Fort Buchanan, San Juan leaders strengthen ties through readiness, resilience
Ulises Marrero, Fort Buchanan acting garrison manager; Command Sgt. Maj. Everett B. Sikes, installation senior enlisted advisor; and Berenisse Z. Rodriguez, director of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, met with San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero and Police Commissioner Juan Jackson to discuss shared capabilities and opportunities for future cooperation.
“We want to show you our emergency facilities in the city. Our resources are your resources in case of an emergency,” Romero said. “We are here to collaborate in any public interest need that you may have.”
Marrero emphasized the importance of building relationships before an emergency occurs.
“Resources are always limited, and in case of an emergency, much more,” Marrero said. “That is why we want to establish direct lines of communication with you, so in case of need, we already know each other’s capabilities and are better prepared to collaborate.”
The leaders discussed potential joint training opportunities involving Fort Buchanan and San Juan police officers and firefighters.
“For the Army, training is how we sustain readiness,” Marrero said. “That is why we can facilitate collaboration between our police departments and even the firefighters. We could also collaborate with our training facilities.”
Jackson expressed interest in the opportunity because San Juan does not currently have a specialized training facilities comparable to what the Army has in Puerto Rico.
Water resilience also emerged as an area for future engagement. Romero expressed interest in Fort Buchanan’s water-harvesting network as San Juan addresses critical challenges with water service.
“I want to go to the installation to see your water resilience initiatives. That will be our first visit,” Romero said.
“We are looking forward to establishing an effective relationship with our communities because we are part of Puerto Rico,” Marrero said.
San Juan’s role as Puerto Rico’s government, economic and cultural center makes collaboration with the city important to Fort Buchanan’s efforts to strengthen emergency preparedness and resilience while maintaining strong connections with the surrounding community.
With an annual budget exceeding $500 million, Fort Buchanan supports about 15,000 active-duty personnel, Army Reserve Soldiers, Puerto Rico National Guard members, Marine Corps Reserve members and Navy Reserve personnel. As the Army’s home in the Caribbean, the installation provides infrastructure and services that enable military forces to train, mobilize and deploy worldwide.
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