Photo By Sgt. Sally Armstrong | Lt. Santiago Alfaro De León, a legal advisor for the Mexican Navy poses for a photo...... read more read more
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PARAGON ARMY BASE, Barbados – Growing up in Ensenada, Baja, Mexico, Lt. Santiago Alfaro De León never expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the military. But after struggling to find purpose practicing as a civilian attorney, Alfaro De León knew he needed to make a change. His father suggested the Mexican navy, where he had himself practiced law throughout Alfaro De León’s childhood. Seven years later, Alfaro De León is confident he made the right choice as he nears the end of his participation in TRADEWINDS 24 (TW24).
One of the many opportunities for improving interoperability between partner nations came through working together during scenarios utilizing the operational planning process (OPP).
Alfaro De León was there every step of the way to provide his expertise. As legal advisor at TW24, he had the new opportunity to advise commanders not just from Mexico, but from around the world.
“All the officers and [senior enlisted leaders] who participated in OPP are from diverse armies and navies but share a common knowledge base and a common goal to observe international treaties and agreements to make the region and the world safe and free from illegal activities.” said Alfaro De León
Lieutenant Colonel Darren Turner, a member of the Canadian Armed Forces and a facilitator for the OPP training and practical exercise, said, “Having the Mexican legal advisor present … has been of tremendous value. [Alfaro De León] assessed the legal risks to the Caribbean Task Force (CTF), which has been critical in shaping operations on land and sea. He has identified and mitigated risks that have directly contributed to the success of the CTF.”
For Alfaro De León, the scenarios reminded him that while we may not speak the same language or have the same customs or culture, the 26 nations represented at TW24 aren’t so different after all.
“At TRADEWINDS, we all share the same common goal as brother nations. We always seek to improve our observance of the rule of law to ensure human rights for our people, for our nations, for our allies, for the world,” said Alfaro De León. “We all work together to ensure all human lives are valued. There are no shortcuts, it takes time, but it is a goal we all work towards together.”
He looks forward to returning home and sharing all he’s learned with his peers in Mexico and hopes his attendance inspires other military lawyers to attend similar exercises in the future.
“This exercise reminded me to never stop educating myself,” he added. “As allies and partners, we are all interconnected and as a mentor said to me here, by nature of being a military lawyer, I am also an international lawyer.”
| Date Taken: | 05.15.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.16.2024 12:30 |
| Story ID: | 471440 |
| Location: | BB |
| Web Views: | 119 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Legal Advisor Reflects on Common Goals at Tradewinds 2024, by CPT Brittany Whitehead, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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