On 29 April 2014 the NATO Defense College (NDC) was honoured to host LtGen Frederick B. Hodges (USA A), Commander Land Command Headquarters (LANDCOM) Izmir.
Upon arrival, LtGen Hodges was warmly welcomed by LtGen Arne Bård Dalhaug (NOR A), NDC Commandant. They were joined in the Commandant’s office by Mr Jonathan Parish (GBR C), NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General, Defence Policy and Planning, the invited lecturer of the day for Senior Course 124 and the 11th NATO Regional Cooperation Course (NRCC 11).
For both Courses, the highlight of the morning was Mr Parish’s extremely informative lecture on NATO Defence Planning. This was followed by a very rewarding Q&A session with the speaker.
During the afternoon, Course Members were privileged to hear LtGen Hodges deliver a Lecture of Opportunity entitled “NATO Land Power in the Post-ISAF Era”, analysing the current challenges facing the Alliance and the responses implemented. The ensuing discussion period offered an excellent opportunity for a frank and wide-ranging discussion of various points raised during the lecture.
LtGen Hodges later spent time with the Dean of the College, Dr Daria Daniels Skodnik (SVN C), in order to discuss possible cooperation between LANDCOM Izmir and the NDC.
The very busy schedule for LtGen Hodges’ visit was completed by a tour of the NATO Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Modelling and Simulation, located next to the NDC.
Lieutenant General Hodges graduated from the United States Military Academy and was commissioned into the Infantry. He commanded Infantry units at the Company, Battalion and Brigade levels in the 101st Airborne Division. He led the “Bastogne” Brigade during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. His most recent operational assignment was as Director of Operations, Regional Command South, in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He also served in a variety of Joint and Army Staff positions, including the following: Chief of Plans, 2nd Infantry Division in Korea; Aide-de-Camp to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe; and Director of the Joint Staff Pakistan Afghanistan Coordination Cell. Before taking up his duties as the first Commander of the new LANDCOM Headquarters, he was Chief of Legislative Liaison for the United States Army, from July 2011 to July 2012.
Mr Jonathan Parish took up the post of Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Defence Policy and Planning on 1 February 2014. A graduate in French and German, he served in the British Army from 1976 to 2004, training as a helicopter pilot and then commanding at flight, squadron and regimental level. During his regimental command, operational commitments included deployments to Bosnia (twice) and Kosovo. After high-level experience at SHAPE, as well as at the British Army’s Land Command Headquarters, at NATO Joint Headquarters Madrid (as Chief of Operational Support) and at NATO Headquarters (where he finished his military career as Policy Planning Officer within the Office of the Secretary General), in September 2004 he joined the NATO International Staff as speechwriter to the Secretary General.
NDC Public Affairs Office
(Prepared by Ms Monica Fornari, ITA C)
Collège de Défense de l'OTAN