Fingertips. You can also stay current with the latest episodes of washington journal and find scheduling information for tv networks and cspan radio plus a variety of compelling podcasts. Cspan now is available at the apple store and google play. Downloaded for free today. Your front row seat to washington any time, anywhere. On behalf of the soviet institution and the secretary, lonnie bunch, i would like to welcome you all to the Smithsonian National museum of Natural History and this very special graduation ceremony. I am richard kurin, the smithsonians distinguished sh scholar and ambassador at large. First and foremost, i would te like to extend a welcome to our colleagues and friends from the u. S. Army, distinguished leaders, and of course, our officer graduates and their rightly proud and maybe loud er families. I would like to welcome, if they wish, guests hi from the foundation including members of the board and t relatives of the world war ii monument sponsorship. This is a very mspecial occasion. I dont usually wear this for everything at the smithsonian. But, i would also like to welcome our guests from bank of america who supported the d initiative from the beginning, and my smithsonian colleagues and those from sister organizations involved in Cultural Heritage protection like the department of state, the fbi, the interNational Museums and others who participated in this program as instructors, guides and enablers. The ceremony today and what it stands for is especially significant. Since we study history over time, let me take the liberty for a few moments to tell you how and why we got here. The recent history begins in 2010 with the earthquake in haiti that killed 200,000 people, left the country in a devastated state. Haitians looked toward their history and culture to give them strength. A sense of resilience at the time when they needed it most r. To recover from that tragedy but there are artifacts, archives and museums and libraries, galleries buried under hthe rubble and in dange of being lost forever. The smithsonian had close ties to many cultural figures in haiti and wanted to help but quite frankly, we did not know what to do. Enter Corine Wegener, a curatori at the Minneapolis Institute d of art, a terrorist who served l in iraq as a Civil Affairs officer end helped save the Baghdad Museum and the jewish archives sponsored by the work of the Monuments Men and women of world war ii. She called a meeting in washington, leaders of Cultural Institutions came. As the smithsonian undersecretary at the time, i g listened to what she had to say. She knew what she was talking about. A few weeks after meeting. Corine, we were in haiti meeting with several command generals who was leading some 12,000 u. S. Troops providing humanitarian and civil support in haiti. He encouraged and aided our va effort to save the Cultural Heritage. We planned with haitian officials. The minister in charge he h had been a research smithsonian years before. At the time, after that earthquake with his country in r ruins, he was reading a recently published book called the monument. That inspired him and convinced him that we should undertake this effort to try to rescue haitis Cultural Heritage in the wake of the earthquake and its destruction. The haitian president and the white house agreed and with smithsonian backing funded from the expertise of the american 00 institute of conservation and Corine Wegeners prowess, we mounted a major effort. We rented a building and compound, we established conservation facilities, and deployed experts from the smithsonian. Y 30,000 artworks and artifacts, trained more than 100 haitians, repaired and approved galleries and museums. With the help of ben stiller, established the Conservation Center in portauprince so that haitians could be trained to conserve Cultural Heritage in their own hands. I hired corine at the smithsonian and we started the initiative. We got a crucial key support from bank of america for the very beginning. In short order, we were called e to the crises in maui, iraq, syria, the bahamas and working directly with fema, we took on s projects in new york after superstorm sandy, in texas, South Carolina, puerto rico, u. S. Virgin islands. Corine ran trainings for Civil Affairs officers. We cooperated with dod on no target lists for the middle east. Our colleagues were running Training Programs with heritage professionals and the smithsonian was training fbi nd agents and experts as well as those from homeland security. Corine let our efforts working with the Cultural Heritage center, the american ve association for the advancement of science and others to develop methods for analyzing cultural damage from isis via satellite monitoring. In 2016, president obama trying to protect and conserve property tax and under the leadership of the state department, that is with dod, doj, the fbi, smithsonian and another several dozen agencies to coordinate efforts to help save Cultural Heritage around the world. With dod, corine and the u. S. E committee researched and printed booklets that pinpoint the cultural site that were due protection during the allied taking. Those booklets were carried by troops in the field, on the ground and they were written in