After the wide-ranging and very successful American leg of the Field Study, Senior Course 119 flew back to Europe for a busy round of institutional briefings and visits in Belgium. The schedule for this final part of the Field Study left time for a brief stop in the historic city of Bruges, before moving on to Brussels and Mons.
In Brussels, Course Members visited NATO Headquarters, where they had the opportunity to dialogue with several very senior NATO officers and civilian officials. The morning session began with a welcome address by Major General Marcel DRUART, Director of the Operations Division, International Military Staff (IMS). An extensive overview of recent developments in NATO’s partnerships and other cooperation issues was then provided by Major General Carlos BRANCO, Director of Cooperation and Regional Security in the IMS. MGen BRANCO highlighted possible trends over the period leading up to next year’s NATO Summit in Chicago.
After these briefings with a mainly military focus, Course Members attended talks by high-ranking civilian representatives of NATO International Staff (IS). The first of these addresses was by
Dr Stefanie BABST, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, who gave the group an informative overview of crucial NATO Public Diplomacy issues and how the appropriate soft power tools could be used.
The morning continued with an interesting briefing by Mr. Jamie SHEA, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges. Mr Shea offered a balanced general view of present and future NATO challenges, especially regarding cyber threats and defense, proliferation, arms control, energy security and counter-terrorism.
The final speaker of the morning was Ms Radoslava STEFANOVA, Head of Russia and Ukraine Relations in the Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, who offered a comprehensive update on NATO-Russia relations, particularly in terms of missile defense cooperation.
The busy schedule for the day then took Course Members to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), in Mons. This is the Headquarters of Allied Command Operations (ACO), one of NATO’s two strategic military commands (together with HQ SACT in Norfolk, Virginia). Here, the NDC group was briefed on current NATO operations and had the privilege of dialoguing with Admiral James G. STAVRIDIS, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).
After the briefings the Commandant of the NATO Defense College, Lieutenant General Arne Bård DALHAUG, thanked SACEUR and expressed the group’s appreciation of the important work carried out at SHAPE, presenting Adm STAVRIDIS with a College crest to celebrate the occasion of the NDC visit.
The day finished with a reception hosted by Adm STAVRIDIS in the SHAPE Club, attended by the NATO Military Representatives (NMRs) to SHAPE. The Military Cooperation Division, headquartered at SHAPE, was represented by Partner Liaison Teams and Liaison National Officers from countries with Course Members attending SC119.
SC119 is now scheduled to conclude its Transatlantic Field Study with a visit to the Council of the European Union, before flying back to Rome.
More about the Field Study:
First stop – New York
Second part – Washington DC
Third Leg – Norfolk, VA
NATO Defense College 
