On June 1st, we arrived in Santiago, Chile at the Arturo Merino Benítez Airport. Upon arrival we met up with the midshipmen and cadets from the navy and army military academies. The first day involved preparing for our interviews and getting settled in our hotel adjacent to the Costanera Center, the tallest building in Latin America. As active duty members of the military, the cadets and midshipmen bring interesting perspectives when conversing about civil-military relations. We worked to narrow down our research question and split into focus groups. Ultimately, we decided that we are researching the opportunities and challenges associated with Chile's unique geography when it comes to national defense and trade relations.
