Colombian Army BG Robinson A. Ramírez charged the 26 students completing the Maneuver Captains Career Course-WHINSEC to get to the heart of their subordinates and help them find their intangible strengths they may not be aware of. He urged them to wear their crests (uniform device presented to each graduating student) with pride and be true ambassadors of the Institute. In addition to speaking at the MCCC-W graduation, BG Ramírez received a briefing about WHINSEC, provided a briefing on Colombian Army's Education and Doctrine Command, which he leads, and completes his visit to Fort Benning with visits to several MCoE facilities, including the Henry Caro NCO Academy.

In a WHINSEC tradition, visitors are met in front of the headquarters and are introduced to the leadership and staff. Here, BG Vicente Mota, Secretary General of the Conference of American Armies (CAA), meets the Institute's International Command Sergeant Major William Villacorta of Peru while WHINSEC's Deputy Commandant for Law Enforcement, COL Walter Navarro, salutes COL Juan Medina, Executive Secretary of the CAA. BG Mota took a few hours to get to know the Institute and to tell the Command & General Staff Officer Course students about the CAA before visiting other units on Fort Benning.

Peruvian Rear Admiral Roberto S. Jimenez Torreblanca addresses the students graduating from the Small Unit Leader Course, the Interagency Crisis Action Planning Course, and the Cadet Leadership Development Course--252 in all, representing 10 countries--at the Columbus Convention & Trade Center Thur, Aug 23. Admiral Jimenez gave the students inspirational words and later visited WHINSEC to learn how its courses may benefit his service, the Peruvian Navy. He is the Director of Peru's Naval Academy. (photo by Lee Rials)

Costa Rica's Director of National Police, COL Daniel Calderon (left) discusses his objectives in visiting WHINSEC with COL Robert Alvaro, WHINSEC Commandant. Calderon led a delegation of senior security personnel from Costa Rica to review courses at the Institute which may be useful to the services represented. The delegation got a detailed view of WHINSEC, visited its training areas, and also MCoE's Clarke Simulation Center.

Local Police Chief has International Influence

LaGrange Police Chief Louis Dekmar protects and serves a small Georgia city, but he has world-wide connections and influence as President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The IACP has been around since 1893, has 30,000 members in 150 countries, and is active in seeking new venues of service. Chief Dekmar came to WHINSEC and Fort Benning to become acquainted with what WHINSEC has to offer to law enforcement agencies from the Americas. In addition to seeing the Institute, Chief Dekmar was given a detailed tour of MCoE's Clarke Simulation Center. His productive visit identified opportunities for cooperation between WHINSEC and the IACP.