CFE-DMHA hosts NDU fellows
05.09.2014
By Katie Tuton, Editor
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – The Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance hosted a luncheon with more than 50 National Defense University International Fellows May 9 at the request of university president Maj. Gen. Gregg Martin.
The international fellows are comprised of 57 senior military officers and civilians from 50 countries participating in a yearlong field study program, culminating with component organizations of U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii.
“The international fellows are looking forward to this trip as the pinnacle of their program in what has proven to be a very rewarding and challenging year,” said Maj. Gen. Martin.
The luncheon was to provide the fellows with an introduction to the Center for Excellence and challenges facing the civil-military environment in the Asia-Pacific region.
“We are not a humanitarian entity,” said Douglas Wallace, deputy director of plans, engagements and operations. “We are an enabler of the humanitarian system, and as a result, militaries around the world can have a humanitarian impact.”
The brief focused on avenues for international militaries to be force multipliers of the nongovernment humanitarian community in natural disaster response operations.
“It is good to see the cooperation of all the militaries coming together to aid other nations,” said Mexican Navy Capt. Miguel Ángel Núñez de la Huerta, who spent more than a month supporting operations in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake devastated Port-au-Prince. “It is a very good opportunity to build partnerships with our neighbors in order to help when a disaster hits.”
Douglas Wallace, deputy director of plans, engagements and operations for CFE-DMHA, briefs international fellows from the National Defense University on the center’s civil-military collaborations on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam May 9.
Belgium col. didier polome asked a question after a brief on cfe-dmha on joint base pearl harbor-hickam may 9. the colonel is one of more than 50 international fellows from the national defense university attending a luncheon with cfe-dmha staff.