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Background

BG FLORIÁN BECOMES ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE INTER-AMERICAN DEFENSE COLLEGE

On Aug. 16, Brig. Gen. Julio E. Florián of the Dominican Republic became the acting director of the Inter-American Defense College in Washington, DC. “It gives me great personal satisfaction as an ex-student to come back and occupy the highest position in the college,” Florián said. “The IADC is an entity of the Organization of American States (OAS) that promotes cooperative security interests in the Western hemisphere; it is a great responsibility to be entrusted with the education of so many future leaders of the hemisphere.” Florián, 46, adds. “It fills me with pride, but at the same time, it is the most challenging position I have held in my military career; the work we do here is an invaluable tool for the IADB as it serves as the military advisory arm to the OAS.”

Florián, a graduate of IADC Class 40 (2000-2001), returned to Washington DC in 2006 as IADC Chief of Studies, and marked his tenure by revolutionizing the school’s curriculum. He has already begun to make changes to better serve the needs of member countries. He cited as an example, the previous years’ 11-month program that had been extended by a month to include two additional modules and two additional seminars. Other changes in the works include making the college more interactive, he said, and having more discussions between the presenters and students, as well as more group discussions and exercises.

Today, as acting director of the IADC, Florián’s main goal is to increase civilian enrollment in what is traditionally a mostly military college. “One of my primary goals is to integrate more civilians into the class,” Florián said. “The sole purpose of this integration is to develop trust and better working relations among military and civilian leaders while addressing common threats to hemispheric defense and security.”

Florián said in the Dominican Republic and throughout Latin America, the IADC is held in the highest regard by military and civilian officials. As interim leader of this international forum, he said, he will strive to set an example by his unwavering devotion to the highest moral, ethical and spiritual values. “The message is to always try and do the right thing,” he said.

“To assume a position of leadership, you must be morally and academically ready. For Dominicans, academic education is only one part of the formation of an individual. We must educate people that the job of making our country better belongs to everybody, not just the government or the school system. We must all take responsibility for the improvement of our nation.”

The IADC, located on Fort Lesley J. McNair, is one of the foremost institutes of learning for senior-level military, police, and diplomatic officials with an interest in security and defense issues facing Latin America today. An entity of the Organization of American States, the IADC is able to offer approximately 60 students a year from member states of the OAS an unparalleled educational and research experience. Former IADC students include two presidents, 31 ministers, 539 generals or admirals and 11 other high-ranking officials.

Reference: IADC-03-07