FORT BUCHANAN, Puerto Rico — Berenisse Z. Rodriguez assumed duties as director of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security (DPTMS) at Fort Buchanan in September 2026, after serving in the role for about 18 months. Rodriguez, who brings more than 20 years of military and operational experience, now leads the installation directorate responsible for synchronizing key functions that support readiness and mission assurance.
For Rodriguez, the position marks more than a career milestone. It reflects a path shaped by military service, operational leadership and a personal connection to the Army that began during her childhood as the daughter of a service member.
As DPTMS director, she oversees plans, training, mobilization and security operations across the installation. Her responsibilities include protection and emergency management, coordinating installation-level meetings, and aligning activities across the garrison with Fort Buchanan’s military organizations and mission partners.
“I see it as the nerve center of the operations,” Rodriguez said. “I'm responsible for ensuring that the garrison commander can execute mission assurance.”
Rodriguez stepped into the director’s duties a year and a half earlier following the previous director’s retirement. At the time, she served as chief of operations and took on the additional role to maintain continuity.
During that period, she coordinated training, security and antiterrorism operations, emergency planning and administrative requirements while keeping daily directorate operations on track.
Those 18 months tested the experience Rodriguez gained during two decades of military and civilian service. They also broadened her understanding of how DPTMS affects the people and organizations that rely on Fort Buchanan every day.
“My role as the director is to provide the commander with reliable, disciplined operations,” she said. “A directorate that anticipates requirements, prevents friction and ensures the installation is always ready.”
Rodriguez’s journey to the director’s office began years earlier. Born in Manatí, Puerto Rico, she spent part of her childhood in North Carolina and grew up familiar with military life. She returned to Puerto Rico as a young adult and enlisted in the Army at 19.
Her service led her from Puerto Rico to Iraq and into increasingly demanding operational and leadership roles. She later supported the 1st Mission Support Command and built much of her military and civilian career around the same mission she leads today: ensuring people and organizations are prepared when called.
More than two decades after joining the Army, Rodriguez now brings that experience back to Fort Buchanan, where DPTMS decisions influence the installation’s ability to respond to emergencies, support military organizations and sustain its mission.
Her transition from acting director to officially leading the organization also strengthens continuity for a team she has already guided through demanding operational requirements.
For Rodriguez, the appointment reflects both her past and the work ahead.
“I'm glad to be here, and I look forward to a successful tenure within my position,” she said.
From a 19-year-old Puerto Rican enlisting in the Army to a seasoned leader helping keep the Army’s home in the Caribbean ready, Rodriguez’s career reflects a life shaped by service and a lasting commitment to the mission and the people who depend on it.
For more information about the DPTMS mission to support the warfighter, call 787-707-3363.
Fort Buchanan supports approximately 15,000 military personnel, including active-duty Soldiers and members of the Army Reserve, Puerto Rico National Guard, Marine Corps Reserve and Navy Reserve. The installation’s mission is to enable readiness and facilitate the deployment of forces anytime, anywhere. Partnerships with neighboring communities help sustain that mission and contribute to community resilience.
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