The Generals, Flag Officers and Ambassadors’ Course (GFOAC) wrapped up on Thursday, 29 Oct 09.
The class consisted of 36 officers and diplomats from 22 nations from NATO, the Mediterranean Dialogue, Istanbul Cooperation Initiative and Iraq. For the first time ever, a member of the Sovereign Order of Malta also participated in the course.
Another first for the GFOAC course is the participation of our non-NATO course members in the Brussels portion of the course as we visit NATO Headquarters, the European Union, and SHAPE. Also a first, the course members from the Mediterranean Dialogue, Istanbul Cooperation Initiative and Iraq were able to have a contact meeting with the members of the current NATO Regional Cooperation Course.
The theme for this GFOAC was “The New Strategic Concept: NATO’s Roadmap for the Future. During the first week of the course, held at the NATO Defense College in Rome, course members heard lectures on the Trans-Atlantic Link, the Maghreb and the greater Middle East, Terrorism, and the NATO-Russia Relationship. Lt. General Dutton, the Deputy ISAF Commander, presented a briefing on The Strategic Challenge of Current NATO Operations, and fielded questions from the course members via Video Teleconference from Kabul. All of the lectures and briefings set the stage for the capstone briefing on Friday about “NATO after Strasbourg/Kehl – The New Strategic Concept.”
Following a great week of academic lectures in Rome, the course members travelled to Brussels to meet and receive presentations from senior officials of NATO, the European Union, and SHAPE. Notable speakers included the Deputy Secretary General of NATO, the Chairman of the Military Committee, and Doctor Jamie Shea from the Private Office of the Secretary General, the Deputy Supreme Commander Allied Command Transformation, and the Director of the International Military Staff at NATO.
The briefings in Brussels tied together the theme, and the course members departed for their various nations and duties with a more thorough understanding of the political and military issues facing the Alliance as it develops the New Strategic Concept.
Prepared by Ms Monica BARNABA (ITA C)
NATO Defense College