It is within this changing political, military, and economic environment that the School of the Americas has been operating. Today, virtually all Latin American countries have representative governments, although the democratic institutions in many of these countries are in their embryonic stage.Reflecting the fragile nature of democracy in some countries, the 1991 Santiago Resolution of the Organization of American States called for the preservation and strengthening of democratic systems and was reinforced at the 1995 Defense Ministerial of the Americas in Williamsburg, Virginia. Further, human rights violations continue to be a concern in the region. Students at the School come primarily from their countries’ military or police forces, with a significant proportion from military or police academies. School of the Americas Is Predominant Choice of Latin Americans

Of the 5,895 foreign students that came to the United States to attend U.S. Army training courses in fiscal year 1995, 842 (14 percent) were from Spanish-speaking Latin American and Caribbean countries. Table 1 provides a brief description of the courses offered in 1996 and the number of students that attended these courses in 1995. Officials at the School pointed out that because all international training courses are based on U.S. doctrine, foreign students from other regions receive training in similar subjects as the students at the School. Instructors at the School

Courses at the School are taught by U.S. and Latin American military members as well as some civilian instructors. Recent Army Study of the School

In 1995, TRADOC contracted for a study to analyze and develop recommendations concerning the future need for the School of the Americas and what purposes the School should serve. The curriculum would include courses on the development of threat assessments, strategic plans, budgets and acquisition plans, civil-military relations, and methods of legislative oversight. Chronology of Key Events in the History of the U.S. Army School of the Americas

The U.S. Army established the Latin America Center-Ground Division in the Panama Canal Zone to provide instruction to U.S. Army personnel in garrison technical skills such as food preparation, maintenance, and other support functions, with limited training for Latin Americans. A recorded menu will provide information on how to obtain these lists.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the U.S. Army School of the Americas and a Department of Defense (DOD) initiative to strengthen civilian institutions involved in defense and security activities in Latin American countries.

What GAO Found

GAO found that: (1) the Latin American environment in which the School operates is undergoing radical political and economic change; (2) in addition, the role of the military in many of these societies is beginning to evolve from one of political dominance to a more professional model subordinate to the civilian authority; (3) although the School trains the majority of Latin American students that come to the United States for Army training, primarily because the curriculum is taught in Spanish, it provides a small percent of the training that the Army provides to foreign students from around the world; (4) virtually all of the 745 students attending the School in 1995 represented their countries' military or police forces, with few civilians attending the School; (5) many of the courses at the School provide instruction in military and combat skills; however, since 1990, the curriculum has been broadened to include courses addressing post-Cold War needs of the region; (6) the courses offered at the School are based on U.S. military doctrine, and foreign students from other regions receive basically the same courses at other Army training locations, with the exception of the School's emphasis on human rights; (7) courses are taught by U.S. and Latin American military personnel and some civilian instructors; (8) a recent study contracted for by the Army to determine whether the School should be retained and why concluded that the School should continue but recommended a number of changes; and (9) in response to the emerging post-Cold War need to strengthen civilian institutions in Latin America, DOD is considering establishing a separate institution to focus on civilian-military relations and the development of greater civilian expertise in the region's defense establishments.