IDARM Celebrates Latest Class of Graduates
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IDARM Celebrates Latest Class of Graduates
International Defense Acquisition Resource Management (IDARM) faculty and staff gather to recognize the program's latest round of graduates from the Principles of Defense Acquisition Management Course, Oct. 28. The two-week course offers a theoretical examination of defense acquisition through real-world application, providing IDARM's diverse international students with a practical application to their respective nations' unique individual needs.
"This course … looks at acquisition overall using a model that combines theory and practice. We present the concepts and fundamentals in lecture, and then break into smaller groups and invite the students to apply big ideas to an actual practical study," said IDARM Program Manager Kathleen Peggar.
Bosnian Ministry of Defense Maj. Kemal Kulasevic, currently assigned to the Joint Staff Logistics Division, spoke on the benefits of diversity within the small group of students, and how the core principles taught by IDARM faculty unified their vast array of experiences and responsibilities.
"There was an exchange of experiences and different approaches for solutions from all participants, but the mainstream baselines were provided by our instructors," said Kulasevic. "We are a small country with a young armed forces, and the system is still establishing, so there are many challenges around us. The chain of support, risk management, military sales are all interesting subjects for a small country like mine."
IDARM's latest short course graduated 30 students from 21 countries within South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
"The countries we work with may be very different, but the fundamentals are the same," said Peggar. "Each country is so different in what they are looking for because of needs or budget. We try to present the higher concepts, and then work to have them tailor the ideas to their needs. We are constantly evolving."
Next up for the IDARM team is a two-week course on the Principles of Defense Procurement and Contracting, followed by a program on International Defense Acquisition Negotiations.