{"id":351969,"date":"2025-01-10T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=351969"},"modified":"2025-01-13T20:16:37","modified_gmt":"2025-01-13T20:16:37","slug":"brazilian-army-colonel-builds-the-future-of-us-brazil-defense-cooperation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=351969","title":{"rendered":"Brazilian Army colonel builds the future of US, Brazil defense cooperation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Brazilian army Col. Sergio Reis Matos, the Brazilian partner nation liaison officer at U.S. Army South (USARSOUTH), stands in front of the USARSOUTH headquarters at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, on Jan. 7, 2025. Since July 2023, Matos has worked to strengthen the historic partnership between Brazil and the United States, focusing on enhancing military collaboration and interoperability.
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FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas \u2013 Brazilian Army Col. Sergio Reis Matos serves as one of four U.S. Army South\u2019s partner nation liaison officers, or PNLO.<\/p>\n

Since July 2023, Matos has worked to strengthen the historic partnership between Brazil and the U.S., focusing on enhancing military collaboration and interoperability.<\/p>\n

Matos\u2019 journey into the military began with two key influences: his father, a decorated non-commissioned officer in the Brazilian navy, and his own early experience at a military middle school.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father earned the rank of sergeant major and was able to travel the world to 23 countries,\u201d said Matos. \u201cHe was a brilliant example of the opportunities to be had by serving my homeland.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 1987, he was accepted into a military middle school which was overseen by the Brazilian Army, which Matos said is very similar to the junior reserve officers\u2019 training corps. His experience there laid the foundation for values and discipline needed for a career in the army.<\/p>\n

Matos began his military career in 1993 at the Brazilian Army Cadets\u2019 Preparatory School in S\u00e3o Paulo. Over nearly 32 years, he has held several distinguished roles, including commanding a border detachment in the Amazon, securing military venues during the 2016 Olympic Games and leading an infantry battalion steeped in historical ties to the U.S. Fifth Army.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most memorable period of my career was when I commanded the 11th Mountain Infantry Battalion,\u201d he reflected. \u201cIt was one of the units that integrated with U.S. forces during World War II.\u201d<\/p>\n

His assignment as the Brazilian PNLO at USARSOUTH is not his first encounter with the U.S Army. In 2007, he attended the Captain\u2019s Career Course at Fort Moore where he earned the Distinguished International Honor Graduate award for excellence in academics and the Order of Saint Maurice Medallion in the rank of Peregrinus, for his notable contributions to the U.S. infantry.<\/p>\n

During his tenure at USARSOUTH, he facilitated military coordination between the Brazilian and U.S. armies, focusing on combined operations, joint exercises and strategic engagements. His efforts as the Brazilian PNLO have been central to enhancing interoperability and fostering deeper collaboration.<\/p>\n

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\n Peruvian army Maj. Gen. Marco Marin Saldana, left, U.S. Army South (USARSOUTH) Deputy Commanding General of Interoperability, and Brazilian army Col. Sergio Reis Matos, the Brazilian partner nation liaison officer at USARSOUTH, pose for a photo before they cut a cake during a Brazilian Independence Day celebration at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, on Sept. 6, 2024. Since July 2023, Matos has worked to strengthen the historic partnership between Brazil and the United States, focusing on enhancing military collaboration and interoperability.
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\u201cIt is imperative to acknowledge the 200-year diplomatic relationship between Brazil and the U.S., which was established in 1824 when the U.S. was among the first countries to recognize Brazil’s independence,\u201d Matos said proudly. \u201cThus, my position at USARSOUTH shows the commitment to improving this historical relationship and increasing interoperability between our armies.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Matos assists in implementing almost 100 agreed-to-actions between the U.S. and Brazilian armies each year, covering areas such as training, exercises, cyber operations, engineering, public affairs and much more.<\/p>\n

Complex multidimensional combined exercises like SOUTHERN VANGUARD (Combined Operations Rotation Exercise), PANAMAX and TRADEWINDS build the U.S. Southern Command\u2019s integrated deterrence strategy by building mutual capabilities at all levels of leadership.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese initiatives not only strengthen operational capabilities but also build mutual confidence and understanding,\u201d said Matos.<\/p>\n

To orchestrate the plethora of activities the two armies partake in, Matos worked closely with members of the USARSOUTH team, including foreign area officer Maj. Eric Torrescarcovich, and past FAOs who have been instrumental in his integration into the unit and the shared success of PNLO and FAO missions.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Torrescarcovich] has provided substantial assistance in managing the requests from the Brazilian Army, while I have been supporting the U.S. Army’s requests from him,\u201d he claimed, expressing gratitude for the collaborative spirit of his colleagues. \u201cThe professionalism and friendship of everyone I have worked with has made even the hardest tasks easier.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Brazilian Army Col. Sergio Reis Matos, the Brazilian partner nation liaison officer at U.S. Army South (USARSOUTH), poses for a photo in his office at the USARSOUTH headquarters at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, on Jan. 7, 2025. Since July 2023, Matos has worked to strengthen the historic partnership between Brazil and the United States, focusing on enhancing military collaboration and interoperability.
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Matos said this unique experience was expanded by the ability to interact with the three other PNLOs from Chile, Colombia and Peru and the USARSOUTH Deputy Commanding General of Interoperability, Peruvian Army Maj. Gen. Marco Marin Saldana.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe endeavor was arduous, yet the outcomes, particularly in the realm of interoperability and relationship development, were profoundly gratifying,\u201d Matos expressed. \u201cOur success is a testament to the profound collaboration and cohesion among my brothers in arms.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matos\u2019 impact extended far beyond his official duties. Through his work, he sought to strengthen the relationship between Brazil and the United States, ensuring a collaborative future rooted in shared values and mutual respect.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the largest militaries in North and South America, respective to our regions, our collaboration promotes integrated deterrence and hemispheric security,\u201d Matos asserts. \u201cTogether, we are stronger.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Brazilian army Col. Sergio Reis Matos, the Brazilian partner nation liaison officer at U.S. Army South (USARSOUTH), stands in front of the USARSOUTH headquarters at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, on Jan. 7, 2025. Since July 2023, Matos has worked to strengthen the historic partnership between Brazil and the United States, focusing on enhancing military collaboration […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":350310,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-351969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=351969"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351969\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":351972,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351969\/revisions\/351972"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/350310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=351969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=351969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=351969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}