30 Institute students complete Maneuver Captains Course at Fort Benning

More than five months of study for 30 students in the Maneuver Captains Career Course ended Thursday with a graduation ceremony at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation.

The students represented seven nations, including Belize, Costa Rica and Panama in Central America, Colombia and Uruguay in South America, the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean and the United States.

Col. David G. Fivecoat, director of Training and Doctrine Directorate at the Maneuver Center of Excellence, urged students to fully use what they learned during the 23-week course, stay physically fit as possible and lead with enthusiasm.

The course at the institute is the same one offered to soldiers at the Maneuver Center but it’s taught in Spanish and uses classrooms in McGinnis Wickam Hall next to the English-language course. Accredited by the Army’s Training & Doctrine Command, it is open to U.S. Army captains who speak Spanish or who may use the language in future assignments.

Language wasn’t a barrier for institute students taking part in a field exercise with Maneuver Center soldiers. During rehearsal, they also worked together in a terrain-model exercise for a military operation.

Other studies during the course focused on U.S. culture, customs and traditions, especially emphasizing commitment to human rights and support for Democracy.

Thirteen students were presented badges and certificates for earning the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency. The skill was offered to the Maneuver Center by the German Army Liaison. Another 295 Fort Benning soldiers earned the German badge.

This story was originally published November 3, 2016 at 8:35 PM with the headline "30 Institute students complete Maneuver Captains Course at Fort Benning."