On 15th March the United Kingdom Military Representative to NATO and the EU, Air Marshal Sir Christopher Harper KBE, visited the NATO Defense College in Rome.
The Air Marshal was warmly welcomed by NDC Commandant Lt Gen Arne Bård Dalhaug (NOR A) and then spent time with the Dean, Dr Richard Hooker (USA C), who provided a detailed briefing on the NDC’s mission and activities. After this, Air Marshal Harper attended lectures by guest speakers Prof. Abass and Dr Tellis, on the subject “Regional Organizations and their Impact on Global Security”. The lectures were scheduled as part of a joint session, addressed to Senior Course 122, NATO Regional Cooperation Course 9 and Modular Short Course 2013-2. They were appropriately complemented by an excellent Q&A session.
The morning afforded the Air Marshal an ideal opportunity for first-hand observation of NDC courses at work: Course Members not only benefit from authoritative perspectives on fundamental issues affecting current international security, and on their implications for NATO, but can also enter into detailed discussion with speakers.
Air Marshal Harper’s staff appointments have included: United Kingdom Ministry of Defence Central Staff, working on the Eurofighter-Typhoon project; Military Assistant to the United Kingdom’s Minister of State for the Armed Forces; Command Group Executive Officer at NATO’s Headquarters Allied Air Forces Central Europe; Air Commodore Typhoon at Headquarters No. 1 Group; Director of Joint Commitments at the Ministry of Defence, and Chief of Staff (Operations) at Headquarters Air Command. From 2009 to 2011, he was Deputy Commander of NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command at Brunssum in the Netherlands.
He was mentioned in dispatches for his personal involvement in air operations over Iraq, and was awarded the CBE in 2002. In 2011, he was appointed Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
NDC Public Affairs Office
(Prepared by Ms Francesca Blasi, ITA C)
NATO Defense College 
