ISG

About the Institute

Mission

Strengthen the institutional capacity of partners and allies’ security sectors to advance U.S. national policy interests and address shared security challenges.

Vision

Promote and advance American values, interests, and objectives through the development, integration, and advancement of the field and practice of Institutional Capacity Building.

Our Structures

Established in April 2019, ISG is headquartered in Monterey, CA, co-located on Naval Support Activity Monterey, with personnel based at the Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) campus in Arlington, VA, near geographic combatant commands, and at other locations throughout the United States. As a component of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), ISG is the Department of Defense’s leading implementer for Institutional Capacity Building and one of its primary international schoolhouses.

ISG Team

The ISG team is comprised of civilian government faculty and staff, and a contract support team of over 110 personnel. It is augmented by a robust group of adjunct faculty and a team of subject matter experts drawn from the military, government, industry, academia, and non-governmental organizations.

group of men and women in formal attires

Our Symbols

Get to know the bold and bright ISG logo by hovering over the list of elements at right. Each component of this key symbol reveals a little more about the ideals and standards that guide our work.

SEAL

This is the official seal of The Institute for Security Governance

ROPE

The rope illustrates the binding ties that result from effective and continuing partnership.

RINGS

The green ring signifies land and amphibious forces and the blue ring indicates sea and air forces, epitomizing a strong defense for the United States and our partners.

STARS

The gold stars indicate excellence in implementing the ISG mission.

SPHERE

The sphere represents ISG's global reach, while the light blue color signifies the US Department of Defense.

SLEEVES

The military and civilian detail on the sleeves expresses civil-military relations and military professionalization. This detail serves as an acknowledgement of the ISG mission and a tribute to our history as the Center for Civil-Military Relations.

HANDS

The handshake stands for new and enduring partnerships built each day by the ISG team.

TORCH

The gold on the torch exemplifies honor of the mission and the dedication of all personnel within the Institute. The torch is an emblem for illuminating the path: guiding others to find a way forward for themselves.

The Heron

The great blue heron is our unofficial mascot. Its image may be seen on this website and in our publications, just as the real bird often appears on the front lawn of ISG headquarters in Monterey, California. Herons traditionally represent partnership, exploration, intelligence, guidance, determination, and transformation-- all of which we hope to embody as an organization.

Our Foundation

Prior to 2019, ISG was known as the Center for Civil-Military Relations (CCMR). Founded in 1994 as an academic center at the Naval Postgraduate School, CCMR was designed to strengthen civil-military relationships in democracies worldwide. Over its 25-year history, CCMR proved itself responsive to civil-military challenges and adaptive to the changing global security landscape. Alongside partner nations, CCMR engaged on complex issues such as defense transformation, stability and support operations, peacekeeping, combating terrorism, acquisition and resource management, maritime security, and defense governance and management.

Former CCMR Director Richard Hoffman played an integral role in shaping CCMR. Joining the team as a faculty member in 1996, Richard made a direct impact on the lives of many faculty, staff, students, and partners as a leader, mentor, colleague, and friend. The legacy of his directorship, service, and commitment to the CCMR mission endures in the work of ISG.

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