FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Policy and political advisors from U.S. Northern Command and
U.S. Air Forces Northern visited U.S. Army North at Fort Sam Houston Sept. 8-9
to discuss mutual theater security cooperation in North America.
Andrea Gastaldo, the newly assigned Army North foreign
policy advisor, said substantive discussions took place throughout the visit on
issues ranging from the benefits gained from increased cultural exchanges with
Mexico and Canada to building greater interoperability in support of the
defense of North America.
Gastaldo, a 17-year veteran with the Department of State,
joined the command in August following an assignment in Minsk, Belarus. She
expressed that her goal for this visit was to gain “greater coordination with
other POLADs in order to further our commands’ goals.”
Lt. Gen. Perry Wiggins, U.S. Army North (Fifth Army)
commanding general and senior Army commander of Fort Sam Houston and Camp
Bullis, listened intently to the challenges expressed by the political advisors
and expressed his belief that long term relationships are key.
“My goal is to continue to enhance North American security
by working closely with both Canada and Mexico,” Wiggins told the assembled
group.
Theater security personnel from the Army North staff
provided overviews of current efforts and issues from their perspectives,
generating considerable discussion with the political advisors and agreement to
further explore alternatives to enhance cooperation between commands and with
foreign partners.
“I am extremely pleased with Army North’s ability to portray
our organizations’ missions so concisely so that the U.S. Northern Command
political advisors were fully briefed,” Gastaldo said. “I look forward to
greater dialogue with my fellow political advisors in the neighboring military
commands.”