Magis: Colonel Armando Fiterre '86

Miguel Camacho '21
This article first appeared in the Belen Jesuit Alumni Magazine, Summer 2021 edition.

In the twilight of this academic year, the trials and tribulations that we have faced as a community have made the desperate need for leaders who embody the principle of MAGIS starkly apparent. In order to sustain and uplift a community, leaders with the drive to do more than what’s expected of them have to rally others, both by example and instruction, to adopt this principle and become the true best versions of themselves. A glowing example of someone like this is Colonel Armando Fiterre, a Belen alumnus from the class of 1986. Col. Fiterre has strived to be what he calls a “servant leader” throughout his adult life”. Years of army service have taught him the essence of family; as in trusting and serving those in his unit regardless of race, nationality, creed, or color. Fiterre understands that a true leader is humble and that with every increase in rank and power must come an increase in responsibility and the commitment to serve those under his charge. 

In maintaining this humility and respect for his brothers in arms, he goes above and beyond his calling and is a model for Jesuit leadership. This humanistic and Christian approach to leadership has made him highly revered and beloved by people from all walks of life. In his own words, Fiterre describes the perspective that drives this form of leadership and service, “Our nation is not a flag, it’s not an anthem, it’s not a monument. Our nation’s essence is people.” He also makes it clear that the mark of a good leader is the ability to produce more leaders, rather than more followers.

One of the things that has shaped Col. Fiterre into the honorable leader he is today is his illustrious career. After having spent his teenage years under the wise tutelage of the Belen faculty at the time, Fiterre attended the prestigious United States Air Force Academy. There, he studied intensively and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in History and Political Science. He then went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from TUI and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies at Air Force’s Air University, Air War College. After an intensive year of Undergraduate Pilot Training, Fiterre earned his Air Force Pilot Wings and then attended a variety of aviation technical schools, each between three and nine months long, to become qualified in various aircraft. 

Today, the esteemed colonel is working in the industry he knows like the back of his hand: the aviation industry. He manages a plethora of different programs at the headquarters level for a government contractor that provides worldwide aviation services to the U.S. State Department Air Wing. Despite this formidable resume, however, Fiterre affirms that the greatest source of pride and joy in his life is his beautiful family. As a proud Belen alumnus, he has fortunately managed to stay in contact with many of his Belen classmates, even though he graduated 35 years ago.

With decades of hard work and life-shaking experiences under his belt, Col. Fiterre has many sage bits of advice that he would like to impart to the Belen community, students, parents, and alumni alike. He encourages us to not take the easy road and instead look for harder problems, or as he puts it, “Train your brain just as hard as you would train your body.” Two other ideas he proposes are to value and nurture friendships, and to practice public speaking. Finally, Fiterre suggests reading and writing more; “The goal is to help you communicate the depth of your thoughts logically,” he states, “with clarity, accuracy, and the ability to consider multiple perspectives.”

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BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain.  The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline.  In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty.  The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow.  Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.