“First female and first Latino to take the helm of Key West Joint military command” –Joint Interagency Task Force South

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Below is a news release by Public Affairs Officer, Antonia Varner Joint Interagency Task Force South

 June 6, 2024

Change of Command

June 5, 2024

First female and first Latino to take the helm of Key West Joint military command

Coast Guard Rear Admiral Jo-Ann F. Burdian assumed command of Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATFS) today, in a change of command ceremony at the Tennessee Williams Theater in Key West, FL. JIATFS is a U.S. Department of Defense entity that detects and monitors illegal drug trafficking in international waters and air within the Western hemisphere, in support of regional security.

Rear Admiral Burdian is the eighteenth director of the 35-year-old task force, the first female, and first latino assuming command from the previous JIATFS director, Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mark J. Fedor.

A native of Queens NY, Rear Admiral Burdian is a 1997 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Government. She also holds a Masters in Public Administration from Florida State University. She has been awarded numerous personal, unit, campaign, and service awards.

The Change of Command ceremony was presided over by General Laura J. Richardson, Commander of U.S. Southern Command.

Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATFS), organized under U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), conducts detection and monitoring operations throughout its joint operations area to facilitate the interdiction of illicit trafficking in support of national and partner nation security. For more information about JIATFS, visit http://www.jiatfs.southcom.mil. For more information about SOUTHCOM, visit: http://www.southcom.mil.

3 thoughts on ““First female and first Latino to take the helm of Key West Joint military command” –Joint Interagency Task Force South”

      • I was surprised that this was not included on the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, U.S. Fourth Fleet website, which had been on my recommended blogs list, but neither that nor the Joint Interagency Task Force South web sites has been very active. The JITFS web site had not a single story in March, April, or May. As much as is happening down there, someone is not doing their job of telling their story.

        Something good came out of this, I realized I did not have the US SouthCom web site on the recommended blog list, so I replaced the 4th Fleet website with the SouthCom website.

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