Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) in Newport trains over 17,000

A truly unique national security training center – the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) – will celebrate its tenth anniversary on Friday, June 28th, 2002. Air Force Lieutenant General Tome Walters, the Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, will mark the 10th anniversary along with Air Force Colonel Richard Price, the Director of DIILS. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency is the parent agency of DIILS.

The Institute trains foreign military and civilian students in the rule of law, human rights, war crimes investigations, the development of military justice codes, and other legal issues. It conducts most of this training under the Expanded International Military Education and Training program. In addition to classroom instruction at Newport, DIILS mobile teams instruct students in countries around the world.

Since its founding in 1992, DIILS has trained over 17,000 officials from 101 countries. DIILS has dispatched over 530 mobile teams to 83 countries. Those trained have ranged from individual soldiers to senior level national officials. The training has run the gamut of legal training, and has been taught by active, reserve, and national guard military officers from all the U.S. armed services (to include the Coast Guard) as well as by DoD and other civilians. Among the training provided by DIILS teams was training officials from both Rwanda and the Iraqi National Congress in legal issues and techniques for investigating war crimes. DIILS has also worked with civilian and military judges and attorneys. DIILS has helped countries write their military legal codes and to establish military Judge Advocate General Corps.

DIILS was awarded the Department of Defense Joint Meritorious Unit Award last year for its track record of excellence under difficult conditions.

Reporters seeking comment on DIILS can contact the DSCA Public Affairs Officer at (703) 601-3670.