WHINSEC Inaugural Senior Alumni Seminar a Huge Success!

Photo By Adela Duncan | Participants at the WHINSEC Inaugural Senior Alumni Seminar  

UNITED STATES

09.12.2022

Story by Adela Duncan 

Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation

Panama City, Panama- WHINSEC alumni share best practices in professional development and human rights training.

August 16-18th, 2022, 23 Command General Staff Officer Course (CGSOC) alums attended a senior leadership seminar. The seminar consisted of officers from the United States, Belize, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Since establishing WHINSEC in 2001, talks have been in the works to build an alumni program. The International Military Education and Training (IMET) Alumni Engagement Program's purpose is to leverage the relationships developed during the school experience and reinforce bonds forged at WHINSEC. The Alumni Engagement Program seminar aims to increase instructor capabilities and resources to improve stability and interoperability and revitalize relationships with WHINSEC partner nation alumni. This opportunity will help WHINSEC to understand its customer base and engage in discussion of long-term goals. The goal is to have an alumni program similar to WHINSEC's predecessors at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Command and General Staff College, and the Army War College.

Per the Interim National Security Strategic Guidance, WHINSEC follows guidance by boosting engagement and partnerships with our closest neighbors in the Americas. By adding the senior alumni seminar this year, WHINSEC elevates connectivity with instructor and student alums. Through networking, WHINSEC improves regional relationships with genuine discussions and sharing current perspectives. While simultaneously WHINSEC supports our neighbors invest in good governance with democratic educational institutions.

Lt. Gen. Manuel Rodriguez Sosa, commanding general of the Paraguay Army Training and Doctrine Command, attended WHINSEC in 2001 as a civil-military operations course student then returned to WHINSEC as a guest instructor in 2008-2010.

"As a student, attending WHINSEC helped me to understand the international environment. The same challenges and threats exist, and all our countries must work together to try to solve the problems that arise in the future. WHINSEC has been a significant impact on the career of every Paraguayan military," stated Rodriguez.

Among the attendees during the opening session were WHINSEC alumnus Minister of Public Security of Panama, Juan Manuel Pino Forero and U. S. Embassy in Panama Chargé d'Affaires Stewart Tuttle.

Pino commented, "As a graduate of WHINSEC, I can assure you it was a great opportunity to share experiences with colleagues from other latitudes. The acquired knowledge enhanced my professional career. Almost all the qualified officers within the western hemisphere have been forged at WHINSEC. They return to their countries and hold critical positions. I believe in WHINSEC and am loyal to WHINSEC."

Some topics highlighted at the seminar were Women Peace Security (WPS), Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) development, and new updates to Command General Staff and Officers Course (CGSOC). A representative from each country presented how each security force is improving in each area.

"Conversations on WPS is an ongoing dialog and serves a purpose. It helps remind the countries, be the US or the region, to keep it at the forefront, " stated Maj. Gen. Dusty Shultz, a 2007 CGSOC alumnus.

During the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) presentation, WHINSEC Command and General Staff Course Senior Enlisted Advisor, Sgt. Maj. Jose Lopez presented the progress of training and education an NCO must do in order to advance in the leadership chain. He explained that the purpose of the NCO is to support and complete the commander's mission and prepare NCOs to serve in higher capacities within their professional specialties.

Former WHINSEC Deputy Commandant for Police Affairs and CGSOC alumnus Col. (Ret) Cenen Castillo, Panama Police commented, “One of the essential things as leaders is creating cohesive groups. That group starts with the leadership we develop in the armed and security forces. We create an excellent organizational climate, and that organizational climate works best when we educate and train our NCOs. Our goal is to prepare the NCO for the next position of leadership. In the security forces, we perform different tasks than in the armed forces. We often don't have enough officers to command these small groups that perform various tasks. That's where the NCO comes in because the NCO links the officers to the troops. Not every leader can be everywhere. If we give them trust and latitude, provide the best training; we achieve an objective that, in the end, we all win in security and strategy."

WHINSEC Command Sergeant Major, Command Sgt. Maj. Roberto H. Alvarez added, “During the last few years, the Army has been working towards providing the resources for NCOs to be at the same educational level as the officer. By using distance learning programs, Soldiers and NCOs can advance their education as they continue their careers. Additionally, since 2014, all professional military schools have been accredited and provide college credits to their graduates. This initiative encourages NCOs to seek professional military education to advance toward a college degree. Furthermore, the Sergeant's Major (SGM) Academy has been accredited, and its graduates obtain a bachelor's degree upon completion of the course. The SGM course offers advanced studies credits for those with a degree."

Former WHINSEC CGSOC student and subsequent WHINSEC Instructor, Lt. Col. Fernando Chaine also commented, “The Officer's responsibility is to give sergeants their rightful place on the team and not just used as a resource. During my time as a company commander, my officers and platoon leaders transferred to another mission. I designated my platoon sergeants as platoon leaders. I allowed them to demonstrate that they could assume the responsibilities if they were in a position. Their work was excellent.” Chaine currently serves as the director of the Command and General Staff Officer course with the Uruguay Army.

Updates mentioned regarding CGSOC include student receive a master's degree and the option to receive a second master's with a participating university. Many of the alums were pleased to hear the changes made to CGSOC. They plan to encourage their respective countries to send more students and instructors to WHINSEC.

During the CGSOC presentation, alums suggested WHINSEC consider is adding an English track and a Common Faculty Development – Instructor Course (CFD-IC) elective. Alums believe this would help to increase readiness in the western hemisphere by providing additional training to their military and police.

"As an officer who currently works with the Honduran Defense University, year after year, we are improving the educational level of our officers. These seminars are essential because the officers who have passed through WHINSEC come and share experiences. We can compare the experience of the doctrine of the United States by contributing our perspectives. We share the curriculum of WHINSEC with the curriculum of our countries' command and staff courses. As instructors share experiences to achieve development objectives in the elements of national, economic, political power and above all, the psycho-social with all the problems that affect the country's development," stated Honduran Air Force Col. Gerardo Obando, WHINSEC 2009 CGSOC alumnus.

WHINSEC alumni, CGSOC class 2007 Maj. Gen. Dusty Shultz, Director, Strategic Operations Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7 addressed participants.

She commented, "WHINSEC means so much to me. It represents the best of our entire Western Hemisphere. What an incredible opportunity for leaders to come back, make new connections grow from one another, and share where we have left off and where we need to go. I had a good fortune today to talk to the alums, to be asked pointed questions, and to be able to ask those pointed questions. For example, what is it like being a woman in the military, then sharing my perspective when I came in 35 years ago. That is a unique exchange and conversation; we must keep that dialog going. These relationships make our hemisphere strong."

Shultz was acknowledged as a WHINSEC Hall of Fame inductee to the alums at the seminar. WHINSEC staff showed a picture of Maj. Gen. Shultz portrait hanging on the Hall of Fame. "It was quite a privilege to be an inductee at the Hall of Fame. I thank Dr. Chago Rodriguez and now General Flavio Lancia from Brazil, my two primary instructors, for helping me shape my thoughts, not on what to think, but for getting me to think. After leaving WHINSEC, the alums become advocates for WHINSEC. I consider myself a lifelong ambassador for WHINSEC."

• Date Taken: 09.12.2022
• Date Posted: 09.12.2022 16:59
• Story ID: 429131
• Location: US