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African NWC Alumni Gather for Regional Symposium

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110415-07
4/15/2011

From Naval War College Public Affairs

NEWPORT, R.I. (NNS) -- The U.S. Naval War College (NWC) hosted an alumni regional symposium for African NWC graduates in Stuttgart, Germany, April 12-14.

This symposium, the seventh in the series, was co-hosted by Commander, U.S. Africa Command, which has its headquarters in Stuttgart.

About 50 distinguished international and a dozen U.S. alumni participated in this professional meeting. NWC graduates from 13 African countries, including the Chief of the Gabon Navy, Rear Adm. Herve Nambo and the Deputy Chief of the Cameroon Navy, Capt. Martin Nforbinson, joined together to discuss current maritime issues under the theme of "Enhancing Regional Maritime Security."

"Our aim is to re-emphasize the vision of Admiral Arleigh Burke, who initiated international programs at NWC, by bringing friends and allies together to continue to build on the trust and confidence begun years ago," said NWC President Rear Adm. John N. Christenson during the event's opening remarks. "By meeting to discuss the challenges we face, we can also exchange ideas about how we go about the serious business of serving our nations."

These events are designed to allow alumni to renew professional and personal ties and to enhance the mutual understanding, cooperation, trust and confidence created as students at the Naval War College. The symposia also offer alumni the opportunity to meet with senior U.S. regional military commanders, to discuss contemporary issues and to hear the latest thinking from the Naval War College faculty.

Presentations and panels during the symposium covered topics including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and challenges such as piracy, smuggling and security of fishing zones, petroleum production facilities and natural resources.

The keynote address was given by Senegalese Capt. Aliou Moussa Sow, secretary general, High Authority for the Coordination of Maritime Safety, Security, and the Protection of the Marine Environment.

"We cannot deal alone with these threats - it's a global picture," said Sow. "This is why, for developing countries, we cannot tackle this problem alone. We need comprehensive cooperation."

Other speakers included Gen. Carter Ham, Commander, U.S. Africa Command; Commodore Albert A. Addison, Ghana Navy; Commodore Michael Akinsola Johnson, Nigerian Navy; and Rear Adm. Nambo.

During a question and answer session, Gen. Ham, a Naval War College graduate, reflected on the value of his NWC experience and the symposium.

"The more we can get together and discuss our shared security challenges, the better off we will all be," said Ham. "We won't always agree. I think this is one of the beauties of the Naval War College that you learn to have a civil debate, an informed debate, even if you have strongly differing views on a particular matter. Together we might be able to find a better solution to some of these very complex problems that all of our nations have to deal with."

"We have found that by bringing together our international graduates, we all benefit from the friendships that are strengthened and renewed and the enriching dialogue that takes place," said Professor Vincent Mocini, NWC's dean, International Programs. Since the alumni regional symposium program was initiated by Mocini in 2005, more than 300 international alumni have participated at venues around the world.

"Particularly important, the meetings give U.S. officers and the NWC faculty an opportunity to listen as our alumni express their views on current regional opportunities and challenges," said Mocini.

These officers provide feedback to the college faculty to aid them in refining the curriculum to keep it focused on current issues and requirements. For example, recent enhancements in African military capability enable them to assume greater leadership and capabilities to bring African solutions to African challenges. Today, Uganda and Burundi armed forces are leading the African Union Mission to Somalia and peacekeepers from more than two dozen African countries are members of eight United Nations missions, in the Gulf of Guinea.

In addition, members of the Economic Community of Central African States are conducting joint maritime patrols to enhance the maritime safety, providing security in the Gulf of Guinea and African naval officers provide half of the officers on the African Partnership Station staffs. Over 4,000 officers from Benin, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia, including NWC alumni, make up one quarter of the UN Stabilization Force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

International Programs at NWC began in 1956. Each year, 100 to 150 international officers from around the world attend NWC's year-long resident program. They study strategy and policy, national security affairs and decision making, and joint military and maritime operations.

Equally important, they learn how the United States works as a country through the field studies program. Each officer is greatly influenced by what they see and learn while in the U.S., and each one forms strong bonds with their U.S. and international classmates. As they rise to positions of leadership in their own navies, they maintain and enhance these valuable professional and fraternal ties.