As new commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld has already set his focus on an optimistic plan of action – improving the U.S. relationship with Mexico.“The Number 1 priority is going to be our partnership with Mexico,” said Winnefeld as he emphasized the importance of this partnership.
With President Obama’s new border-security initiative, Winnefeld’s timing could not be better. The military-to-military relationship between the two countries continues to improve and the collaboration efforts hope to strengthen the monitoring of cross-border trafficking.
“There is a tremendous amount of opportunity in between that to share training, information and intelligence and to help the Mexican military build capacity and capability,” said the new commander.
As Arizona Senator John McCain tours Winnefeld around the southwestern U.S. border region today, Winnefeld hopes to get a better understanding of the ongoing issues in order to carry out his mission. He plans to see the situation through their perspective to understand where support is needed.
“It is critical that you try to see it from their perspective,†he said. “They are a neighbor. They are a good friend. And we want to do as much as we can to support them.â€
