Photo By David Hernandez | – In a dynamic Leaders Professional Development session, service members and...... read more read more
FORT BUCHANAN, PUERTO RICO– In a dynamic Leaders Professional Development session, service members and civilians gathered at the command headquarters, Sept. 19, to explore and discuss the relationship between military values and readiness.
Col. John D. Samples, Fort Buchanan's commander, who facilitated the session, emphasized the program is "not intended" as a traditional counseling session but rather a collaborative forum for "filling in those gaps and seams, those things that help us develop into better teammates."
The discussion centered on the Army's values — Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage — while recognizing that similar principles guide all the Armed Forces.
For Daniel Cain, director of Directorate Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation, the value of loyalty and mission commitment are tied together.
"It's ride or die with your team… It's an infinite game, you know, maintaining security in the country," said Cain.
Command Sgt. Maj. Kimberly D. Bergman-Gándara, Fort Buchanan's Command Sergeant Major, highlighted how values drive decision-making.
"What is easy versus what is right? What is convenient versus what is correct? And that could be as simple as, man, I'm tired. Do I really want to put the shopping cart back?" said Bergman-Gándara, as she illustrated various examples of how service members face daily dilemmas in the application of Army values.
The session drew parallels across services as Cmdr. Matthew C. Lopez, Navy Reserve commander at Fort Buchanan, explained Navy and Marine Corps values:
"Honor, courage, and commitment. It's simple. That's our bedrock," said Lopez.
Historical examples reinforced the leadership discussion as the group discussed Winston Churchill's 1940 speech and how the Dunkirk evacuation demonstrated that personal courage can catalyze collective action.
Lt. Col. Sean K. Cook, Fort Buchanan deputy commander, observed that Churchill "was able to mobilize his own personal courage in that moment to then influence the heartstrings of duty."
The session also addressed accountability as an indicator of taking care of people.
"Counsel your team on what you expect from them. Holding people accountable, especially in our line of work, that is taking care of them, and taking care of the team," said Capt. Orlando X. Carrasquillo, commander of the United Marine Corps Detachment 1 Landing Support Company Combat Logistics, out of Fort Buchanan.
Through shared values and mutual respect, the leaders professional development session demonstrated that while service branches may differ in their expressions of values, the fundamental commitment to duty, honor, and teamwork remains universal across all Armed forces.
With an annual budget of nearly $500 million, Fort Buchanan supports approximately 15,000 military personnel, including active-duty, Reserve, Puerto Rico National Guard, Marine Corps Reserve, and Navy Reserve members. The installation's mission remains focused on enhancing readiness and facilitating the deployment of forces anywhere, anytime.
| Date Taken: | 09.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.25.2025 11:29 |
| Story ID: | 549294 |
| Location: | PR |
| Web Views: | 41 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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