arabic, kurdish, and english. The taking of those ancient cities, we purposely destroyed what isis was trying to destroy as part of their mission. By 2019, when so many ur efforts it is clear that war would be needed in the future as the u. S. And its military would be called on in both j conflict and humanitarian crises to help safeguard Cultural Heritage. We needed to up the partnership. We had a egreat ally who worke closely with corine. Colonel Scott Dejesse knew his stuff, had a great sense of mission and envisioned what we could do together. In 2019, he and general Jeffrey Coggin from the u. S. Army Civil Affairs command came to the smithsonian and amidst meetings with lynn nichols who had written the study rates of europa about working to protect Cultural Heritage and world war ii, viewed our collection at the archives of american art ee where we keep the materials, photographs from their mission. We signed an agreement reestablishing the training of monuments officers. We then faced training in the co midst of covid but worked closely together with the military, with the situation in afghanistan, trying to protect w both artifacts and people. I remember those days, scott, l corine and i were on the phone, texting, trying to do right by the heritage of afghanistan. Now, with ukraine, we have been getting supplies into our colleagues. A smithsonian fellow during the haiti project is now a leader of ukrainian Cultural Heritage protection efforts in light of the russian invasion. One of our graduates today works at the Virginia Museum of Natural History and leads the Cultural Heritage monitoring web and partnership with the smithsonian. He and his team are hereby satellite, some 28,000 cultural fights in ukraine. In cooperation with psrrthe sta department, documents potential war crimes related to cultural r damage and destruction. That is capsule history. Sorry it took me so long but it is important to know this story. All of this is what brings us together today. Cultural heritage gives us, as human beings, as people of ho particular nations and communities, a sense of identity. It gives us a sense of history. I it provides touchstones for learning about the past. It provides knowledge and some wisdom and it provides a source of strength and resilience and enabling us to build, sometimes rebuild our future. In light of so many increasing threats to Cultural Heritage, we can increase our capabilities. You are the founding inaugural class of monuments officers, men and women, and you are the foundation of that effort. Thank you. [ applause ] lonnie bunch could not be here today but lonnie has been with the smithsonian for over 40 years, a founding director of the National Museum of African American history and culture, a great colleague and historian, lonnie bunch. I think we have the video. Inaugural graduates of the ta Army MonumentsTraining Program, hello and congratulations on this specialm day. As secretary of the smithsonian, i am so gratified for the work you are doing. U for the past several days, you have undertaken rigorous training and military operational concepts e you have learned and the Cultural Heritage response methods the smithsonian staff has taught you. It will give you the tools to d make a big difference around the world. You have also volunteered and sworn an oath to serve as military officers. A selfless commitment that demonstrates the degree to which you care about this project. As the nations preeminent Cultural Institution for 175 years, it is the mu smithsonians responsibility to protect architecture, artifacts and other objects of cultural and religious heritage. The 1954 convention was the first multilateral treaty to urge Cultural Institutions to protect Cultural Heritage. A preamble to that convention s noted that, quote, damage to Cultural Property belonged to any people means damage to Cultural Heritage of all mankind. Each people makes its contribution to the culture of the world. To me, it was professional to recognize that culture is essential for our shared future. The threats that loom over our a irreplaceable heritage are as pronounced as ever whether it is natural disaster, climate change, political instability or war. When an earthquake devastated haiti in 2010, it galvanized the smithsonians determination to help preserve culture no matter where it was. My dear friend, smithsonian distinguished scholar and ambassador at large led efforts to help train colleagues. It is a work that began more than a decade ago and continues in a permanent conservation facility in portauprince. The networks we created and the impact we made convinced us e. T create the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative led by corinet wegener and implementing the lessons of heidi. It has had a tremendous impact. That is true in places around the world. Here in the United States, in places like post hurricane florence, South Carolina another way that we protect Cultural Heritage is through our collaboration with the us state departments Cultural Heritage coordinating committee. As a charter member, the facilitate team data and knowledge to better preserve and protect the cultural output of peoples everywhere. The war in ukraine is a at reminder of just how important these kinds