WHINSEC
2001-2016: WHINSEC's 15th anniversary
The Institute celebrated its 15 years with a "Quinceañera" party on Jan 14, 2016. Latin American cultures use that term to describe a (girl) child reaching adulthood. Activities included an historical video, an address by long-term friend of the Institute Dr. Frank O. Mora of Florida International University now and formerly the Deputy Asst. Secretary of Defense for the Western Hemisphere; and with the cutting of the traditional "birthday" cake.
CGSOC Class of 2016 graduates
The Command & General Staff Officer Course Class of 2016, pictured here as they began the year of study, graduated May 29 in Marshall Auditorium. This class featured 58 military and law enforcement officers from ten countries: Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and the U.S.A.
USA TRADOC Educator of the Year
Chilean Army Col. Luis Cuellar has been named Educator of the Year for FY 2015 by U.S. Army Training & Doctrine Command. Col. Cuellar served as an instructor for Command & General Staff Officer and Joint Operations Courses in WHINSEC's School of Professional Military Education. Praised by his supervisor as his all-time best instructor, Col. Cuellar earned his Master Instructor certification, was named WHINSEC's Educator of the Year, and (as an Artillery officer) was inducted into the Order of St. Barbara. He will be recognized for his TRADOC honor in a ceremony not yet scheduled.
Instructors Learning New Methods
Institute instructors constantly strive to do more. Dr. Wes Smith of Army University at Fort Leavenworth, KS, led WHINSEC Master Instructors in Phase II of the Advanced Facilitation Skills Course to improve skills in Case and Problem-Based learning; Socratic Questioning; Electronic and Mobile Learning; and Learner Assessment. These all apply to the learner-centric, blended learning environment that is the Army Learning Model.
Leadership Development begins with Cadets
WHINSEC conducts six to eight Cadet Leadership Development Courses per year, giving students a taste of U.S. Army life and equipment while they work on leadership skills. The Summer iterations of the course always include U.S. ROTC and West Point Cadets to begin learning a little Spanish, experience other cultures, and start friendships that may extend for life.
New Center, Better Learning Experiences
The Center for Human Rights and Democracy (CHRD) is the Institute's newest organization, making the instructors who teach human rights, democratic principles, and ethics a team. These three subjects begin every course offered, not only for students of WHINSEC courses, but also for all instructors. In addition to the International Operational Law course, CHRD instructors support all courses on campus, assist sister organizations in the U.S. military and Partner Nations, and supervise the Field Studies Program, which exposes international students to U.S. cultural sites and activities. Inaugural activities included a proclamation signed by Institute leaders and Dr. Charles Blaha, a State Department official who spoke at the event.
WHINSEC FAST FACTS
Week of Oct 17-21, 2016
Seven courses in session, 321 students from 14 countries.
Command & General Staff Officer Course
(66 students) studies Mission Command: The Science of Control; Training Management; Information Operations; Decisive Action: Homeland Defense; World War I: Emergence of Combined Arms; Mission Analysis; and Operational Support.
Maneuver Captains Career Course-WHINSEC
(32 students) studies Stability Operations, Final Phases of Battalion Operations; visits the National Infantry Museum; and conducts a Physical Fitness Test.
Countering Transnational Threats Course 2-16
(40 students) studies Urban Breaching, Mechanical & Ballistic Effects; Troop-Leading Procedures; Plans, Orders and Attachments; conducting Vehicle and Personnel Searches; and Individual Team Skills.
NCO Professional Development Course 2-16
(42 students) studies Troop-Leading Procedures and the Military Decision-Making Process at Company and personal levels; Combat Reports; Platoon Movement, Formations and Techniques; Tactical Site Exploitation; and conduct training in the Treatment and Evacuation of the Dead and Wounded.
Intelligence Analysis of Transnational Operations Course
(28 Students) conducts Operational Environment Team Briefs; Country Threat Briefs; Terrain Analysis; Weather Analysis; Effects of the Operational Environment on Friendly & Enemy Forces; studies Tactical Intelligence Packages; and Threat Composition & Capabilities.
Small Unit Leader Course
(16 students) studies the Effects of Culture, Ethical Problem-Solving, Military Justice and Discipline, Resilience, Suicide Prevention for Junior Leaders, NCO Education System improvements and Training Management; conducts a Field Studies Program Trip to Atlanta.
Cadet Leadership Development Course
(97 students) in-Processes, Draws field equipment, and receives Briefing on Prevention of Sexual Harassment & Rape; studies The Army Leader, Leadership and Culture, Adaptive Leadership, the Profession of Arms, Armed Forces and Democracy, and Urban Operations; also conducts the Leader Reaction Course and Bolton Confidence Course.