Sergio de la Peña

Sergio de la Peña is an American politician and retired United States Army colonel who served as the deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs. His responsibilities included security, defense, and policy issues in the region, as well as overseeing the funding of defense cooperation programs for U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Southern Command.[1]

Sergio de la Peña
BornChihuahua City, Mexico
Service/branch United States Army
EducationUniversity of Iowa (BS)
United States Army Command and General Staff College (MA)
Political partyRepublican

Early life and education

De la Peña was born in Chihuahua City, Chihuahua, Mexico raised near Roswell, New Mexico.[2] He was an ROTC graduate from the University of Iowa, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology. While attending the United States Army Command and General Staff College he earned a Master of Military Art and Science degree and was the only student in his class to graduate from both paratrooper and Army Ranger training. He attended the Inter-American Defense College with Class of 42.

Career

De la Peña served for 30 years as an Air Defense and Foreign Area officer in a variety of staff and leadership positions. He served in short to high range altitude units that included Chaparral, HAWK, and Patriot systems. He earned his airborne wings and ranger tab as a cadet. In his last assignment, he served as the United States Northern Command J59, Chief of the International Affairs Division, responsible for developing the command’s theater engagement strategy that provided military to military guidance for training, exchanges, exercises, and sales with Canada and Mexico.

As commander of the U.S. Military Observer Group-Washington, de la Peña recruited, trained, and deployed U.S. armed service personnel to United Nations observer missions in trouble spots on four continents. In Chile, he served as U.S. Army Section Chief, strengthening military ties by significantly increasing training and exchange events, as well as being instrumental in the sales of $750 million in military equipment. He also served as the U.S. Army Attaché in Venezuela, as a test officer who developed, tested, and fielded a low intensity conflict simulation project focused on the Western Hemisphere, and as the program manager who initiated the U.S.-Spanish Army staff talks.

de la Peña has also worked an independent consultant and defense contractor focused on business development in the Americas, an instructor of defense, security, and leadership courses to government officials, and a frequent commentator on Spanish-speaking national and international news media.

On January 11, 2021, he announced his candidacy as a Republican candidate for the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election.[3]

References
  1. "Ex-Trump appointee to Pentagon seeks GOP nomination for Virginia governor". Washington Post. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  2. "Sergio de la Pena campaign". 12 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  3. "Sergio de la Peña announces he is running for Virginia Governor". WFXR News. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
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