{"id":4947,"date":"2014-01-16T12:35:00","date_gmt":"2014-01-16T12:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onnik-krikorian.com\/new_site\/?p=4947"},"modified":"2023-02-25T12:26:41","modified_gmt":"2023-02-25T12:26:41","slug":"uk-advanced-command-and-staff-course-in-georgia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onnik-krikorian.com\/new_site\/uk-advanced-command-and-staff-course-in-georgia\/","title":{"rendered":"UK Advanced Command and Staff Course in Georgia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.9.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”3px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-25px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]

UK Advanced Command and Staff Course students, National Defence Academy, Gori, Georgia
\u00a9 Onnik James Krikorian 2014<\/em><\/p>\n

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My first presentation of 2014 and as with the year just gone it was to be for an audience as unexpected as my first presentation then. In February 2013 it was to be at an intergovernmental seminar for Global Counterterrorism Forum<\/a> (GCTF) and the U.S. Government\u2019s Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications<\/a> (CSCC). This year it was to be for 50 students from the U.K. military\u2019s tri-service Advanced Command and Staff Course<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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From early on in their careers, officers from the three Services are given further education, with 2,000 a year, aged about 30, taken on to the 30-week \u201cIntermediate\u201d course at Shrivenham. About eight years later, this number is distilled down to 200 officers, the top 20 per cent, who after taking the \u201cAdvanced\u201d course will go on to command battalions, warships or fighter squadrons. Of these, the best 30, marked for the top flight of their Services, are selected for the three-month \u201cHigher\u201d course when they reach their early forties.<\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201cCritical to what we do here is to educate people for tomorrow, for<\/em>
10 years\u2019 time and beyond,\u201d Air Vice Marshal Ray Lock, the commandant and a former Tornado pilot, says. Officers are taught to deal with the phenomenon of \u201cwicked problems\u201d \u2013 situations that have no solution but \u201cproblems that we have to manage and deal with\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The course examines security relationships and potential problem areas with all the major powers including Russia, China, India and Brazil. Joint exercises are held with four other staff colleges in Europe, with a final two-day visit to Normandy to examine, admire or pull apart the intense planning that went into Operation Overlord, the D-Day invasion.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The students, including some from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere, were visiting Georgia to discuss the security situation in Georgia and the surrounding region.<\/p>\n

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During their week in Georgia, the students will have meetings at the Georgian Defence Ministry; visit the Krtsanisi Training Centre and National Defence Academy in Gori; meet civil society representatives; participate in discussions on Georgia\u2019s EU and NATO aspirations and call on the European Monitoring Mission Field Office in Gori.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

During their visit, the student also met with the Georgian Defence Minister<\/a>, Irakli Alasania.<\/p>\n

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At the meeting, Defence Minister focused on international and regional security issues, Georgia\u2019s foreign priorities, international and strategic partnership and challenges. \u201cWe spoke about Georgia, its geopolitics and challenges our country faces to in military of political directions. Their interest is very high. I am sure that the participants of the course see Georgia as a great and reliable partner. In future, such visits will strengthen alliance with NATO, as well our bilateral cooperation with many countries\u201d \u2013 stated Defence Minister.<\/em><\/p>\n

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While delivering speech to the participants of the Advanced Command and Staff Course, Chief of General Staff, Major-General Vakhtang Kapanadze outlined the priorities and plans of Georgian Armed Forces. In his speech, Deputy Defence Minister, Mikheil Darchiashvili referred to Georgia\u2019s Euro-Atlantic integration, Georgia\u2019s contribution to international security operation and NATO 2014 Summit. On purpose to exchange experience, the students of the international course will visit National Defence Academy.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Within the visit to Georgia, meetings are also held with the representatives of NATO Liaison Office to Georgia, Georgian experts working on security issues, chief of EUMM, Deputy State Ministers of Reconciliation and Civil Equality and European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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