South Africa's Lesson for Iraq and Beyond

MAJ Cutright

How do soldiers provide both stability and reconciliation to an occupied land?   Iraq, Afghanistan, and future conflicts require greater familiarity with the measured application of force and the mending of social divisions.  South Africa is a beautiful place to examine both.  We will study two attempts to establish peace in South African history: the Second Boer War and its lessons in counterinsurgency operations (1899-1902) and nation-building initiatives in the aftermath of apartheid (1976-1998).  Cadets will examine Lord Kitchener’s scorched-earth policy against the Boer guerrillas between Capetown and Johannesburg, culminating in the Boer surrender of 1902 and its failure to stem insurgent activity.  In contrast, cadets will study attempts at overcoming apartheid policies and racial divides, such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, seeking principles that might be applicable to an occupying force combating insurgents.  The trip will highlight principles of jus post bellum (justice after war), an area of increasing focus in military ethics.

Vietnam - Culture, Art and Literature

MAJ Gibbons

The specter of “another Vietnam” has been invoked again and again regarding situations that defy easy solutions and involve (or at least offer the possibility of) protracted struggle—everything from Russia’s involvement in Afghanistan to ongoing US operations in Iraq.  This AIAD will examine what makes the Vietnam War such a touchstone event in twentieth century history for the American and world psyches.  We will read literature and watch film that reflect upon the causes, conduct, and aftermath of the Vietnam War, not only from the American and other Western perspectives, but that of the Vietnamese as well.  Our itinerary will start in Hanoi, the wartime capital of North Vietnam and seat of Vietnamese revolutionary ideology, to get a sense of what steeled the resolve of our former opponents.  We will also visit the northern Highlands via the town of Sa Pa and experience the wonders of Ha Long Bay.  We will then continue southward to see war’s effects on the contested areas of the DMZ, especially at the tunnels of Cu Chi, the memorial at My Lai, and the ancient town of Hoi An.  The trip will then conclude in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, to see the museums of South Vietnam’s former capital and the most apparent legacies of the French and American presences.

Israel

MAJ Dillman and Dr. Gruber

Come explore the synthesis of the ancient and modern worlds in Israel!  On this AIAD, cadets will accompany Major Dillman and Doctor Gruber to Israel, where we will be based in the bustling modern city of Tel Aviv, for Arabic language instruction and immersion in the culture of an important ally state.  Bearing in mind the political and military situation in the Middle East we will try to learn all we can about how the Israeli military copes with long-term, local, low-level strife by observing how the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) trains its units and to a limited extent, how that relates to daily operations.  By understanding Israel’s “tip of the spear,” we can then begin to understand how the Israeli culture is affected by military actions.  To this end, we will meet with Israeli intellectuals and writers, most of whom will have served in the IDF at some point, and a few of whom will have had significant careers in the military.  We will read their work and talk about how their experiences have shaped their art or thought.  In addition, we’ll visit some of Israel’s natural and historical wonders – possibly including Jerusalem, the Negev, the Red Sea, Masada, Haifa, the Galilee, and sights of archaeological interest.  We will also do some writing of our own to share with the others in our group as we reflect on our experiences.  And of course, we won’t neglect the local cuisine and culture, including the beaches of the Mediterranean!

Writing and Reflecting on Environmental Preservation in Costa Rica

MAJ Hunt

The focus of this AIAD will be to study the Spanish language and culture by actively participating in a three-week Spanish language course through AmeriSpan Study Abroad in Heredia, Costa Rica. We use these language skills to compare and contrast American and Costa Rican representations of democracy portrayed in literature and history.  Further, we will reflect on the United States and Costa Rica’s history of close and friendly relations based on respect for democratic government, human freedoms, free trade, and environmental preservation. We will spend a total of 21 days in Heredia, Costa Rica.  We will make day trips to San Joaquin de Flores and Monteverde to study Costa Rica’s environmental preservation policies.  According to the US Department of State, the United States and Costa Rica share growing concerns for the environment and want to preserve Costa Rica's important tropical resources and prevent environmental degradation.  Much of our discussion and writing will focus on ways in which Costa Rica’s democratic government influences environmental education and the preservation of their tropical resources.

