Partnership will promote exchanges between researchers and military personnel
By Captain (T) Fabrício Costa – Rio de Janeiro, RJ
The Marine Corps (CFN) of the Brazilian Navy (MB) signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement (ACT) with the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) on Monday (18). The aim of the agreement is to promote an exchange between researchers and military personnel in order to expand the production of scientific articles and make improvements to plans, studies and doctrines for Humanitarian Operations, Civil Defense Support and Peace Operations.
The ACT was signed by the Commander General of the CFN, Admiral Carlos Chagas Vianna Braga, and the rector of the university, Father Anderson Antônio Pedroso, at the Fortress of São José, in Rio de Janeiro (RJ). As well as members of the Navy and PUC-Rio, representatives of the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro, Civil Defense and the Military Fire Brigade of the State of Rio de Janeiro (CBMERJ) were also present.
For Father Anderson Pedroso, the partnership with the Navy is a source of honor, as it is an institution that is in tune with and converges with PUC-Rio. “I’m very happy to be able to count on the Navy, because we have the same principle: mission, discipline, seriousness, excellence and, above all, this ethos of being of service,” he said.
The rector also made a point of highlighting the military origins of the institution he administers. “Our founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola, was a military man. He was wounded in battle, spent six months convalescing and began to read about the lives of the saints. After that, he understood that the battle he had to fight was not in military service, but in religious service. But he brought from his military service a whole training, way of thinking and strategies,” he said.
According to the Commandant General of the CFN, just like the Jesuits, the Marines are always ready for deployment and have the expeditionary capacity to be anywhere. “At the beginning of the year, the Navy sent its largest ship, with Marines on board, to the southern coast of São Paulo to set up a field hospital to assist the victims of the floods and landslides. Last year was no different. There was a major tragedy in Petrópolis, in Rio’s mountainous region, and we worked together with the Fire Brigade,” he recalled.
Admiral Carlos Chagas recalled that the MB’s priority is to guarantee the country’s sovereignty. However, humanitarian assistance activities have taken place very frequently. “The Navy’s main mission is the defense of the homeland, but we also have other tasks. I’m talking about actions with limited use of force and benign activities. In the latter case, the force is not used, such as humanitarian assistance, support for civil defense and social defense projects, such as the Forces in Sports Program,” he said.
After signing the Technical Cooperation Agreement, representatives of the Navy, PUC-Rio, the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro, Civil Defense and CBMERJ watched performances by the CFN’s Martial and Symphonic Bands, in the Almirante Maximiano Courtyard.
The Martial Band formed the figures of Christ the Redeemer and the anchor, as well as presenting the words CBMERJ and PUC-Rio. The Symphony performed popular songs such as “Tom Carioca”, by maestro Tom Jobim, “Romaria” in honor of Our Lady of Aparecida, Patroness of Brazil, and “Um Mundo Ideal”, with the special participation of the choir of students from the Forças no Esporte Program (PROFESP).