It would be hard to imagine a better start for Senior Course 119’s first Field Study than its visit on 26 and 27 September to Slovenia, a NATO member state since 2004.
Led by the College Commandant, Lieutenant General Arne Bård Dalhaug (NOR A), the delagation was also accompanied by representatives of the NDC Faculty and Staff.
On the first day, the group spent an interesting morning at the Slovenian Ministry of Defence in Ljubljana. Course Members were welcomed by Mr Primoz Savc, Director General at the Defence Policy Directorate, and Brigadier General Martin Jugovec, Deputy Commandant of the Doctrine, Development, Education and Training Command (DDETC).
The visit continued at the Slovenian Parliament, where the delegation met Parliamentary Defence and Foreign Policy Committee representatives, led by Mr Jozef Jerovsek, Chairman of the Defence Committee. A presentation on the role of the Armed Forces in a country like Slovenia, which gained its independence in relatively recent years, was followed by a stimulating Q&A session.
After a private meeting with the NDC Commandant, the Minister of Defence, Dr Ljubica Jelusic, addressed the Senior Course on the value of their experience in attending such a unique course. Since 1996, there have been 26 Slovenian Course Members and the numbers continue to rise.
Mr Matej Marn then delivered a briefing on Slovenian Foreign Policy. This was followed by an overview of Defence Policy by Mr Primoz Savc, who attended Senior Course 95 at the NATO Defense College.
In the city of Maribor on the second day of the visit, Lieutenant General Dalhaug was received by the Slovenian President, Dr Danilo Türk, who was given a copy of the NDC’s 60th Anniversary Chronicle Book in commemoration of the occasion.
The Course also visited the Slovenian Doctrine, Development, Education and Training Command. Brigadier General Bojan Pograjc, Commandant of DDETC, welcomed the group and introduced the Centre as a backbone of the Slovenian Armed Forces’ transformation.
This transformation process was further commented on by Colonel Samo Zanoskar, who explained the various phases in moving from territorial defence to full integration within the Alliance, including the participation of the Slovenian Armed Forces in international missions and operations. Dr Vinko Vegic then spoke in detail about the Slovenian military education system.
One of the highlights of the day was undoubtedly the 45-minute Q&A period with the Minister of Defence, who gave frank and exhaustive answers to all the questions raised. This session was greatly appreciated by Course Members, who gained valuable insight from the exchange.
The academic portion of the visit was then completed by a briefing on cooperation between the military and the university, given by Dr Uroš Svete from the University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Social Sciences.
In the early afternoon, the NDC delegation left Slovenia for Austria, a Partnership for Peace country.
More about the Field Study:
Collège de Défense de l'OTAN 
