News Posts - Defense Security Cooperation University

Retired Brigadier General Geraldine Janet George, who was recently appointed as the new Acting Liberian Minister of Defense, is the first woman to serve in this role in the country’s history, making this appointment an historic step forward for the country and the continent.  
 
BG George is also a graduate of several Institute for Security Governance (ISG) Resident & Mobile Education Training courses.

Read more here.

5 Years of Impact at ISG!
In five years under the auspices of DSCA, and our nearly 30 years of history as a DoD Security Cooperation implementing component, ISG has grown remarkably into a pivotal force within the Department of Defense, expanding our reach with our foreign partners and continuing to innovate and implement in all aspects of Security Cooperation. 

Going forward, our primary mission remains our focus: to advance U.S. national security interests by strengthening the institutional capacity of partner and allies’ defense and security sectors.

Click here to view the ISG Turns Five Infographic.

In a compelling exploration published on Medium.com, ISG Africa Regional Program Lead Dr. Whitney Grespin and coauthor Dr. Caroline Batka, a senior military analyst at Comenius University, reflect on why the language around private actors in international security services matters. This analysis, rooted in the authors’ extensive background in security governance, underscores the pivotal role terminology plays in shaping the perception, regulation, and behavior of these actors. 
 
The article makes a compelling case for the necessity of a refined and expanded lexicon to accurately reflect and regulate the activities of these diverse groups. By highlighting the intricacies of terminology in international security, Drs. Grespin and Batka contribute significantly to the ongoing discourse on how we understand and engage with private actors in this critical field. We commend our colleague, Dr. Grespin, for her thought leadership. 

DSCU’s Institute for Security Governance recently concluded the resident course: PRINCIPLES OF DEFENSE PROCUREMENT & CONTRACTING in Monterey, California. This International Defense Acquisition Resource Management (IDARM) course provides a theoretical and practical examination of fundamental concepts and challenges associated with national and global defense contracting. 

Participants examine methodologies that ensure needs based requirements, work in groups to develop and issue requests for tender, and use reasoned decision-making in supplier selection. Critical post-award contract management considerations are also discussed. U.S. and international best practices are examined, as are challenges associated with institutionalizing efficient and effective procurement systems.

The Institute for Security Governance (ISG) recently concluded another successful Institutional Capacity Building (ICB) engagement in Tbilisi, Georgia with its Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Georgian Defense Force (GDF) counterparts. Working alongside its Georgian partners, ISG continued to support the development of a centralized Career Management capability within the GDF; conducted a workshop focused on data analytics and policy decision-making in the MoD; and supported Georgian efforts to effectively message change management and enhance organizational trust. Supporting a more effective and nimbler Georgia will not only directly impact the country’s defense and territorial deterrence capabilities but will also enhance its interoperability as an important U.S. Security Cooperation partner.

Announcing the latest ISG Heron – a quarterly newsletter highlighting our work in Security Cooperation and Institutional Capacity Building as well as the people who contribute to this important mission. 

In this issue, ISG:    

•  Spotlights a successful senior leader delegation visit to ISG & DRMI.

• Welcomes seven new outstanding Regional Advising and Functional Experts.

• Profiles the expansion of security governance in Sri Lanka. 

• Explores the pivotal role of the U.S.-Philippines Bilateral Strategic Dialog in regional security. 

• Offers a standing ovation to Africa Regional Program Lead, Dr. Whitney Grespin.

• Interviews Director Ian Wexler on his dual engagements in the Philippines.

Congratulations to the latest cohort of participants of the National Resilience for Defense & Security course. This course aims to equip participants with knowledge and skills to develop national resilience frameworks that can improve national and collective security in the face of complex threats and hazards, including large scale disasters, domestic crises, and irregular or hybrid warfare.

The course emphasized planning considerations and capabilities requirements for countering full-spectrum threats and hazards that target the civil population and critical infrastructure and services. It explored government coordination with the civil and private sectors, reflecting the interconnected and interdependent nature of defense and security requirements.

ISG’s Peacekeeping and Exercises (PKX) Team recently concluded its support to Exercise Shanti Prayas IV – a Multinational Peacekeeping Exercise co-hosted by the Nepali Army and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command at the Birendra Peace Operations Training Centre (BPOTC) in Panchkhal, Nepal from February 20 – March 4, 2024.

This exercise, hosted rotationally between regional US partners, is the largest annual Peacekeeping exercise in the world annual exercises and designed to support peacekeeping operations. Participants included combined service members from 19 countries as well as a series of high-ranking dignitaries.

Institutional Capacity Building (ICB) is an art more than a science. From a definitional standpoint, it encompasses Security Cooperation activities that directly support partner nation efforts to improve security sector governance and core management competencies needed to achieve shared security objectives.

From a practical standpoint, it involves a myriad of soft skills combined with a deep knowledge base to arrive at a strategically driven, problem focused, partner centric plan to build partner capacity responsibly and sustainably. 

Some of those soft skills may include relationship and trust building; agility and adaptive thinking; patience and pacing; active listening; strong verbal communications and an ability to adapt to non-native English communication; awareness of non-verbal and culture-specific cues; and iterative thinking beyond best practices (nimble tailoring).

The Institute for Security Governance – in cooperation with U.S. Embassy Panama – led its fifth strategic planning workshop with Panama’s Ministry of Public Security (MINSEG). A 40-person partner working group comprised of members from each of MINSEG’s four service-like operational organizations (estamentos) briefed the Minister of Public Security and the Directors General of the partner security services on progress in developing the first-ever MINSEG-level Joint Operating Concept. A new Panamanian Joint Operating Concept would provide a common approach to conducting operations across various domains (land, sea, air, etc.) and among different military services.

