Here´s my updated news.....

Upon returning to Colombia after graduation, I was promoted automatically to 2LT in the Colombian Army and branched cavalry. Since my request to stay in the States a little longer to go through OBC and Ranger School was denied, The Army decided to send me to Lancero School. Since I was not Lancero qualified yet and the course didn't start until Sptember 1995, I was a platoon leader in a conscript training company.

In September I stared the International Lancero Course where I had two American captains as classmates, both from 7th SF they were Antonio Garcia USMA 8something and CPT Newman. The former got to return to Colombia as a guest instructor and lived here as a king for a year or so. I finished first in my class so I got to stay as an instructor for the next three years.

While at Lancero School I was an instructor in hand to hand combat where I was able to apply what I had learned in the WP Martial Art Team. I also taught air-mobile operations and map reading and terrain analysis. During that time I was a a platoon leader in an instructor company, and then I was the school's adjutant. I got to go through jump master school and I got to jum a lot. I started the Free fall paruchute course but I had to quit because I dislocated a shoulder. In June 97 I was promoted to 1ST LT. In Colombia everyone has to do three years as second LT.

In July 1997 I was selected to attend the Armor Cavalry Officer´s Basic Course in Bogotá. This is a three month long course where I finished second among 10 other cavalry officers. At the end of this course they selected 6 of us to follow up on the Cavalry Techincal Course. This is a 10 month long course wich finishes next week on July 6. This course is divided in two. In the mornings is called the equestrian instructor course. In Colombia Equestrian sports are still very important for the military not for battle or anything like that but for tradition and is also a great way to keep excelent relations with the highest echelons of Colombian Society. The other half of the course is given on the afternoons and is oriented towards all the tactics, weapons, and equipment available in the Colombian cavalry both for regualr and irregualr warfare. It includes a course on conducting and operating the motorcycle platoon which is used mainly to guard pipelines against terrorist attacks and to perform scout and secutiry missions.

Since the course allowed me some free time. I started a gradute course in Integral Project Management this past semester at the Military University. I'm also working on a training manual in map reading and terrain orientation.

Now I'm getting ready to finish this course and report to the Colombian Military Academy where I'll be an instructor and a tactical officer for a cadet platoon.

While a was a Tactical Officer for an International NCO Lancero Course (Septemeber - December 96) we had to go to the Guaviare rain forest. There the class performed a civil-military activity to bring medicine, clothing, food and other services to the indians.

Here my brother who is a Black Hawk pilot is pinning my Lancero badge with blood.

Here I am jumping fences in one of the morning equestrian classes of the Technical Cavalry Course