The Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation History
Jan 2001-Jan 2012
The Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation opened its doors on January 17, 2001, with Colonel Richard D. Downie as the first Commandant. The Institute occupied Ridgway Hall, the first permanent home of the Army’s Infantry School.
Over the past eleven years, those who have served here have trained and educated almost 14,000 men and women—military, law enforcement and civilian—representing 34 countries.
In March 2004, Col. Gilberto Perez took the reins as commandant, serving for more than four years. Col. Pérez led the Institute in its transformation of the CGSOC to ILE to match the instructional model of the Command and General Staff College, linking WHINSEC’s curriculum to the Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Col. Felix Santiago became commandant in July, 2008, just in time to oversee the move of the Institute to the temporary quarters we are in today—Collins, Lewis and Greene Halls plus the modular classrooms nearby. During Col. Santiago’s tenure, the Institute re-organized its teaching departments into three components: The School of Professional Military Education, the School of Specialized Studies, and the Roy Benavidez NCO Academy.
On 8 July, 2010, COL Glenn R. Huber, Jr., assumed command of WHINSEC and began preparing the Institute for its second decade of service to the US Army, DoD and the nations of the Western Hemisphere. This includes establishing a permanent academic complex for WHINSEC’s staff, faculty, and students on the campus of the Fort Benning Station Hospital. Renovation work has already begun on this historic complex of buildings that opened in 1925 and provided treatment to thousands of Soldiers during World War II and the Korean War. These facilities will feature a state-of-the-art academic environment with 21st Century classrooms.
WHINSEC maintains a culture of respect for the nations of our hemisphere, celebrating the Independence anniversaries of each with a ceremony and a toast to the nation. An annual “Festival of the Hemisphere” includes expositions of folklore, food and drinks of the countries present. In addition, WHINSEC’s instructors and students share their nations’ cultures with elementary, middle and high school students during cultural expositions at local schools.
WHINSEC’s second decade began with a ceremony that featured the U.S. Ambassador to Brazil, Thomas Shannon, who had been instrumental in supporting the Institute during his days as the State Department’s Deputy Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs.
The vitality of the organization can be shown by the number of students who passed through the doors during the year—1272 from 25 countries learned here on our campus. 354 more got training from our superb instructors forming Mobile Training Teams in partner nations.
For the first time, West Point cadets joined ROTC students in the cultural and language immersion program that puts them in a leadership course with cadets from a partner nation—this year from Colombia and the Dominican Republic.
The School of Professional Military Education reached several milestones, including the first steps toward adding the elements to the Captains Career Course so that U.S. captains will be credited for all the requirements now available in the MCoE course.
The current ILE class is the first to be able to earn the Master of Military Arts and Sciences degree during the year of study.
In the School of Specialized Studies, the Counterdrug Operations Course continued its collaboration with the Navy Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School, sending students twice to Mississippi to conduct missions involving riverine operations. This partnership pays dividends beyond the Army as it brings WHINSEC to the attention of other military departments and to other agencies.
The Roy Benavidez NCO Academy remains the Institute’s primary link with the Caribbean basin nations by offering its NCO Professional Development Course in English. Eight nations sent students to that course, nations that would not otherwise have had the opportunity to develop relationships and share experiences with their Spanish-speaking neighbors.
WHINSEC continues to enhance the capabilities of security forces and ministries of our home, the Americas, with a vision that anticipates strong interagency collaboration and new regional—perhaps even global—partnerships.
¡Libertad, Paz y Fraternidad!
Future campus of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. Move-in is scheduled to begin in late 2012, and to be completed in 2014.