In May 2003, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army-Installations and Environment (OASA-I&E) initiated the Western Hemisphere Information Exchange (WHIX) project to support the Department of Defense Security Cooperation Strategies in international cooperation and interoperability. The intent of this project is to develop a sustainable information exchange program between the United States and the Western Hemisphere militaries in the areas of Installation Management; Environment, Safety, & Occupational Health (ESOH); and Energy Management (IEE). Florida International University’s Applied Research Center, in support of the United States Southern Command, executes the WHIX Program as a means of non-traditional defense cooperation that promoted transformation and an overall strategy for environmental and energy security in the region.
