The Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) is an international defense institution of the

Organization of American States The Organization of American States (OAS or OEA; ; ; ) is an international organization founded on 30 April 1948 to promote cooperation among its member states within the Americas. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, the OAS is ...

, headquartered in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

. The IADB is an international committee of nationally appointed defense officials who develop collaborative approaches on common defense and security issues facing countries in North, Central, and South America.

History

The IADB was created in 1942 by foreign ministers of 21 states, in the middle of World War II.Kirckpatrick, Charles Edward.
Defense of the Americas
'. U.S. Army Center of Military History, 1991. 18. It is now the oldest existing defense organization in the world. The Inter-American Defense Board is based at the historic Pink Palace, in the

Meridian Hill Meridian Hill is a small urban Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in Northwest (Washington, D.C.), Northwest D.C. Meridian Hill is often considered to be a part of the larger neighborhoods of Adams Morgan ...

neighborhood of Washington, D.C. In March 2006, the OAS assumed formal authority over the IADB. As of that date, 27 of the 34 members of OAS were also members of the IADB.

Inter-American Defense College

The Board is made up of three main organs, one of which is the Inter-American Defense College (IADC). The IADC offers a twelve-month Master's of Science degree for senior military, police, and government officials that covers governmental systems, the current international environment, and the structure and function of the Inter-American system, and offers an opportunity to study broad-based defense and security issues affecting the Western Hemisphere and the world. It is located at

Fort Lesley J. McNair Fort Lesley J. McNair, also historically known as the Washington Arsenal, is a United States Army post located on the tip of Buzzard Point, the peninsula that lies at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C ...

in Washington, D.C.

Inter-American Defense Board Medal

The Inter-American Defense Board Medal is an

international military decoration An international decoration is a military award which is not bestowed by a particular country, but rather by an international organization such as the United Nations or NATO. Such awards are normally issued as attendance medals, for participation ...

. It is awarded to any military officer, serving in a member nation of the OAS, who completes a tour of service with the IADB. The award is also presented to military personnel who serve on the staff of the IADB Chairman or Secretariat, and for those who complete instructor tours at the IADC.

External links

Official website

IADC website
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References

Organization of American States Military diplomacy Meridian Hill {{int-org-stub