On the 1st of June, the NATO Security Force Assistance Centre of Excellence (NATO SFA COE) was invited to lecture at the Albanian Military Academy’s “Command and General Staff Officer course” (C&GSO).
Beginning from 2020, the Military Academy of Albania has been accredited to Higher Education by both the “Ministry of Defence” and the “Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth.” As such, it prepares and qualifies civilian and national military personnel at all levels of leadership.
The “Command and General Staff Officer course” is a joint staff course that prepares military personnel for future national, international and NATO staff and command positions.
During the presentation, the NATO SFA COE Director, Col. Massimo DI PIETRO, provided a general overview of the founding principles of the Security Force Assistance activities. In this context, the Centre aims to improve the effectiveness of the Alliance in promoting stabilization for conflict and post-conflict areas, through the analysis of Lessons Learned, supporting the doctrinal review process and the development of new concepts on Defence Capacity Building and by providing a broad training offer for military and civilian personnel.
Subsequently, the Centre’s Lessons Learned Branch Head, a Senior Albanian Officer, illustrated the support of SFA activities to the Stabilization and Reconstruction Operations. Finally, the Doctrine and Development Concepts Branch Head highlighted the important role of SFA within the Security Sector Reform (SSR) processes, which must encourage synergy between Local Forces and associated institutions, to make them independent from international assistance.
The issues discussed by the NATO SFA COE aroused interest and provided excellent food for thought and debate among the attendees, understanding the multidisciplinary and holistic character of SFA and its role as a facilitator in the processes of support for stabilization in crisis areas.
