View source for Joint Task Force OMEGA

[[Image:Omega uc lc.svg|thumb|right|Joint Task Force OMEGA was named after [[omega]] Greek letter meaning "the end" in allusion to the possible end of the armed conflict]]

'''Joint Task Force OMEGA''' ({{langx|es|Fuerza de tarea conjunta OMEGA}}) is a joint [[task force]] involving the [[Military of Colombia]] in support of [[Plan Patriota]] (Now replaced by [[Plan Consolidación]]) assembled with the main purpose of capturing the leaders of the [[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia]] (FARC).

==Mission==

Its purpose is to conduct military operations, planning, developing and implementing assault operations, surveillance, interdiction, security and support, combating and neutralizing the narco-terrorist organizations, with an emphasis on neutralizing their leaders, their logistics infrastructure, economic base, and precipitate the military defeat of their armed [[paramilitary|paramilitaries]].

==Organization==

The JTF OMEGA was formed by the best 15,000 soldiers in the military of Colombia selected from the [[Colombian National Army|Army]], [[Colombian Air Force|Air Force]] and [[Colombian National Armada|Navy]]. The task force headquarters is located in the [[Fuerte Militar Larandia|Military Fort Larandia]] in the [[Caqueta Department|Department of Caqueta]].

===Field units===
Field units of the Task Force consist of eight brigades as follows:
* Mobile Brigades 1, 2 and 3 which make up the [[Rapid Deployment Force]] (Fuerza de Despliegue Rápido or "FUDRA"), these units are based in [[La Macarena, Meta|La Macarena]] in the [[Meta Department|Department of Meta]]; 
* Mobile Brigade No. 6 based in [[Cartagena del Chairá]], [[Guaviare Department|Department of Guaviare]]
* Mobile Brigade No. 7 based in [[Calamar, Guaviare|Calamar]], [[Guaviare Department|Department of Guaviare]]
* Mobile Brigade No. 9 based in [[San Vicente del Caguán]], [[Guaviare Department|Department of Guaviare]]
* Mobile Brigade No. 10 based in [[Miraflores, Guaviare|Miraflores]], [[Guaviare Department|Department of Guaviare]]
* Mobile Brigade No. 22 based in [[Peñas Coloradas]], [[Caqueta Department|Department of Caqueta]].

Apart from the land component, the JTF has a river component located in [[Tres Esquinas]], [[Caqueta Department|Department of Caqueta]], and an aviation component in the bases of [[Fuerte Militar Larandia|Larandia]] and [[Apiay Air Force Base|Apiay]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.armada.mil.co/?idcategoria=274671 |title=Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta OMEGA |access-date=2007-12-06 |language=es |archive-date=2011-05-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524053106/http://www.armada.mil.co/?idcategoria=274671 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Operations==
Operations left 137 members of the Colombian military [[killed in action]] and 1,300 wounded. After the end of [[Plan Patriota]], The Joint Task Force OMEGA was renamed to [[OMEGA Campaign]] on December 10, 2006 to support the Plan Consolidación.<ref>[http://www.eltiempo.com/conflicto/noticias/ARTICULO-WEB-NOTA_INTERIOR-3360295.html {{in lang|es}} eltiempo.com:Derrota total de las Farc es el objetivo de la nueva fase de operaciones militares en el sur de país] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070123220743/http://www.eltiempo.com/conflicto/noticias/ARTICULO-WEB-NOTA_INTERIOR-3360295.html |date=2007-01-23 }}</ref>

==Commanders==
* General [[Reinaldo Castellanos]] (????-2004) <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.correodelsur.net/2004/1111/w_internacional2.shtml |title=Uribe cambia jefe militar para derrotar a insurgentes |language=es |access-date=2009-03-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723054658/http://www.correodelsur.net/2004/1111/w_internacional2.shtml |archive-date=2011-07-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* General [[Carlos Alberto Fracica]] (2004-2005) <ref>[http://www.mindefensa.gov.co/index.php?page=181&id=1375&PHPSESSID=f93dbfef9b9259a72a80b128bc6ccaaf {{in lang|es}} Mindefensa anuncia nueva línea de mando de las Fuerzas Militares ]</ref><ref>[http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-1823571  {{in lang|es}} Salió El General Fracica]</ref>
* General [[Gilberto Rocha]] (2005-2006)<ref>[http://www.presidencia.gov.co/sne/2005/noviembre/11/10102005.htm {{in lang|es}} PRESIDENTE URIBE RATIFICA CÚPULA MILITAR ]</ref>
* General [[Alejandro Navas]] (2006-2008)<ref>[http://alpha.mindefensa.gov.co/index.php?page=181&id=4814&PHPSESSID=41a2ef9303bf5826b95069becebc4a10 {{in lang|es}} Relevo en el comando de la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Omega]{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
* General [[Javier Alberto Florez Aristizabal]] (2008–present)<ref>[http://www.ejercito.mil.co/?idcategoria=210871 {{in lang|es}} Comandante General de las Fuerzas Militares anunció nueva línea de mando en el Ejército Nacional]</ref>

== Guerrilla infiltration scandal ==

During an operation on July 15, 2007 in the jungles of Colombia by the [[Colombian National Army]] soldiers of the [[17th Counter-Guerrilla Battalion]] [[2nd Mobile Brigade]], localized a FARC campsite in the village of Montañitas, in the municipality of [[Mesetas]], [[Meta Department]] and after a confrontation with members of FARC's [[Eastern Bloc of the FARC-EP|42nd Front]], soldiers found on the body a guerrilla named José Nerup Reyes Peña (the presumed leader of that front), hard discs and USB drives containing information about members of the FARC guerrilla infiltration in the JTF OMEGA. The hard drive contained detailed maps outlining anti-guerrilla operations by Omega.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/07/AR2007090702569_pf.html Washington Post: Traffickers Infiltrate Military in Colombia]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.semana.com/wf_InfoArticulo.aspx?idArt=105260 |title=Revista Semana: Infiltrado el corazón de las Fuerzas Militares |language=es |access-date=2007-11-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080115110710/http://www.semana.com/wf_InfoArticulo.aspx?idArt=105260 |archive-date=2008-01-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

*{{in lang|es}} [http://www.armada.mil.co/?idcategoria=274671 Colombian National Armada: Joint Task Force OMEGA] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524053106/http://www.armada.mil.co/?idcategoria=274671 |date=2011-05-24 }}

{{Colombia conflict}}
{{Military of Colombia}}

[[Category:Military units and formations of Colombia]]
[[Category:Joint task forces (armed forces)]]
[[Category:Colombian conflict]]
[[Category:National Army of Colombia]]