On September 16, thirty-nine students in the Colombian War College’s Military Information Course visited the Perry Center. Students and their leadership were received by Perry Center Dean William Godnick and provided a brief on the Center’s activities as well as an overview of the National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy and their connection to initiatives such as the Shield of the Americas and the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition. Continue reading
On August 21, 2026, the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies concluded the in-residence phase of its Countering Hybrid Threats in the Americas (CHTA) and Homeland Defense and Border Security (HDBS) courses in Washington, D.C.
Over the course of two weeks, participants engaged with a range of security challenges affecting the Western Hemisphere and examined how governments and institutions can respond through coordinated, multidimensional approaches. Continue reading
On August 24, 2026, the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies welcomed 25 participants from Ecuador’s Joint Military Defense Academy (ADEMIC) General Staff Course.
The delegation received an organizational briefing and an overview of the U.S. National Defense Strategy from the Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr. William Godnick. Continue reading
From July 6 to July 10, 2026, William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies Director COL John D. Suggs and Associate Director of Security Cooperation Patrick Mathes represented the Perry Center as official observers at the 17th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas (CDMA) in Cusco, Peru — one of the hemisphere’s premier forums for advancing defense cooperation and dialogue among senior security leaders. Continue reading
From July 13–17, 2026, the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies and Paraguay’s Instituto de Altos Estudios Estratégicos (IAEE) co-delivered the National Strategy for Security and Development course, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing strategic education through institutional partnerships and burden-sharing. Continue reading
On August 21, 2026, the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies concluded the in-residence phase of its Countering Hybrid Threats in the Americas (CHTA) and Homeland Defense and Border Security (HDBS) courses in Washington, D.C. Read More
On August 24, 2026, the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies welcomed 25 participants from Ecuador’s Joint Military Defense Academy (ADEMIC) General Staff Course. Read More
Plan Colombia and the Mérida Initiative are the two most significant US security assistance efforts in Latin America in the twenty-first century. Read More
In this article for US Northern Command’s magazine, The Watch, Dr. William Godnick describes the contours and challenges faced at the United States’ "third border" in the Caribbean, specifically the multi-island state of the Bahamas. Dr. Read More
As Latin America undergoes perhaps the most significant period of instability in the past two decades, Cabello’s words represent a battle plan for Venezuela’s Maduro regime to destabilize the hemisphere. Read More
This paper utilizes a framework we have developed to analyze civil-military relations in terms of both democratic civilian control and effectiveness. As the achievement of effectiveness only makes sense in terms of the roles and missions actually implemented by the s Read More
National governments and international bodies like the United Nations (UN) and the European Union impose economic sanctions to force changes in behavior, whether that is through coercion, deterrence, punishment or shame to the countries, entit Read More
On August 21, 2026, the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies concluded the in-residence phase of its Countering Hybrid Threats in the Americas (CHTA) and Homeland Defense and Border Security (HDBS) courses in Washington, D.C. Read More
European-led Defense is a four-week resident course designed for security professionals seeking to strengthen Europe’s capability to deter adversaries and defend itself. The course is divided into four weeks that build from strategic foundations and analysis to... Read More
William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies
The Perry Center is a DoD institution for defense and security studies in the Western Hemisphere. Through courses, seminars, outreach, strategic dialogue, and focused research in support of policy objectives, the Perry Center works with senior civilian and military officials from the Americas to build strong, sustainable networks of security and defense leaders and institutions.
Contact Perry Center
William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies
National Defense University
Abraham Lincoln Hall
260 5th Ave. Bldg. 64
Washington, DC 20319-5066 https://wjpcenter.org/
