By John Okeke
The U.S. Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) traveled to Nigeria to conduct a Senior Leaders’ Seminar. This training course was designed to introduce Nigerian Air Force commanders to advanced topics in operational decision making, including a focus on improving civilian harm mitigation efforts in future military operations.
The course included case studies and discussions from U.S. and other international military operations and was taught by U.S. civilian and military lawyers with years of experience in operational law and military justice.
This course was included as a part of the A-29 Super Tucano sale as part of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency’s “Total Package Approach” that includes not just hardware but spare parts, logistics, and training. Although the course was originally intended for the handful of commanders that would operate with the A-29, the Nigerian Air Force sent 20 commanding officers to this course, including 7 General Officers and the Deputy Director of Legal Services. Because this course was the first of its kind, DIILS Director, CAPT Ian Wexler, traveled to oversee the event and meet the officers.
According to its website, DIILS is the lead Department of Defense security cooperation resource for global legal engagement and capacity-building with international defense sector officials. The DIILS instructors enjoyed a productive and professional interaction with the Nigerian officers and hope to continue this relationship and return for future engagements and courses.
