Director's Message
2009: For CHDS, Change Along the Lines of Excellence
It is with both pleasure and a touch of sadness that the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies moved in late December from its home of 11 years at the Coast Guard headquarters building on Buzzard Point to the new Lincoln Hall at the National Defense University on Fort Lesley J. McNair.
We were very privileged to share quarters with the Coast Guard over the past 11 years. During that time the growth of the Center into the premier security and defense educational outreach institution in the Americas was helped immeasurably by the sense of hospitality and shared mission offered to us by several Coast Guard commandants and all of those who worked under their command.
We are also thrilled with the move onto the grounds of Fort Lesley McNair and into NDU's impressive new Abraham Lincoln Hall. Although we now share some of our facilities there with sister institutions, perhaps a reflection of the "team of rivals" motif that is all the rage today in today's Washington, D.C., we have been lucky to count on greater square footage than we have now.
The Lincoln Hall's elegant architecture, its physical proximity to NDU's fine library, and what surely will be a greater sense of comradeship with our colleagues in and around the University are just some of the important benefits that more than compensate for our leaving the hallowed halls of (and unparalled views from) the Coast Guard building.
What’s more, there is a certain affinity for what we do at CHDS and the fact that President Lincoln, for whom the hall is named, himself had an impact on freedom and human rights in Mexico and the countries of Central and South America. I look forward to exploring Lincoln’s leadership in our region at our Open House celebration in February.
The move was, of course, a bittersweet time. We heartily thank Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad W. Allen and the women and men of his service for all they have done, and extend our warmest appreciation to NDU President, Lieutenant General Frances C. Wilson, USMC, and her staff for helping make the transition both smooth and inviting, despite the winter chill.
At the same time, we begin 2009 reinvigorated and full of commitment to our mission, working with our regional partners and colleagues to offer the very best in defense and security education. For more on where we’ve been and where we are headed, please see “CHDS expands in breadth and depth of educational outreach” on pages 4 and 5 of this publication.
Very best wishes to all!
Richard D. Downie, Ph.D.
Director, CHDS
P.S. Our new mailing address is:
CENTER FOR HEMISPHERIC DEFENSE STUDIES
National Defense University
Abraham Lincoln Hall
260 5th Ave. Bldg. 64
WASHINGTON, DC 20319-5066
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On this Web site and its component pages and links, you will find extensive information about the Center's mission, outlines of curricula of our academic programs and outreach programs, course calendars, application procedures, news and information about upcoming seminars and conferences sponsored by CHDS throughout the region. You will also find a unique Spanish-Portuguese language portal to MERLN LAC (Military Education Research Library Network Latin America-Caribbean.). This website provides access to and search capabilities of the online catalogs, indexes and other unique electronic resources of the U.S. armed services war colleges and to a consortium of military and defense-related educational research libraries throughout the hemisphere. |
