After the visit to London, Senior Course 121 (SC 121) reached the following stage on its “European Security Perspectives” Field Study trip: Berlin. There, on October 1st, Course Members had the opportunity to visit the Federal Ministry of Defence and to attend a number of important briefings.
Mr Alexander Weis, Chief of the Division for Political Affairs of the Federal Ministry of Defence, welcomed the group in the Stauffenberg Conference Room. Course Members were then addressed by Col. Thomas Hambach, Chief of NATO Policy at the Directorate-General for Political Affairs, who spoke on the subject of German Security and Defence Policy. The speaker also offered a detailed explanation of the 2011 German Defence Policy Guide, which sets out the rationale behind the reorganization of the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff.
The second lecturer of the day was Col. Kay Brinkmann, Branch Chief of Operations at the Military Policy and Operations Division, who provided a thorough overview of the current commitments of German Forces in Multinational Operations. At the end of both briefings, Course Members were able to discuss the morning’s topics in greater detail during a lively Q&A session.
Later in the day, the group visited the Bundeswehr Memorial, dedicated to the members of the German Armed Forces who lost their lives in the course of their service for the Federal Republic of Germany, and the German Resistance Memorial Centre in the Bendlerblock. Here, SC 121 paid tribute to those who opposed and resisted the National Socialist dictatorship until its fall in 1945.
Collège de Défense de l'OTAN 
