Former Commander of the Colombian Navy Adm. Guillermo E. Barrera has retired as the first ever Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Distinguished International Fellow at the U.S. Naval War College (NWC) in Newport, Rhode Island, after 13 years of service.
Selected in 2011, Barrera was the first of four international fellows chosen by the CNO to foster collaboration and exchange between the U.S. Navy and Allied and partner nations on regional security challenges. He helped shape the program, enhancing cross-cultural understanding and strategic dialogue among military leaders around the world.
“Adm. Barrera has been the ultimate gentleman, educator, and leader,” said Robert Winneg, deputy dean, International Programs Department at NWC. “He has truly defined the role of CNO Distinguished International Fellow.”
The CNO Distinguished International Fellows program was established in 2010 by then Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead to leverage the expertise of NWC alumni who had risen to lead their respective navies. Barrera, then Defense Attaché of Colombia, was approaching retirement after 40 years of service in the Colombian Navy. However, Roughead saw his impressive background and accomplishments as a unique opportunity to share lessons learned with NWC students.
Although hesitant at first, Barrera embraced the role with zeal, meeting with various departments to determine how he could contribute. He became involved in wargaming simulations and gave seminar lectures, which he found to be equally rewarding.
“The seminars were fantastic because I was just like the students, reading the same readings and asking questions,” Barrera said. “And I could tell them anecdotes about my past as a student at the War College or as a commander or as CNO.”
Barrera also helped expand the program’s scope to ensure the U.S. Navy benefited from the expertise of other senior international leaders. In 2015, the program welcomed retired Adm. Nirmal K. Verma, former Chief of the Indian Navy; in 2017, it welcomed retired Rear Adm. Lars Saunes, former Chief of the Royal Norwegian Navy, and retired Adm. Tomohisa Takei, former Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
These Fellows contribute to NWC’s core curriculum, teaching and mentoring students on national security affairs, joint military operations, strategy and policy, and leadership. They also help with international courses designed for navies and coast guards of various sizes. Additionally, the Fellows advise the CNO, represent NWC’s president internationally, and participate in various symposia and conferences, including the International Seapower Symposium (ISS) and Regional Alumni Symposia (RAS).
Their cultural and political expertise is considered invaluable, offering unique perspectives on regional security challenges. “They are true regional experts, security experts,” said Thomas Mangold, dean of International Programs at NWC. “They know the history, the challenges, the culture; it’s in the fiber of who they are.”
Barrera himself takes pride in passing on his experience in navigating complex political landscapes using a “people-centric” approach, a skill he developed as Commander of the Colombian Navy. “Being a CNO taught me to truly understand the value of every individual,” Barrera explained.
His leadership and teaching style have earned him widespread respect and affection within the NWC community. Adm. Barrera’s retirement closes a pioneering chapter in the U.S. Naval War College’s history, leaving behind a legacy of collaboration and international understanding.
Read more here – U.S. Navy’s First CNO Distinguished International Fellow Retires
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
