U.S. and Brazil Army Leaders Gather for Staff Talks in San Antonio

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, June 3, 2016 – U.S. Army South will host the 32nd annual Army-to-Army Brazil and U.S. Staff Talks with leaders from the Brazilian army here, June 8-10.

Maj. Gen. K.K. Chinn, Commander of U.S. Army South, will welcome Lt. Gen. Joarez Alves Pereira Jr., 5th Deputy Chief of Staff of the Brazilian army, and members of his staff to the U.S. Army South headquarters for a strategic forum designed to promote bilateral professional relationships and to coordinate engagement activities between the two armies.

The armies of U.S. and Brazil are set to conduct 70 agreed to actions in 2016, and at the completion of these staff talks will agree to 57 more for 2017.

The Army conducts staff talks with multiple countries in Latin America, and Brazil is a critical part of that exchange.  The others are Colombia, El Salvador, Peru and Chile.  These staff talks were agreed to by the five countries through the diplomatic process and serve to enhance cooperation and interoperability.  Regional stability is positively affected by cooperation and interoperability.

The Department of the Army has designated U.S. Army South as the executive agent for all staff talks conducted in the U.S. Southern Command area of focus. 

 Media Advisory:

U.S. Army South will hold a media availability opportunity on June 10 from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. at the U.S. Army South headquarters, Building 1000 on Fort Sam Houston. Media representatives who wish to attend the media availability should contact the Army South Public Affairs office at (210) 295-6739.  The meet time at the Fort Sam Houston visitor center at the Harry Wurzbach gate is 8:45 a.m. in order to allow time for signing in and travel to the conference location.  Media will be able to photograph and film the entirety of the closing event that starts at 9 a.m. (this includes the signing of final documents and closing remarks), followed by a short interview opportunity with Maj. Gen. Chinn  and Lt. Gen. Joarez at about 11 a.m., or when the closing events are complete.