News Posts - Defense Security Cooperation University
NEWS POSTS
INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING FOR LOGISTICS COURSE
The most recent Institutional Capacity Building (ICB) for Logistics Resident Course at ISG Headquarters in Monterey, California recently concluded. Course participants represented a diverse group of senior military and civilian administrative logistics leaders from several countries around the world to include Zambia, Slovenia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Croatia, Senegal, Trinidad & Tobago, The Bahamas, and Mexico.
The ICB for Logistics Course focused on increasing allied and partner nation’s understanding/ability to develop and implement logistics institutions based on normative and institutional values, subsequently improving their levels of interoperability in support of various geopolitical alliances.
ISG AND DIILS MARSHALL ISLANDS MARSEC
Members from all the Republic of the Marshall Islands agencies working in the maritime space recently partnered with the Defense Security Cooperation University’s Institute for Security Governance and the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies, along with support from U.S. Coast Guard District 14 and U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia Sector Guam, for a bilateral Maritime Domain Awareness Tabletop Exercise in Majuro.
The exercise was scenario driven and aimed to identify challenges as well as best practices for sharing of maritime information in a timely and effective manner.
ISG FACILITATES SEMINAL SOUTH ASIA REGIONAL DISASTER RESPONSE EXERCISE AND EXCHANGE
The first South Asia Regional Disaster Response Exercise and Exchange (DREE) ended successfully with the closing ceremony at the end of July at the National Guard Headquarters in Guam. Guam’s governor, the Honorable Lou Leon Guerrero, served as the keynote speaker.
The themes of the eight-day exercise were regional cooperation, civil-military integration, and coordinated Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Response for disasters in South Asia. The event was sponsored by the United States Army Pacific (USARPAC).
INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING (ICB) ENGAGEMENT WITH KOSOVO
The Institute for Security Governance (ISG) Emergency Management and Resilience (EM&R) team supported a Kosovo-led inter-agency working group review and update of Kosovo’s National Response Plan (NRP). While completing revisions to the NRP, the working group identified use of a National Response Framework (NRF) as an EM best practice, and determined to develop an NRF for Kosovo as a strategic goal. Kosovo will use the revised NRP as its EM construct in the interim after formal approval and while developing the NRF. The Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) views this strategy as progress toward reform and good governance.
BUILDING INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY IN THE MARITIME SECURITY SECTOR
Congratulations to the latest cohort of the Institute for Security Governance’s four-week resident course in beautiful Monterey, California: Building Institutional Capacity in the Maritime Security Sector. Maritime security practitioners and decision-makers learned how to better understand current and emerging threats. This course demonstrates current operational doctrine, organization, and global best practices for the planning and execution processes required to protect a nation’s territorial seas and exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
CIVIL MILITARY RESPONSES TO TERRORISM
The Civil-Military Responses to Terrorism course recently concluded at the Institute for Security Governance with another cohort of participants from around the globe.
This course provides a thorough understanding of terrorism in all its forms, with considerable emphasis on strategy formulation and international cooperation. The program uses case studies and a tabletop exercise to stimulate thoughtful discussion, thus providing participants with the insight needed by decision makers and their advisors to design successful strategies that defeat terrorist networks, protect citizens and property, and address the root causes of terrorism.
ICB AT WORK WITH UZBEKISTAN
DSCU’s Institute for Security Governance (ISG), in collaboration with the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) and the Mississippi National Guard (MSNG), recently hosted visits from Ministry of Defense of Uzbekistan Human Resource Management (HRM) leaders at various HRM installations in Mississippi and Louisiana.
Highlights of the visit included observation of a senior NCO selection and assignments board; a visit to Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) New Orleans; a visit to the Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center; a visit to the Mississippi Aviation Classification Repair Activity Depot (AVCRAD) and the 1108th Theater Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Group (TASMG);
ISG ENGAGEMENT WITH SLOVAK AIR FORCE
DSCU’s Institute for Security Governance (ISG) recently engaged with leaders from the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic and Slovak Air Force Headquarters.
