command ceremony presided by U.S. Southern Command Commander Adm. Kurt W. Tidd on March 4, 2016, in Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida....
Story by
Staff Sgt. Osvaldo Equite |
Special Operations Command South | 01.13.2016
Special Operations Command South, based out of Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., maintained Military Information Support Teams in six key Central and South American partner nations last year to provide the U.S. with a means to undermine support for terrorist ideology and violent networks....
Courtesy Story |
Special Operations Command South | 09.11.2015
To commemorate the 14th anniversary of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, more than 80 service members assigned to Special Operations Command honored the memory of the tragic event with a 140-mile relay run Sept. 10-11....