Eastern Europe: Past and Present Perspectives

LTC Imiola and Dr. Paliwoda

The aftermath of the Second World War ushered in our modern notions of crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity; the justices of the Nuremburg Trials established the legal codes to punish those who broke with moral norms and decency.  In fact, one could say that they had created precedents which continue to guide us today: consider the attempts to bring to justice those responsible for the My Lai Massacre, the Rwandan genocide, and the ethnic cleansing carried out by Slobodan Milošević and his cohorts, just to name a few.  Justice at times may be delayed or even unsatisfying; however, these atrocities have been exposed and tried.  But what of horrors unknown and therefore unpunished?   What of infamy revealed but then suppressed?  We will wrestle with these dilemmas by focusing on the Katyn Forest Massacre, a World War II Soviet war atrocity.  The Soviet NKVD had murdered tens of thousands of Polish military and police officers and intelligentsia; in 1943 when Nazi forces invaded the Soviet Union, they discovered the burial sites.  At the time, the Soviets were a key member of the Allies, and so Great Britain and the United States were reluctant to investigate and indict the Soviets; in addition, the Soviets exiled many of the slain officers’ families, and denied any responsibility until 1990 when Mikhail Gorbachev admitted culpability.  Additionally, we will examine the moral and legal responsibilities of soldiers and officers in times of war using case studies of German operations during the Warsaw Uprising, the Nazi liquidation of the Warsaw Ghetto, the German Army’s role in the Holocaust and other various examples which occurred on the Eastern Front as Germany and Russia engaged in their titanic struggle for national survival. Our underlying theme will be to examine the role that morality plays in war.  Is it a guiding force that limits the horrors of war or is it simply so much talk to be jettisoned in times of military necessity or when it suits the national interest?

We’ll spend a total of 11 days in Russia and 10 days in Poland.  Specifically, we will visit the cities of Moscow, Smolensk, Minsk, Warsaw and Krakow.  Within this overall scheme of maneuver, we’ll visit (among others) the following sites: the Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square, the Red Army Museum, the Warsaw Uprising Historical Site, the Polish Army Museum, the Katyn Forest Massacre Memorial, and the concentration camp at Auschwitz.

During our trip, we’ll become familiar with the culture of two countries that are important to the United States’ regional and international strategy.  Russia has taken steps to return to its Soviet Era position as a world power and major player in world affairs and has continually sought to act as a balance to U.S. power.  Poland, since its entrance to NATO, has played an increasingly important role as an ally of the U.S.  In addition to supporting the forward deployment of American troops in Europe, it has been a strong supporter of U.S. efforts in Iraq and has contributed significantly to the multi-national division in that country.  We’ll also gain an understanding of how past events continue to influence not only relations between Russia and Poland but also between these countries and the United States and the rest of the international committee.

As part of our experience, we’ll also be participating in a concentrated Russian Language Course which will provide us with a basic introduction to the Russian alphabet, language structure, pronunciation, and essential words and phrases.  ZDRASTFUJTIE!

Ecuador: Influences on Western Politics, Science and Culture

MAJ Platt

     Foreign occupation or rule by the people? Divine intervention or evolution?  These questions continue to spark debates in modern society just as they did more than 150 years ago for intellectuals who visited Ecuador and the Andean region. In this AIAD, we will study the locations and events that generated responses to these questions and inspired challenges to European traditions of political participation and scientific inquiry.  The influence of revolutionary thinkers like Simón Bolívar, Charles Darwin, and Alexander von Humboldt has made possible many of our “Western” notions of progress, including government by the people and the social value of scientific study.  By studying journals, political writings and novels from Ecuador, we will compare the ways in which writers, revolutionaries and explorers from Europe and South America approached nature and culture as keys to intellectual liberation in the 19^th century.

     During our trip we will engage in Ecuador’s cultural centers and world renowned sites of political and scientific significance. You will also have the opportunity to stay with Ecuadorian families during the language training phase of our trip to effect full language and cultural immersion.  While in the Ecuadorian capital of Quito, we’ll explore Independence Plaza and the site of the Battle of Pichincha, both essential to the founding of Bolivar’s Republic de Gran Columbia and subsequent independence from Spanish rule. We will also visit nearby sites that inspired Western images of nature and the exotic, such as the Cotopoxi Volcano and the Andean cloud forests, made famous to European intellectuals by 19^th century scientist/explorer Alexander von Humboldt and American painter Frederic Church.  We will also visit the Equator line.

     Following completion of our language training and classroom study in Quito, we will travel to the Pacific coast to experience the port city of Guayaqil, known as the gateway to the Galapagos Islands. By retracing portions of Charles Darwin’s exploration of these islands made famous by the Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle, we will study how Darwin and others challenged European traditions of scientific inquiry. In addition, this AIAD includes two weeks of Spanish language training and a requirement to take the DLPT within six months following the trip

Turkey's Influence on the Western World  

MAJ Woodside

During this AIAD, we will study Turkey’s influence on Western philosophy, religion, and culture.  We will visit the ancient city of Miletus, the birthplace of the Western philosophical tradition.  It was in this former Greek city on the Ionian coast in Asia Minor that the first Pre-Socratic philosophers (Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes) founded the Milesian School of Philosophy.  We will also spend a significant amount of time in Istanbul (formerly Constantinople), the former center of power for the eastern half of the Holy Roman Empire.  Even after the fall of this city to the Turks in 1453 and the subsequent rejection of Christianity, much of the Byzantine culture was maintained.  We will study many examples of this to include the Hagia Sophia.  Finally, we will visit the cities of Gallipoli and Ankara to study the contributions of Ataturk to the modern Turkish nation during WWII and its aftermath.  This AIAD will allow cadets to develop an appreciation for Turkey’s influence on the West from ancient to modern times.  In addition, this AIAD includes two weeks of Turkish language training and a requirement to take the DLPT within six months following the trip.