The ISG team was accompanied by members from the Indiana Air National Guard (State Partnership Program), United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), and the USAF F-16 Program Office.
The team discussed approaches to the integration of new F-16s into the Slovak Air Force as well as incorporating best practices from the Slovak UH-60 program.
ISG looks forward to continuing its valuable and beneficial cooperation with Slovak partners.
ICB AT WORK IN SRI LANKA FOCUSED ON MARITIME SECURITY
DSCU’s Institute for Security Governance (ISG) recently conducted two consecutive, week-long, mobile education courses in Colombo, Sri Lanka for 21 mid to senior-level Navy, Coast Guard, and civilian officials. The first week focused on the “Fundamentals of Maritime Security,” while the second week delved into “Comprehensive Approaches to Building Maritime Domain Awareness Capabilities.” Both courses concluded with challenging, reality-based table-top exercises.
ISG HERON JULY ISSUE
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:
• Recounts an SC Development from DSCU President, Dr. Gventer
• Highlights two unique perspectives from Women in Defense Advising
• Wishes Fair Winds and Following Seas to Dr. Robert Baumann
• Recaps activities bolstering Ukrainian National Resiliency
• Rounds-up Peacekeeping Activities around the globe
• Celebrates another year of success with an ISG Turns Four report
• Provides exciting updates from ISG HQ
ICB WORK IN NORTH MACEDONIA FOCUSED ON RESILIENCE
DSCU’s Institute for Security Governance, in cooperation with U.S. European Command, recently conducted a Scoping Workshop in Skopje, North Macedonia.
This event brought together over twenty national institutions and agencies to explore North Macedonia’s resilience capacity in support of NATO collective defense. This event kicks off a multi-year Institutional Capacity Building initiative focused on enhancing national crisis management, Host Nation Support, critical infrastructure, and other capabilities in support of NATO operations.
ISG ADVISING IN KENYA
Recently, the Institute for Security Governance (ISG) facilitated a workshop with the Kenya Ministry of Defense (KMoD) to collaborate on a civilian professionalization plan within the Kenyan civil service. Moving forward with ISG support, the KMoD staff will conduct their own review sessions, in-country interviews, and international case studies on civil service reform to help shape new policy.
ISG looks forward to continuing this important advising effort with plans for future working sessions with the Kenya Defense Force and the Kenya Public Service Commission.
DEVELOPING CYBER ORGANIZATIONS AND WORKFORCES
All the best to the latest group of course participants to complete ISG’s resident course: DEVELOPING CYBER ORGANIZATIONS AND WORKFORCES.
This course recognizes that establishing an organization and workforce capable of conducting defensive missions in cyberspace takes careful, deliberate planning and collaborative relationships across a ministry and across government. Through instruction, classroom discussions, and practical exercises, participants are introduced to the concepts and knowledge necessary to lead the development of their organizations’ cyber strategy, cyber policy, cyber budgeting, cyber acquisition, and cyber workforce.
For more information about courses offered through the Institute for Security Governance, visit the SCHOOLHOUSE INFORMATION HUB.
NICK TOMB PRESENTS TO TESLA GOVERNMENT CIVIL AFFAIRS WORKING GROUP
Institute for Security Governance’s (ISG) Functional Lead for Civil-Military Relations & Security Governance and Women Peace Security (WPS) Functional Co-lead, Nicholas Tomb, gave a virtual presentation to the Tesla Government Civil Affairs Working Group. Nick’s talk centered on Civil-Military Operations (CMO), activities that military units (oftentimes civil affairs teams) undertake as a practical means to perform Civil Affairs to enhance Civil-Military Relations.
