The 1st Mission Support Command held its first Garita Warriors Senior Leader Forum of the year, Jan 18 and 19. The Commanding Officer, Col. Carlos Gorbea led discussions to synchronize with brigade and battalion command teams the 1st MSC vision for 2035.

This two-day forum consists of series of events designed to review the state of the command, analyze Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats and develop strategic objectives along with associated line of efforts.

During the forum, Lt. Col. Orlando Garcia, the deputy chief of staff G-1, delivered the opening and administrative remarks, welcoming the command teams in attendance.

Following the remarks, Gorbea engaged with the audience, sharing observations he had gathered during his five months in command. Gorbea assumed command of the 1st MSC in 2023 and emphasized the importance of being combat-ready.

"We have to be ready for combat, and the moment to get ready is now. In every training and exercise, we do have to be geared to make our soldiers the best they can be so that when the Nation calls, they are ready," said Gorbea.

He stressed the significance of effectively fulfilling the organizational mission as "force providers," highlighting that the 1st MSC is the only Army Reserve organization with a 98 percent bilingual force: "The Garita is the symbol of Puerto Rico and has been proudly worn by our soldiers since World War II," emphasized the commanding officer.

Gorbea also discussed strategies to operationalize 1st MSC units globally, engaging with the community, and solidifying partnerships. An example of this will be the upcoming Caribbean Thunder exercise, he explained.

He concluded with encouragement for the command teams to go after more training opportunities: "If the action you are contemplating helps your unit's readiness, is legal, moral, ethical, and within your resources, you have my approval. Get after it!"

From the 1st MSC force development, Lt. Col. Eric Rivera Cruz continued the forum by presenting the modernization efforts. In contrast, the 1st MSC Command Sgt. Maj. Michael P. Meunier took advantage of the occasion to foster professional development among the leaders, emphasizing the E5 in 5 challenge, whose goal is for soldiers to promote to the rank of sergeant within five years of joining the Army Reserve.

Lt. Col. Heath Dickinson, the 1st MSC G3/5/7 chief of operations, delivered the Mission Update Brief before the command teams proceeded to work on their SWOT analysis.