The Conference of American Armies (CAA) is a Military Organization of an international nature made up and led by Armies from the American Continents, with the authorization of their respective countries, whose aims, structure and functions are found in the “Regulations of the Conference of the American Armies”
Founded in 1960 as an Army Commanders International Organization in the Western Hemisphere. Today it operates independently under its own CAA by-laws approved by the all CAA member army commanders.
The twenty three (23) Member Armies of the CAA today are: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela. There are two (2) Observer Armies and two (2) Special Observers. The Observer Armies are: Belize and Suriname. The Special Observers are Army of Spain and National Border Service of the Republic of Panama.
The two (2) International Military Organizations also enjoy observer status; These are The Conference of Central American Armed Forces and the Inter-American Defense Board.
The Army of Spain enjoys status as Special Observer as of November 2015 and The National Border Service of the Republic of Panama since 2022.
The CAA conducts a two-year (2) cycle of Specialized Conferences / Exercises hosted by different member armies which culminates in a Preparatory Conference that reviews the accomplishments of the previous two (2) year cycle and approves the agenda for the forthcoming CAA Commanders’ Conference (CCAA).
The CCAA is conducted by the army hosting the CAA Permanent Executive Secretariat (PESCAA) for that cycle. The hosting of the PESCAA voluntarily rotate every two (2) years and serves as CAA headquarters responsible for coordinating all CAA activities in addition to hosting the Preparatory and Commanders’ Conferences.
Each cycle has a mandatory theme approved by the member army commanders at the previous cycle’s Commanders’ Conference.
This theme provides a guiding vision for all CAA activities during the two-year (2) cycle.
PROCESSES
The CAA’s operations, generally speaking, are determined by the continuous input of knowledge by each army in the different matters and topics defined as being of common interest that will be shared, analyzed, and studied in the scope of the different conferences, exercises, and projects developed by the delegates of the Member Armies.
This process is mainly done through the interactions that arise during the different events scheduled for each cycle of the organization. Nevertheless, with the capabilities afforded by modern technology, its members must be vigilant to ensure that this process, as well as the decision making process led by the Host Army to streamline these interactions, remains in effect.
Other tools to achieve the desired purpose will be research and analysis conducted with the goal of deepening collective knowledge on certain themes to the benefit of the organization.
The principal result gained from this interaction and research will be a useful vision of certain topics that are incumbent upon the American Armies forming a set of conclusions and recommendations that will assure creative, updated, and practically useful products for the Armies and the CAA.