of efforts are as d the ward takes a terrible toll not just on its citizens but also on its history and culture. It is vital that we continue improving our ability to make ae difference. The Smithsonian Cultural Resource Initiative is t partnering with the Virginia Museum of cultural history on the modern layout using satellite imagery to monitor 28,000 Ukrainian Cultural sites, to document any damage n and share it with the proper authorities and the profound ra value of making connections underscored with callings from ukraine who participated in previous Cultural Heritage courses alerted us to the plight of several ukrainian fulbright scholars. Thanks to the efforts of our office of advancement, the office of International Relations and the office of academic appointments, the smithsonian is hosting four of the scholars whose academic programs ended in may. Had they not had this opportunity, they c would have had to return to the, uncertain situation in their wartorn home. At heart, the army dumonuments Training Program is a recognition that culture c transcends geography, race, or religion, preserving the ai artistic and cultural products of human creativity is a noble endeavor. I think you all for recognizing the Intrinsic Value of protecting the tangible and intangible expressions of our shared humanity. Congratulations again. Thank you for all that riyou do thank you. Now it gives me pleasure to introduce Lawrence Dirita from bank of america. Ll [ applause ] thank you very much, a richard. Just to show that the army has a sense of humor, they put me th in front of general carter to march down the aisle. I was in the navy. I hope i did not embarrass you. T i am the president of Great America for the greater washington, d. C. I am here on behalf of 200,000 teammates including 3000 in this area. Ea thank you for what you are doing to express our great r pride and privilege we have to be the principal corporate en funder of the smithsonians corporate rescue initiative and of this program. In we truly value history and legacy in our country. We dont measure in the thousands of years with the work you are doing but our companys oldest element goes back to 1784 at the massachusetts bank. Here in washington, it goes back to the bank of metropolis. E we funded 20 of the rebuilding of washington after the britishr destroyed our capital. We are over erthat now. we are really proud. Our times with this cultural Risk Initiative goes back to 2018. We were the original corporate funder. It is in language, all the work we do. Our company has an Art Conservation program we have funded. We have pieces of art that needed to be restored, r tapestry, paintings, et cetera. It is something that we believe is a very important aspect of culture in our society are. We also have a longstanding n we have 20,000 plus or minus military spouses in our company and this year alone, 20 of all of our hires have been military, former military. We have a great velegacy of whi we are very proud. Finally, a long relationship e. With the smithsonian. We were a Founding Member of the board of the National Museum of African American history and culture. The ceo remains on the board lo and we are very proud. This program tries together activity conservation. Pa it is very important to our company. It is terrific to work with iv richard and corine and the others , to be able to support you and what you are going to do with this very important program. Had a esprivilege and another life to be the head of this defense. I also had a chance to spend he time doing the phase for operations in iraq after a record freedom in baghdad with the team that was over there immediately after. We went to the bakken museum, saw the terrible devastation. I dont think we were there at the same time but corine, the rescue that was taking place coming full circle with the restoration. It is incredible what you are doing. It is a privilege for bank of america to be part of it and a privilege for me to be here with you today. Thank you very much and congratulations. [ applause ] thank you. A big thank you to Brian Monahan as well who has been with us every step of the way. Now i would like to introduce Brigadier GeneralAndree Carter from fort bragg , who is with us today. Nt general carter . [ applause ] i want to start out by saying thank you to the organizations and individuals who have supported and continue to cultivate the partnership hip between the smithsonian and the United States army civil t affairs and psychological operations command. That is the whole thing. Having a partner like the smithsonian offers a platform for top Army Professionals to train with respected experts and top level institutions and build a network of Cultural Heritage specialists. It is an honor for me to congratulate the first cohort of Army Monuments officers. Each are experts in their respective fields. We have archaeologists, curators, educators, data scientists, museum directors, y historians, artists, providence researchers, environmental managers and Cultural Program managers. Right here. They will selflessly serve in ec the United States army reserve and impart their specialized skills to protect Cultural Property in conflict. Cultural Property Protection is a military nec