José María Córdova Military School

Escuela Militar de Cadetes General José María Córdova

Motto	Patria, Honor, Lealtad - ("Homeland, Honor, Loyalty")
Type	Military college
Established	1907
Director	Brigadier General Eduardo Enrique Zapateiro Altamiranda
Location	Bogotá, Colombia
Affiliations	National Army of Colombia
Website	http://www.esmic.edu.co/esmic

The Escuela Militar de Cadetes General José María Córdova (English: José María Córdova Military School, ESMIC) is a 4-year military academy in charge of the formation of the future combatant officers of the Colombian National Army. It is also an institution of higher education, where the cadets in training carry out undergraduate studies in various disciplines. It is located on Calle 80 Suba Avenue, in the north-west of the city of Bogota.^[1]

It was established on 1 June 1907 by decree 434 which was signed by President Rafael Reyes. In 1979 the school was named after José María Córdova a famous general during the Colombian Independence War and also known as the hero Ayacucho.

History

Origins

General José María Córdova

The origins of the school date back to the military academies founded after the Colombian independence war, but due to the political instability, financial troubles, and civil wars that characterized Colombia during the mid to late 19th century a national military academy would not be founded until the early 20th century. During this time the Colombian Army officers were not well trained or technically skilled, the need to professionalize and retrain the army prompted the creation of a military school, which was created in 1887 with government hiring a French military mission to help with the creation of the school. This would not succeed as another civil war The Thousand Days War broke out.^[2]

Creation

Colombian Cadets in 1910, you can see the Prussian influence that was brought by the Chilean military mission

On 1 June 1907, the Military School of Cadets of Colombia was established under the presidency of Rafael Reyes and it was under the direction of the Chilean army Captains Arturo Ahumada Bascuñán in the position of director and Diego Guillén Santana as deputy director. The institution's campus was located in the western side of the Square of Ayacucho, old convent of San Agustín. It was created to address the necessity to form academically and militarily the future officers that would integrate the Colombian National Army.^[3]

At the end of 1942, the School moved from San Diego to Rionegro to begin the school year in January 1943 in the new "citadel" built on 43 hectares during the Government of Doctor Eduardo Santos. In 1963 university studies began, with the Faculties of Economy, Engineering and International Law and Diplomacy. On July 25, 1976, the New Granada Military University was born in the facilities of the School with 210 students, with Brigadier General Gustavo Matamoros D'Costa being Director. Three years later and by decree No. 2537 of October 17, 1979, the Military School of Cadets is named after General José María Córdova.

Modern Day

In 1996, a new academic phase was restarted through the programming and consolidation of the professional career in Military Sciences, as well as the registration with ICFES of the courses of Business Administration, Law, Civil Engineering and Physical Education, through an agreement for culmination and validation Of the complementary studies with the Military University Nueva Granada. In 1997 the Mayor's Office of Bogota, through decree 215 of March 31, declares the facilities as Architectural conservation property. It was subsequently declared of cultural interest through resolution 752 of July 30, 1998 of the Ministry of Culture. In 2009, 102 years after its founding, the alma mater of the National Army incorporated for the first time in its ranks female personnel, to form as weapons officers in the specialties of intelligence, logistics and engineering.

The Military School of Cadets received the High Quality Accreditation in the programs of Military Sciences, Military Physical Education and Logistics Administration in the years 2010, 2012 and 2013 respectively.^[4]

The military academy during a graduation ceremony

References