Forty members of the Czech military, Ministry of Defense, and Czech Republic government agencies participated in training on the Law of Armed Conflict and Legal Aspects of Peace Support Operations in May 2008.
The instructor team included DIILS International Operations Officer, Major Nathan Kearns, and featured lectures from subject matter experts from the United Kingdom, and Austria, as well as experts from the Czech military.  After the participants examined the basic concepts, they participated in a day of field exercises which involved real-world scenarios.
The training and field exercises enhanced the understanding of legal  and situational challenges which are encountered in coalition peace operations which are currently employed around the world.
This was the 26th program DIILS has conducted for the Czech Republic since 1995.

In April 2008, DIILS took a mobile team to Baghdad, to assist in the Global War on Terror through a program on the Legal Aspects of Combating Terrorism.  Led by DIILS International Operations Officer, Major Christian Ruwe (U.S. Marine Corps), the team included two U.S. Navy and two U.S. Army team members.
During the week-long program, 14 military and nine civilian participants attended lectures and participated in seminar exercises which dealt with real world events, exploring the laws which assist in combating terrorism.  Seminar topics included a broad spectrum of the legal aspects of combating terrorisom, including:  Investigating Terrorism, Combating Terrorism with Law Enforcement, Interagency Cooperation, Combating the Spread of Small Arms and Light Weapons, and other fundamental components of combating terrorism.
A highlight of the program was presentations by two senior Iraqi personnel, addressing the Iraqi Law with respect to terrorism, and the challenges and responses to terrorism in Iraq.
DIILS has completed more than 900 mobile training programs, reaching nearly 30,000 military and civilian participants as of November 2008.

A predominantly Muslim country, Guinea sits at the frontier between sub-Saharan and Sahelian Africa. To the north, the region has seen the onset of radicalization of armed struggles, specifically in Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal.  To the south, the region has suffered from destabilizing internal conflicts, notably Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Cote d’Ivoire. Guinea’s coastline, like much of the region, has become a transit point for illicit commerce, specifically drugs and arms. In the spring of 2007 the Defense Attaché’s Office proposed a DIILS regional seminar on border security and combating terrorism.  Security Assistance Offices in Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Senegal, and Cote d’Ivoire agreed to the need and organized representatives for the conference.  The seminar was held 31 March to 4 April 2008 in Conakry, Guinea, consisted of 30 participants and was facilitated by BG Richard O'Meara, US Army Reserve (ret.), MAJ David Hodgkinson, US Army Reserve, Mr.

More than 50 representatives of the Gendarmerie, military officers from the General Staff and training institutions in Burkina Faso attended a recent DIILS program on peacekeeping for decision makers.

The DIILS team included three senior colonels from the United States Army who had extensive peacekeeping operations experience. The program was led by the DIILS International Operations Officer for AFRICOM, a U.S. Navy Judge Advocate.

The team members tailored the program with a focus on the commitments Burkina Faso has made to peacekeeping efforts in support of the African Union and the United Nations in Africa. The program included practical exercises and discussions on Rules of Engagement in peacekeeping operations as well as discussions on organization and doctrine for the United Nations and the African Union.

A highlight of the program included an African Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) alumni event. DIILS adjunct faculty member, Colonel (retired) Mike Smith of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs discussed developments in AFRICOM.

EUCOM International Operations Officer, Major Nathan Kearns (USAF) recently led a DIILS team  which included members of the US Coast Guard, a team member from the Greek Navy, and U.S. Navy members from EUCOM and Sixth Fleet as they assisted the Ukraine in its efforts to address Law of the Sea issues in an operational setting.  The program was conducted in Sevastopol, Ukraine.

The program used realistic case scenarios which were applicable to the Ukraine’s participation in Operation Active Endeavor.  Members of the Ukranian military gave three presentations in which they discussed the practical challenges of implementing Rules of Engagement, particularly as they applied to legal, jurisdictional and operational challenges in this particular exercise.