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ColonelJavier "Javi" E. Rivera-Rosario |
Native of Puerto Rico. He attended the University of Puerto Rico, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in 1995. In 1998, he earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Catholic University School of Law in Puerto Rico. Colonel Rivera also holds an LL.M. in Military Law from The U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center & School and a Master’s Degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College. He is fluent in Spanish, written and orally.
Colonel Rivera began his Army career in 1993 as an enlisted Soldier and combat medic in the U.S. Army Reserves in Puerto Rico. In 1998 he received a commission through the Reserve Officers Training Corps as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves. In 1999, Colonel Rivera entered active duty service in the U.S. Army
Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Since then, his military assignments include: Legal Assistance Attorney and Trial Counsel, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, TX; Defense Counsel, Baumholder, Germany; Chief of Claims and later Senior Trial Counsel, 21st Theater Support Command, Kaiserslautern, Germany; Senior Defense Counsel, Baghdad, Iraq; Chief of Military Justice, Fort Carson, CO; Officerin-Charge of COB Speicher Legal Center and Chief of Military Justice, U.S. Division North, Iraq; Chief of Administrative Law, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, CO; Executive Officer, Office of the Chief, U.S. Army Trial Defense Service, Fort Belvoir, VA; Legal Advisor, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), Doral, FL; Staff Judge Advocate, U.S. Army South, Fort Sam Houston, TX; and presently Staff Judge Advocate, Maneuver Center of Excellence & Fort Benning, Fort Benning, GA.
For 5 consecutive years, Colonel Rivera gained joint-operations experience and expertise on SOUTHCOM issues, which includes Central & South America and the Caribbean. From 2014-2016, he was a Legal Advisor at SOUTHCOM, and later from
2016-2019 he was the Staff Judge Advocate at U.S. Army South, the Army Service Component Command of SOUTHCOM. During his time in both commands, Colonel Rivera provided advice on a wide range of legal/security cooperation issues, such as (but not limited to): military justice; ethics; contracts & fiscal law; national security law; Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief operations; counterdrug operations; training missions; international humanitarian law, rule of law/human rights; joint exercises with partner nations; military intelligence; and, public/private partnerships. Colonel Rivera also had the opportunity to conduct many legal engagements with senior military legal advisors of partner nations in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility, furthering legal interoperability, human rights/rule of law principles, and strengthening partnerships.
Colonel Rivera’s awards include the Bronze Star Medal with a bronze oak leaf cluster, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with a bronze oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal, and the Iraqi Campaign Medal.
