The fall Washington Security and Defense Seminar (WSDS) kicked off on September 9, bringing together 73 participants from 19 countries in the Western Hemisphere diplomatic community for an intensive week-long course on the formulation of US security and defense policy for the region. Over the coming week, participants will gain perspectives on US national objectives, strategies, policy guidelines, and the dynamics of decision making. The WSDS is led by Course Director David Spencer, with Professors Evan Ellis, Luis Kun, Jaime Garcia, Celina Realuyo, and Isidro Sepulveda serving as small-group facilitators. WSDS participants have the unique opportunity of hearing perspectives from high-level foreign policy practitioners in the US Government and from the Washington community, in an academic non-attribution environment facilitated by the Perry Center. This ensures that all participants and faculty can have candid, productive discussions about Western Hemisphere policy.