Field Study 3 – US Day

Senior Course 138’s Field Study 3, which took place virtually at the NATO Defense College (NDC), landed in the United States for a two-day tour. SC 138 Course Members were afforded the opportunity to understand US National Security and US Governance at the strategic level. Throughout, each session included how this important Alliance member integrates with NATO. The NDC US Senior National Representative Colonel Lance Varney (US Army) coordinated and moderated the two-day event.

NDC Commandant LGEN Olivier Rittimann, welcomed participants of the US National Security Panel. The Chargé d’Affaires (ad interim) of the US Mission to NATO, Mr Douglas D. Jones, delivered the opening remarks to the NDC delegation, setting the scene for the panel on US National Security, moderated by COL Lance Varney. Perspectives from the National Security Council, the US State Department, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Military Joint Staff were provided by: Mr Andrew Winternitz, OSD OUSD Policy; State Dep. Jim Donegan, Dir. Office of European Security and Political Affairs; and RDML Lewis, VDJ-J5 Pentagon. The session concluded with a Q&A discussion, followed by closing remarks from Mr. Håkon Bergsjø (SC138 – Committee 1)

On Day Two, the Field Study began by exploring US Civilian/Military relations through the lens of the Office of Legislative Affairs. Representatives from the US Marine Corps, COL Jeremy Beaven and Mr John Daly, explained how the US Military intersects with its governance. NDC Dean Dr Stephen J. Mariano, then opened a session with Mr Newt Gingrich, 50th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, who provided a lecture on the current political context in the US, followed by a panel discussion including Dr Marc Ozawa, Senior Researcher at the NDC. The last agenda item for Day 2 of Field Study 3 was a US NATO Parliamentary Engagement and Discussion, in which Course Members were offered enriching insights by Congressman Gerald Connolly, Head of the US Delegation and President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly; followed by an interesting Q&A session.

NDC Public Affairs Office
(Prepared by Mr Jose Moron Marchena, ESP C)