DSCU’s Institute for Security Governance recently concluded the resident course: PRACTICAL CYBER IMPLEMENTATION in Monterey, California. This course explores policies and practices necessary to protect and defend data, networks, systems, and platforms essential for military and security organizations and that underpin economic, social, governmental, and political activity in society. Instructors highlight the importance of civilian control throughout the cyber and MoD staff directorates, effective cybersecurity as a national security imperative, and introduce participants to cyber mission assurance, explore barriers to effective policy and practical implementation, and consider the latest practices and innovations for building cyber resilience.

Congratulations to the latest cohort of International Defense Acquisition Resource Management (IDARM) “Principles of Defense Acquisition Management” graduates. This course provides a theoretical and practical examination of the underlying concepts, fundamentals, and philosophies of the international defense acquisition management process.

Participants examined the complete defense acquisition life cycle from planning through equipment disposal. The course addresses management characteristics and competencies, control policies and techniques, systems analysis methods, risk management, and functional area concerns. International best practices are discussed along with implementation-related challenges and lessons learned.

In his new book review for Defense & Security Analysis, Scott Woodruff Lyons – ISG Acting Senior Principal for Regional Advising – offers insight into János Besenyő’s Darfur Peacekeepers: The African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (AMIS) from the Perspective of a Hungarian Military Advisor (L’Harmattan, 2021). Besenyő’s work delves into the intricacies of the African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur, offering a firsthand account from the perspective of a Hungarian logistics officer. Covering a pivotal period in 2006, Besenyő provides a comprehensive examination of the tumultuous AMIS (“Mission”) expansion during this time.

The Institute for Security Governance recently conducted a workshop with colleagues from the Bulgarian Air Force in Sofia, Bulgaria. This collaborative event focused on doctrine development and operational guidance for processes and programs supporting NATO interoperable air operations in preparation for the arrival of new F-16 aircraft. ISG looks forward to continued cooperation in the future with the Bulgarian Air Force counterparts.

Over the course of two-days, Ukrainian participants from 14 ministries and government agencies engaged in a workshop to advance the government of Ukraine's efforts to create a culture of preparedness, empower communities, and promote resilience against all threats and hazards. 

Developed in support of Ukraine's national resilience agenda, this resilience workshop featured expert exchanges with senior representatives from DSCU’s Institute for Security Governance, U.S. Embassy – Kyiv’s Office of Defense Cooperation, Sweden's Civil Contingency Agency, and Ukraine’s Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.

An Institute for Security Governance expert participated in the 3rd Annual Space Conference of the Americas. Hosted at U.S. Southern Command, the event brought together Department of Defense space leaders and counterparts from Western Hemisphere nations to strengthen space partnerships to benefit the region. ISG provided a key presentation on Institutional Capacity Building, contributing towards shared objectives in the dynamic space domain.

During a recent engagement, experts from the Institute for Security Governance’s Africa Regional Advising Team worked with the European Union Training Mission - Somalia (EUTM-S) Mission Force Commander and the Head of Advisory Team in Mogadishu to address respective capacity building efforts aimed at enhancing coordination and support of the Somali Ministry of Defense and Somali National Armed Forces. 

The Institute for Security Governance recently concluded an Institutional Capacity Building engagement in Brasilia, Brazil focused on Defense Management and Planning (CGPD) for the Brazilian Armed Forces and the Brazilian Ministry of Defense (MoD). This initiative is rooted in the Escola Superior de Defesa (ESD) 2023 mandate to incorporate CGPD into its curriculum. 

Notably, ISG advising briefs on Joint Capability Planning in NATO included participants from the Center for Political & Strategic Studies of the Navy – the advisory body to the Navy Chief of Staff.

Exciting news! In collaboration with the United States Embassy - Yerevan and the Armenian Ministry of Defense, DSCU’s Institute for Security Governance hosted a defense transformation workshop in Yerevan. This event marks the initiation of a multi-year collaborative effort focused on Armenian defense transformation. Deputy Chief of Mission Chip Laitinen emphasized its importance in reshaping Armenia's military to face modern challenges and fostering interoperability with like-minded partners. We are appreciative of the expertise and collaboration among all the partners and participants, to include the Naval Postgraduate School, the Kansas National Guard, and the 4th Security Forces Assistance Brigade!

We are delighted to announce the inclusion of a book review by ISG Africa Regional Program Lead, Dr. Whitney Grespin, in Fall 2023 issue of the Journal of Advanced Military Studies. In this issue, authors explore the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the global impact of Russia’s aggression in the region, and the future of conflict for NATO nations. Specifically, Dr. Grespin’s review provides a comprehensive analysis of “The Islamic State in Africa: The Emergence, Evolution, and Future of the Next Jihadist Battlefront” by Jason Warner, et al (Oxford University Press, 2022).

Congratulations to the latest cohort of “Fundamentals of Maritime Security” graduates. This course is structured to provide participants with the strategic context shaping the maritime space in the early 21st century; an overview of various maritime transnational threats; risk and governance self-assessment exercises; maritime domain awareness; and strategies and solutions for governments to effectively prevent, prepare for, and manage the consequences of various maritime threats. 

The Maritime Security (MARSEC) functional area at the Institute for Security Governance tailors each of its courses to the specific conditions and requirements of the selected audience, focusing on strategic and operational levels.