Leaders from three continents added to CGSC International Hall of Fame

The Command and General Staff College added three international military leaders to its International Hall of Fame on March 1 at 9 a.m. at the Lewis and Clark Center on Fort Leavenworth. The induction brings to 277 the number of leaders who have been honored in the Hall of Fame from the more than 8,000 international officers who have attended courses at the college.

New inductees to the Hall of Fame include Maj. Gen. Jørgen Høll, Commander, Special Operations Command, Denmark; Gen. Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq, Chief of Staff, Bangladesh Army; and Lt. Gen. Luis Suñer, Argentina Army Chief of Staff. Belal, reminiscing about his time at Leavenworth in 1993-1994, quoted Nelson Mandela who said “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you have altered.” Belal said attending CGSC allowed him to view the world with sharpened senses. He said he appreciated learning the theory and then putting it to practical use in lab situations. “CGSC is an institution to Learn the Art of Peace,” he said.

Lt. Gen. Luis Suñer, Argentina, Maj. Gen. Jørgen Høll, Denmark, and Gen. Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq, Bangladesh Army look on as their photos are added to the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College International Hall of Fame following an induction ceremony in their honor on March 1 at Fort Leavenworth’s Lewis and Clark Center. (U.S. Army Photo by Jim Shea)

He became the Bangladesh Army Chief of Staff in June 2015. He has served in all types of appointments available in the Army–Staff, Instructor and Command. He commanded Two Armored Battalions, Two Infantry Brigades, an Armored Brigade and Two Infantry Divisions. As a staff officer he served as the Aide-de-Camp to the President of Bangladesh, Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade and Colonel Staff of an Infantry Division. Belal was a member of the pioneer Group of Officers sent to UN Peace Keeping Missions from Bangladesh. He was an observer in United Nations Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group in 1988-1989 and Deputy Force Commander of United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea in 2007-2008.

Høll, who graduated from CGSC in 1991, told the assembled CGSC students there are three key themes he has tried to follow throughout his military career. First, he said, the Soldier on the ground is always the number one priority. Second, valued experience and learning will happen at the most unexpected places. And third, Trust your Soldiers and staffs-provide them vision and guidance and turn them loose to solve the problem. He became Commander of the Special Operations Command in July 2015.

Høll has served in a number of international staff positions to include Chief J5 Policy branch, NATO Headquarters Land Forces Central Europe, Heidelberg, Germany; Assistant Chief of Staff, Central Staffs, Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, Germany; and Special Operations Forces Advisor to the Commander, Joint Force Command, Lisbon, Portugal. He also served operational tours in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

CGSC Foundation Chairman Mike Hockley presents an eagle statuette to Gen. Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq, Bangladesh Army. Each inductee received a statuette and Life Constituent certificate from the CGSC Foundation.

“I feel proud to have been selected to attend CGSC,” said Suñer. He said attending CGSC was a great and unique experience and he appreciated sharing the year with officers from all of America’s armed forces as well as from 80 international countries. “We all want honest, humble, brave and courageous soldiers for our armies,” he said.

Suñer graduated from CGSC in 1999. He became the Argentine Army Chief of Staff in January 2016. During his more than 30 years of active military duty, he has held assignments in Argentina and abroad. He was assigned as Deputy Support Coordinator to the Ecuadorian-Peruvian Military Observer Mission; Deputy Commander of the 601st Engineer Battalion; Chief of the 12th Jungle Engineer Battalion; Director of the Army Engineer School; Deputy Director of the Army War College; Deputy Director General for Plans, Programs, and Budget; and Director General for Army Administration and Finance. Suñer holds a Bachelor Degree in Strategy and Organization. He completed his education with the Senior Leadership and Strategy Joint Course, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff Course, and a Master’s Program in Administration Sciences from Michigan University.

The CGSC International Hall of Fame was established by the college, the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars and the CGSC Foundation in 1973. To be considered for the International Hall of Fame an officer must be a graduate of CGSC and have attained, by merit, the position of leader of his or her country’s army or defense forces. In addition to being inducted into the Hall of Fame, inductees are presented a CGSC certificate of honor by the Military Order of the World Wars and a Life Constituent Certificate by the Foundation. Officers from 73 countries have been inducted into the hall. Fifteen International Hall of Fame members have gone on to be heads of state or heads of government in their countries.

International military student participation in cooperative military studies in the United States originated at Fort Leavenworth with the arrival of Swiss Lieutenant Henri Le Comte in 1894. Since then, international students, representing 165 countries, have become an integral part of the Fort Leavenworth experience. These talented military officers contribute to a rich professional and cultural exchange environment.

For more photos from this lecture visit the album on the CGSC Flickr site.

View the video of the complete ceremony on the CGSC YouTube site. (or view the video embedded below)