An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | June 7, 2018

WVNG Soldier influences NCO development in Peruvian army

By Sgt. Zoe Morris West Virginia National Guard

LIMA, Peru - The U.S. Army South (ARSOUTH) and a member of the West Virginia National Guard's (WVNG) State Partnership Program (SPP) conducted a combined workshop in Lima, Peru, from May 28 through June 1 with Peruvian Army (PERAR) officers and NCOs in order to provide a foundation for institutional change to education and leader development within the PERAR NCO corps.

Sgt. 1st Class Héctor Guillén, WVNG SPP coordinator and Peru native, taught classes in his native language of Spanish on various topics including leadership, mentoring, assessment and counseling, training education and promotions, and the duties and responsibilities of the NCO corps. These courses were presented to the three tiers of enlisted Soldiers during the three-day conference.

Guillén grew up in a military family of officers in Peru, but has found pride serving as an enlisted Soldier, he said, and is happy to share his pride of service, knowing how well the United States enlisted are treated and well educated.

"The way we are raised as senior NCOs is that we are supposed to mold our Soldiers – our junior NCOs –educate them and give them a good example," Guillén said. "Leadership has three things: loyalty, trust and respect."

While the Peruvian military has a large NCO corps, it does not traditionally hold the leadership responsibilities and standards of training and education associated with NCOs in the United States military.

A 2016 Memorandum of Understanding between the PERAR and ARSOUTH outlined the foundation for institutional change to education and leader development of enlisted troops in order to form a more cohesive and capable armed forces.

This event was the first NCO Professional Development held since the MOU signing and created a baseline foundation of understanding between the two militaries.

The event was structured as open forum discussions about the roles and responsibilities that NCOs hold in the U.S. Army. The team presented the historical background on how the system was developed and improved upon over the years as well as the development and implementation of NCO academy training curricula, standards and procedures.

More than 750 NCOs and officers attended the Officer and NCO Professional and Development Subject Matter Expert Exchange, fostering discussion on the roles, responsibilities, talent management and professionalism of the PERAR NCOs.

Future engagements will incorporate more mid-career NCO's into the discussion that will ensure continuity of present to future efforts to build on officer-NCO relationships and trust while creating a more professional and interoperable force. The WVNG and Peruvian military leadership also discussed working with all Peruvian Armed Forces in a recent SPP exchange to develop and implement NCO training and professional development into future engagements between the two militaries.

The WVNG and Peruvian Armed Forces have been linked together through the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program since 1996 and have held more than 120 exchanges with one another since the establishment of the partnership.

 

 

Related Articles
Soldiers stand in formation during a mobilization ceremony for the 634th Brigade Support Battalion Forward Logistics Element Jan. 20, 2025, at the Illinois Army National Guard's Readiness Center in Sullivan. The unit, with just over a dozen Soldiers, will support logistics for U.S. Army Europe and Africa.
Illinois Guard Unit to Support U.S. Army Europe and Africa
By Lt. Col. Bradford Leighton, | Jan. 21, 2025
SULLIVAN, Ill. - The Illinois Army National Guard’s 634th Brigade Support Battalion Forward Logistics Element was activated Jan. 20 for deployment to Africa and Europe.A forward logistics element is a diverse team comprising...

U.S. Army Sgt. Bryce Carter, an infantryman with C Company, 1st Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment, California Army National Guard, sharpens the blade of a hoe to clear brush and other debris as part of remediation efforts along the Mulholland Trail near Tarzana, California, in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 18, 2025. Carter and other members of his unit were assisting CALFIRE in mop-up efforts, which included clearing brush and backfilling firebreaks and other areas to prevent mudslides and reduce the impact of firefighting efforts.
National Guard Members Continue LA Wildfire Response
By Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy, | Jan. 21, 2025
LOS ANGELES – U.S. Army Sgt. Ricardo Hernandez watched from a cross street as sporadic traffic passed on the Pacific Coast Highway near Pacific Palisades. The late afternoon sun glinted off his sunglasses as a man on a...

Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, chief, National Guard Bureau, Army Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the CNGB, and Army Lt. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, director, Army National Guard, visit National Guardsmen on duty to support the 60th Presidential Inauguration as part of Joint Task Force – District of Columbia (JTF-DC), Washington, D.C., Jan. 19, 2025. JTF-DC is a scalable and tailorable entity that supports presidential inaugurations every four years and is led by the commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard. JTF-DC supports civilian authorities, such as the U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Secret Service and D.C. Metropolitan Police by providing support like crowd management, traffic control points, CBRN response, civil disturbance response and sustainment operations.
National Guard Bureau Leaders Meet With Guardsmen Supporting 60th Presidential Inauguration
By Master Sgt. Zach Sheely, | Jan. 20, 2025
WASHINGTON – About 7,800 National Guard troops are on duty here as part of a large interagency presence to ensure the peaceful transition of power during the 60th Presidential Inauguration Monday, continuing a legacy that...