PRINCIPLES OF DEFENSE ACQUISITION & CONTRACT MANAGEMENT (ENGLISH/SPANISH)
Congratulations to the latest cohort of International Defense Acquisition Resource Management (IDARM) “Principles of Defense Acquisition and Contract Management” graduates. This particular resident course was conducted with Spanish simultaneous interpretation and tailored to focus on specific challenges and opportunities within the Latin American context at DSCU's Institute for Security Governance in beautiful Monterey, California.
This International Defense Acquisition Resource Management (IDARM) course provides a practical examination of defense acquisition and contracting with an emphasis on defense acquisition logistics, contract management, and building and sustaining accountability in defense acquisition decision-making. The course addresses the importance of managing risk throughout the defense acquisition life cycle, with a focus on logistics implementation.
DR. WHITNEY GRESPIN PRESENTS AT THE USASOC
The Institute for Security Governance (ISG) West Africa Regional Program Lead, Dr. Whitney Grespin, presented at the United States Army Special Operations Command’s (USASOC) Geostrategic Symposium at Fort Bragg, N.C. Dr. Grespin engaged and shared her academic and practical expertise with USASOC and U.S. Government interagency stakeholders.
DR. WHITNEY GRESPIN CONTRIBUTES TO INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS JOURNAL
Kudos to ISG Africa Regional Program Lead, Dr. Whitney Grespin, whose journal article was published in the world’s leading journals of international relations, International Affairs. The May issue features a variety of articles surrounding legitimizing International Organizations. Dr. Grespin reviews two books – Illicit money: financing terrorism in the twenty-first century, by Jessica Davis, and Blood money: how criminals, militias, rebels, and warlords finance violence, by Margaret Sankey. The full review can be found here.
CIVIL-MILITARY COORDINATION IN DISASTER RELIEF COURSE
ISG recently concluded the Civil-Military Coordination in Disaster Relief course which develops a comprehensive understanding of how national governments organize and use their armed forces to support domestic and international disaster response operations.
The course emphasizes cross-community understanding and communication skills that improve the ways that armed forces, government civilian agencies, and non- and inter-governmental organizations can work more effectively alongside one another in disaster relief.
JENNIFER GRIGSBY “WOMAN OF DISTINCTION”
Congratulations to ISG’s Jennifer Grigsby for being honored by her local Chamber of Commerce as a Woman of Distinction! Presented by the Somerset Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce on “Mid-Mornings with Amy Stroud,” WYKY Somerset 106.1 FM, Ms. Grigsby was nominated by her local community in recognition of Women's History Month.
Ms. Jennifer Grigsby serves as a member of the Regional Advising team at the Institute for Security Governance with responsibilities to facilitate, develop, execute and monitor institutional capacity building efforts and enable Partner Nations to develop effective and accountable defense and security institutions.
BIANNUAL INDO-PACIFIC REGIONAL MARITIME DOMAIN AWARENESS (MDA) AND INFORMATION SHARING (IS) FORUM
The Institute for Security Governance recently worked with U.S. Navy Seventh Fleet and the navies and coast guards from over 30 countries to redesign the Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training multilateral training exercise.
Going forward, this exercise will incorporate a biannual Indo-Pacific Regional Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and Information Sharing (IS) Forum focused on meeting the Institutional Capacity Building (ICB) objectives of regional Significant Security Cooperation Initiatives.
ISG efforts to build partner capacity with regard to MDA and IS are intended to contribute to regional security and to facilitate multilateral coordination through a rules-based international order.
CABO VERDE SCOPING ENGAGEMENT
ISG recently conducted engagements alongside U.S. Embassy Praia’s Office of Security Cooperation with Deputy Director Cabo Verde National Maritime Operations Center (COSMAR), the Director of Cabo Verde Defense Force Personnel Command, leadership of the Escola Militar, and the Commandant and Staff of the 3rd Military Region Base. The scoping visit included the assessment of the institutional capacity building needs in support of upcoming AFRICOM Significant Security Cooperation Initiatives.