CHARLESTON, W.Va. –
Members of the West Virginia National Guard’s senior enlisted leadership team recently returned from conducting a Joint Enlisted Leader Professional Development visit with members of the Peruvian Armed Forces as part of the National Guard’s State Partnership Program in Lima, Perú, March 20 to 24, 2023.
Led by Command Sgt. Maj. James “Dusty” Jones, Senior Enlisted Leader, the West Virginia National Guard delegation conducted a military officer and non-commissioned officer professional development exchange with Peruvian Armed Forces. The exchanges promoted the trade of ideas and best practices related to formal instructional programs, which were structured to promote open forum discussions on long-range planning and strategies for professional military education, with an emphasis on primary development education.
The engagements held with representatives of the Peruvian Army, Navy, and Air Force included guided discussions covering problem-solving, critical thinking, team building, feedback sessions, toxic leadership, time management, group cohesion, group dynamics, and mentoring.
Professional development is a critical aspect of service for both officer and enlisted ranks in the military service,” Jones stated. “Making sure up and coming leaders are empowered with the right tools and training opportunities to thrive in leadership roles they assume is a foundational part of service in the United States, and for our partners around the globe. Being able to share and learn best practices from our Peruvian partners is a unique and important part of our ever-strengthening relationship.”
During their engagement, the delegation spent time visiting with various leaders and enlisted personnel at the Peruvian Air Force NCO Academy, the Peruvian Naval NCO Academy, and the Peruvian Army Headquarters, including the Peruvian Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Walter Silva, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Peter Abraham Valencia, Peruvian Army Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. César Briceño, and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Command Sgt. Maj. Juan Pezua. Also attending portions of the engagement were Chief of Defense, Gen. Manuel Gomez de La Torre, Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman, Command Sgt. Maj. Jamie Cacñahuaray, and the U.S. Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché Capt. Jennifer Jones.
A main highlight of the trip occurred when delegation members were able to participate in and celebrate the Peruvian Army Day of the NCO formal ceremony, hosted by the Peruvian Army Chief of Staff and the Peruvian sergeant major of the army (SMA). On the final day of the engagement, the Peruvian SMA conducted a motivational run with the Peruvian sergeants majors and the West Virginia delegation at the army NCO Academy.
“Enlisted leader professional development is one of our top initiatives with the Peruvian military,” stated Capt. Joe Reppert, SPP Coordinator - Peru. “These events bring everyone together, from the air [force], army, and navy, to work hand-in-hand with one another to improve our organizations.”
Wrapping up the visit, both West Virginia and Perú committed to future engagements that will incorporate more mid-career NCOs into formal discussions. Opportunities discussed included creating a virtual platform to encourage regular meetings and training, a proposed two-week in person training engagement to be held in Perú during fiscal year 2024, and continuing to build on the Officer-NCO relationship to create a more professional and interoperable force based off U.S. doctrine and methodology.
Additional members of the West Virginia delegation included Command Sgt. Maj. Chadwick Moneypenny, Chief Master Sgt. Mark Snyder, 1st Sgt. Hector Guillen, Staff Sgt Ashley Shortall, and Capt. Joe Reppert.
West Virginia and Perú have been partners through the State Partnership Program since 1996. Through this partnership, the two have participated in more than 130 engagements focusing on regional challenges facing the Andean region, especially in the areas of counterinsurgency, anti-terrorism, emergency preparedness, and disaster response and recovery.