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U.S. Reservists Train at NATO School

Story Number: NNS030227-13
2/27/2003

By Capt. Margaret Ronzio and Journalist 1st Class Lila Washington, Naval Reserve Center Kansas City Public Affairs

OBERAMMERGAU, Germany (NNS) -- Seven U.S. Reservists joined 54 international military and civilian representatives from 10 NATO and 13 Partnership for Peace (PfP) nations at the NATO European Security Cooperative Course presented by the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany. Seven Russians were the largest contingent from a PfP nation attending the week-long course.

Speakers at the NATO European Security Cooperative Course reviewed the role, policy and strategy agenda of the Alliance and the views of various nations and organizations on security aspects in Europe. His excellency, Ioan Mircea Pascu, the Romanian Minister of National Defense, delivered the keynote address on "Alliance Transformation."

The NATO School educational courses are designed to build confidence and to develop mutual trust among the officers of the nations belonging to NATO, the PfP, Mediterranean Dialog, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, membership nations and select invitees.

"Training at the NATO School is an excellent overview of NATO issues and threat analysis, training I will take back to my unit, "said Capt. Pat Temple, commanding officer, Naval Reserve Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) Det 120 in Salt Lake City, Utah. "The school offers a huge advantage for personal interaction with international partners and cultivates continual opportunities for discussion. I've learned in my discussions that the international perception in the Alliance is much different from the U.S. perception."

The five member SACLANT team was joined by Lt. Cmdr. Colleen Dixon, an intelligence officer with Joint Forces Air Component Commander Det 0186, Norfolk, Va., and Maj. Kimberly Smith, military personnel management officer, Kansas Air National Guard, Topeka, Kan.

In addition to the presentations, students were divided into small syndicate groups to discuss a NATO issue, develop dialogue and consensus, and acknowledge discord.

"The fact that I'm in a small group of military personnel and international representatives from the former Soviet block was inconceivable 13 years ago during the Cold War," said Dixon, a newcomer to the NATO mission. "At the NATO School, we sit side-by-side, discuss issues, disagree peacefully and continue our relationship building. I will take the course materials back to my unit to continue the NATO message."

Temple agreed, "It was very refreshing to hear multiple points of view in our syndicate group and continue the discussion throughout the week. We got into sidebar discussions and started to discuss our personal views in addition to our national view. I found that other Alliance members were not as aggressive as the U.S. representatives."

Since 1953, the NATO School has been a key center for training military members and civilian personnel within the NATO area. Today, the school's mission has expanded to include conducting courses, training and professional seminars in support of the current and developing NATO strategy, policy, doctrine and procedures.

"The NATO School vision has shifted with the NATO strategies," says Capt. Rick Stevens, commandant of the NATO School. "Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, we have evolved from an East-West orientation focus to a North-South orientation."

The commandant has focused on military reserve components as a major growth potential and force multiplier.

"U.S. and NATO active and Reserve military members serve together in many commands," he continued. "NATO's continuing personnel needs require a capable body of Reservists who fully understand the Alliance's policy, doctrine and procedures before they are mobilized. Reservists are welcome in any of our 64 different courses, including the Reserve Force and Mobilization Course, the NATO staff officers' and NATO Senior Non Commissioned Officer's Orientation Courses."

"My visit to the NATO School is a dual mission: first to receive the NATO training and international exchange. Training and education is one of the five objectives in the SACLANT transformation and integral to the future of the Alliance," continued Temple. "Second, I am here on a fact finding mission to work with the school staff in providing additional Reserve support. The Allied Command Transformation projects a tremendous personnel demand in the new NATO, and joint Reserve augmentation is a big piece of personnel support here."

U.S. Reservists who want to attend a NATO School course must coordinate a seat assignment through their active-duty NATO point of contact within their mobilization command. Reservists without point of contacts should visit the NATO School Web site at http://www.natoschool-shape.de to review course offerings, tuition and enrollment criteria, then work with their component Reserve liaison officer to obtain a seat assignment.

The NATO School also exports its training with mobile educational training teams that bring the school's courses to national or NATO headquarters. The school also offers advanced distributive learning courses which incoming students are advised to complete prior to attending their courses.