Lt. Gen. Laura J. Richardson, commanding general U. S. Army North (Fifth Army), and Command Sgt. Maj. Phil K. Barretto, ARNORTH senior enlisted leader, conducted a video teleconference Nov. 2 with Lt. Gen. Celestino Ávila Astudillo, Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional, Military Region II commander, to kick off Exercise Fuerzas Amigas. Fuerzas Amigas is an annual Theater Security Cooperation exercise, focused on disaster response to foster and build a military-to-military partnership between U.S. Army North and the Mexican military.