Memorial Day is a time to honor U.S. military personnel both past and present. The Kansas City area has a rich military history and is now home to an educational base for the U.S. Army. Residents wishing to go the extra mile in supporting our troops can volunteer at this establishment, as some of our own team members have done for many years.
A part of the Kansas City metro area, yet also a neighbor, is Fort Leavenworth, which is the oldest continuously operating military establishment west of the Mississippi. Fort Leavenworth occupies more than 100 acres located to the north of the City of Leavenworth and on the west bank of the Missouri River. The strategic location on the bluffs overlooking the river led to the establishment of this Army post in 1827.
Over the years, the mission of the fort has expanded and evolved from protecting the western expansion of the U.S. to becoming a learning hub for the U.S. Army. An integral part of that learning mission is the Command and General Staff College (CGSC). First started in 1881 as the School of Application for Infantry and Cavalry, the CGSC has grown to include several colleges with a broad range of programs. One of the best known of those programs is the Command and General Staff School (CGSS).
The CGSS includes a full academic year (10 months) of intensive study designed to prepare field-grade officers (generally majors) for the expanded responsibilities and opportunities of the next several years of their career. Over 1,000 U.S. Army officers, plus several hundred officers from the other Services and from many countries around the world, attend this program each year at Fort Leavenworth.
The international officer students are from U.S. allies and other friendly countries, often totaling more than 100 officers from up to 90 countries. As the class instruction is in English, these international officers often attend an English language course before starting the program at the CGSS.
The international officers often bring their families along for this yearlong experience in the U.S. Residents of the Kansas City area and the Leavenworth area, along with U.S. Army personnel, volunteer to help these international families with their adjustment to living in a new culture and in a land that is often physically much different from home. These volunteers, many times including our own Tom Willy, are called sponsors and are an important part of the Army’s effort to make the Fort Leavenworth experience a special, positive and rewarding one for our international friends.
Additional information about sponsorship can be obtained from the Greater Kansas City People to People organization. Also, for many years, Cheryl Boushka of our firm has worked with the CGSC Foundation on various charitable endeavors.
