Journal Inquirer

To the Editor:

Recently , I had the privilege of visiting Fort Benning, Ga., the "Home of the Infantry". Its purpose: "To produce the world's finest combat infantrymen." Its motto: "I am the infantry, follow me!" Today , virtually every army man or woman at one time or another visits this post. 

It was fascinating and rewarding to see young men women trained in the art and science of defending their country and made ready to serve their nation anywhere in the world in 16 months! During this intensive orientation program they are introduced to all our weapon systems and to the means of deploying them. If they also choose to be "airborne" they are introduced to the parachute and its use in accomplishing their mission. 

Perhaps the most important message that I brought home was the creation of the "Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation," which will replace the "School of the Americas" whose reputation was sullied by the acts of a few Central American military men who, upon returning home from training at Fort Benning, joined guerrilla groups or established dictatorships of their own. One should remember that the School of the Americas was created during the Cold War during a time when Soviet and Cuban communists roamed all over Central and South America endeavoring to establish their ideology in order to replace democratically elected governments. Our government, in an effort to to combat this communist invasion, set up counter insurgency programs in which we endeavored to train local military and government personnel in the Democratic and American Way of Life, and in the need for civilian control of the military . It was a good, sound, and rational program. Unfortunately, the acts of a few mavericks nearly brought the School of the Americas to its demise. 

According to the Hon. Louis Caldera, Secretary of the Army, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation will focus on this hemisphere's needs in the 21st century. It will continue to meet the needs of our nations to the south for military training and education. The expanded program will include offerings in the areas of peace support operations, such as disaster relief, disaster preparedness, transnational security threats, and advanced counter drug interoperability. Every course will emphasize the need for Human Rights, the Hague and Geneva conventions in warfare, and a proper role of the military in a democratic society. 

The new institute will be at the level of the Department of Defense and will be under the independent oversight of a Board of Visitors , consisting of members of the U.S. Congress, the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and civilians from academia, clergy, and international non-governmental organizations. Its operations will be open to the public. 

The new Institute, according to Secretary Caldera, will provide the necessary training to assist the nations of Latin America in fulfilling their peace process commitments and in helping Democracy take root and flourish in this new century. Democratic institutions all over the world are being threatened at this time and it is reassuring to know that our nation is doing its part in preserving them.
 

Charles E. Jacobson Jr., M.D.
45 Wyllys St.
Manchester, CT