A group of enlisted leaders from the United States Army kicked off a subject matter expert exchange with fellow enlisted leaders from the Dominican Republic’s military just outside of the Caribbean nation’s capital in Santo Domingo – further progressing the professional development of noncommissioned officers in the Dominican armed services.
U.S. military representation from U.S. Southern Command, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), U.S. Army South (Sixth Army), and the Army’s NCO Leadership Center of Excellence attended the engagement at the School of Infantry for the Enlisted Military of the Dominican Republic in San Isidro. The Dominican military hosted this exchange at their military academy, committing a group of five Dominican noncommissioned officers to help develop a weeklong lesson plan alongside five noncommissioned officers from the U.S. Army. The lesson was aimed toward enlisted leadership development and career progression for a group of more than 50 enlisted Dominican military students who are in leadership positions at their commands. The Dominican students consisted of the Army, Air Force and Navy – spanning across different career fields and from across different bases around the Dominican Republic.
The engagement began with a commencement ceremony on April 28 with opening remarks delivered by the command senior enlisted leader for Southern Command, U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Rafael Rodriguez. As a native of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Rodriguez delivered his remarks in Spanish to the group of students, instructors and a delegation of senior military leaders from the Dominican Republic’s armed services.
“You are pioneers, setting a positive example for your fellow service members,” Rodriguez said in Spanish. “This is particularly evident in the incredible momentum across all branches, the Army, Air Force, and Navy, developing and improving professional military education for noncommissioned officers and commissioned officers – a commitment we deeply admire.”
This engagement was the second time a group of enlisted leaders from the U.S. Army worked with the Dominican Republic’s military to exchange ideas and programs on enlisted leader development. Last visit, members from WHINSEC provided senior enlisted leaders from the Dominican Republic’s Navy with the training to teach military education materials through adult learning methods. Those Dominican Navy members were in attendance in this engagement to help train the group of 50 students.
“International military education and training programs like this one are our most powerful tools for building lasting partnerships and promoting our shared security interests,” Rodriguez said. “They require collaboration and a deep understanding of each other's perspectives to be most effective.”
According to Southern Command’s Partner Nation Enlisted Leader Professional Development Strategy, subject matter expert exchanges and professional development training foster the critical thinking skills necessary to navigate complex challenges. For Southern Command, those challenges are shared across the Western Hemisphere.
“Placing the right people in the right positions is essential to maintaining a competitive advantage and ensuring future readiness,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a combat imperative.”
The Dominican Republic’s armed forces celebrated its 181st anniversary in February but will celebrate its current form, which was restructured 80 years ago, in November. Their hierarchical structure represents American armed forces’ structure, but ranks remain specific to the services of the Dominican Republic. Until recently, their three services, the Army, Navy and Air Force, have had three groups of ranks amongst their structure – enlisted troops, cadet officers, and officers. However, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader signed a decree to professionalize the noncommissioned officer and formalize their place and responsibilities in the rank structure.
The investment of the professional development of enlisted leaders creates the solid NCO corps President Abinader requires for his military, Rodriguez said.
“We are in a competition for talent, and effective talent management will help both our militaries attract, retain, and develop high-performing, high-ranking noncommissioned officers,” he added.
The 10 senior enlisted leaders from the United States and the Dominican Republic completed their lessons on leadership development and career progression to the 54 enlisted members of all branches of the Dominican military, who will soon make up the NCO corps at their respective bases.