Photo By Cmdr. Dawn Stankus | VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Oct. 15, 2018) - Forty-three military officers and...... read more read more
Forty-three military officers and non-commissioned officers (NCO) from 16 countries attended a weeklong NATO School course hosted by the Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (HQ SACT) staff training section at the Hyatt House in Virginia Beach from Oct. 15 to 19.
NATO School Oberammergau (NSO), a school dedicated to training military and civilian NATO professionals, is located in Germany. Periodically throughout the year, Mobile Education and Training Teams (METT), comprised of NSO instructors, will travel and provide courses that train and educate members and partners of the NATO Alliance outside of Germany.
Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Chief of Staff Vice Adm. Paul Bennett, Great Britain Royal Navy, provided a keynote address discussing the importance of education in the Alliance, Allied Command Transformation’s warfare development role within NATO, and the complexities facing the Alliance today.
“The NATO Alliance comprises of 29 sovereign nations, but we need to move rapidly with decisions, both politically and militarily,” said Bennett. “If we are going to continue to be an effective Alliance we need to recognize the complexity of the environment. Collective defence, new cyber capabilities, cooperation with the European Union, counterterrorism, projecting stability and embracing our cultural differences are only a few of the areas that are important for current and future operations.”
Bennett also discussed the geographical spread of the Alliance and how the two strategic commands, Allied Command Transformation and Allied Command Operations, must work closely together to increase readiness in exercise and real-world scenarios.
“There are extraordinary challenges today. We are in an organization that is defensive, but we are also in constant competition,” said Bennett. “Both strategic commands need to support each other’s activities to strengthen NATO well into the future. Allied Command Transformation, in particularly, needs to be a place where people benefit professionally and improve capabilities for operations across the Alliance. As Allied Command Transformation goes into 2019, our command output and alignment with Allied Command Operations is critical.”
During the NATO Staff Officer and NCO Orientation Course, speakers from NATO Headquarters, HQ SACT, U.S. Department of State, National Defense University, Joint Warfare Centre and various international militaries provided presentations spotlighting a variety of topics relevant to the Alliance. These topics included the NATO Defence Planning Process, Cyber Defence, Nuclear Deterrence, NATO-European Union Cooperation, Strategic Communications, NATO Partnerships, Military Operations and many others.
“For me, as a newcomer, it was a very valuable course because it gave me a better understanding of how widespread NATO is as an organization,” said Maj. Joana Bras, Portuguese Air Force, HQ SACT. “I learned how my position at Allied Command Transformation fits into the construct of NATO and modern warfare development. Additionally, it was great to learn how NATO works with the European Union and the differences between these organizations, as well as understanding the level of commitment these organizations must have for one another in order to be more efficient together. The strategic communication lectures were also appreciated because they provided a new perspective on how words must match our actions as an Alliance.”
Another topic discussed was the role and value of non-commissioned officers in the NATO Alliance, and how their expertise and experience helps strengthen the Alliance across all services and countries.
“Being a non-commissioned officer in a NATO assignment already provides its challenges, but by having been afforded the opportunity to attend this course allowed me to see the ‘big picture’ and how my role is important, said Sgt. Cameron Blackburn, U.S. Army, NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA). “The course provided me an overview on how my technology expertise helps service the Alliance and open the doors for communication across the Atlantic. There are so many critical issues being discussed from a political and military level and, as a non-commissioned officer, I see how my part contributes to the success of the Alliance.”
Allied Command Transformation works extensively with NATO School to provide these courses for NATO members and partners throughout the globe to strengthen and align the transatlantic partnership.
“The cultural variety and international perspectives are what make NATO School courses so valuable for all nations who support the Alliance,” said Lt. Col. Burkhard Schmidt-Bruecken, German Army, HQ SACT staff training section. “The mobile courses offer opportunities aside from the desk or cubicle to learn more about the Alliance, meet new people and network with others who members would not meet otherwise.”
Command Sergeant Major Fabien Le Camus, French Army, assigned to NATO School in Oberammergau, served as part of the METT for the course and expressed his gratitude to the Allied Command Transformation Training Branch and students.
“NATO School looks forward to providing future courses in the United States and throughout the globe to promote accessibility and flexibility of education,” said Le Camus. “NATO staff members and partners cannot always travel to Oberammergau, so NATO School continues to explore various ways to bring the classroom to them in-person or online.”
As one of NATO’s two strategic commands, Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation has been located in the United States since its inception in 2003. The city of Norfolk, and the region as a whole, serve as exceptional hosts to military and civilian personnel from 34 allied and partner nations. As the warfare development command for NATO, Allied Command Transformation’s mission is to contribute to preserving the peace, security and territorial integrity of Alliance member states by leading the transformation efforts of military structures, forces, capabilities and doctrines.
| Date Taken: | 10.19.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 11.09.2018 13:34 |
| Story ID: | 299425 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 323 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
No keywords found.
