Flag Ceremony kicks off CGSOC Class of 2025

The Command and General Staff Officers Course (CGSOC) Class of 2025 began Aug. 5, 2024, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, with the traditional CGSC International Flag Ceremony.

Angolan Major Arao Daniel posts and salutes his country's flag during the International Flag Ceremony conducted Aug. 5, 2024, in the Eisenhower Auditorium of the Lewis and Clark Center on Fort Leavenworth. The is the first year that Angola has sent an officer to Fort Leavenworth for the CGSOC course.

Angolan Lt. Col. Arao Daniel posts and salutes his country’s flag during the International Flag Ceremony conducted Aug. 5, 2024, in the Eisenhower Auditorium of the Lewis and Clark Center on Fort Leavenworth. The is the first year that Angola has sent an officer to Fort Leavenworth for the CGSOC course.

The ceremony was conducted in the Eisenhower Auditorium and hosted by Command and General Staff College (CGSC) Deputy Commandant Col. Jason H. Rosenstrauch. Following Rosenstrauch’s remarks, the United States and the partner nations Flags of 94 nations represented by 122 International Military Students (IMS) students attending this year’s class were posted. The total number of students in the Class of 2025 is 956. After the ceremony, the IMS, their families and sponsors and CGSC leadership attended a reception in the Lewis and Clark Center atrium.

In his remarks Rosenstrauch reminded the audience of military officer students, staff and faculty, dignitaries, family members and international military student civilian sponsors of the significance of the event.

“It is appropriate to begin this course with the formal posting of the national colors of each of the countries that have accepted the invitation of the United States to send their best officers for cooperative study alongside our officers,” Rosenstrauch said. “I can think of no better way to symbolize the aspirations of our various nations than the deliberate posting of our national colors at one time and place as a declaration of our commitment to use the coming year to advance our shared values and our shared interests.”

A highlight of this year’s ceremony was the presence of the country of Angola. This is the first year that Angola has sent an officer to the course. Angolan Lt. Col. Arao Daniel posted his nation’s colors during the ceremony.

International military education at Fort Leavenworth began in 1894. Since then, more than 8,700 IMS from 168 countries have attended classes alongside their United States counterparts. CGSC’s international graduates have been extremely successful in their military careers. Nearly half achieve general officer rank. The college’s International Hall of Fame includes 299 International graduates from 82 countries who, through military merit, have achieved the position of chief of their nation’s Army or higher. Twenty-seven of these graduates became heads of state – three of which are sitting; 300 have become Chiefs of Staff; and another 300 have held positions in ministry and ambassadorships.

For more photos see the CGSC Flickr album

View the video of the full ceremony on the CGSC Facebook page

Flags of 94 nations represented by 122 International Military Students in the CGSOC Class of 2025 are posted on stage during the International Flag Ceremony conducted Aug. 5, 2024, in the Eisenhower Auditorium of the Lewis and Clark Center on Fort Leavenworth.