Introduction to the Planning of Joint Operations
Introduction to the Planning of Joint Operations
24 Sep
On September 16th – 20th 2024, the 12th iteration of Introduction to the Planning of Joint Operations course took place at the International Courses Department (ICD) of Armed Forces Academy of GEN M. R. Stefanik (AFA). It is NATO-certified course and senior officers from NATO partner countries are regularly participating in it. This time it was attended by three representatives from Morocco and two from Algeria. Five members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces also completed the course thanks to the NATO DEEP program. In addition to them, eight officers from the Armed Forces of Slovak Republic and one member of AFA also took part at the course.
The aim of this short-term course was to familiarize participants with NATO doctrines and procedures and to prepare them for the NATO planning process. The graduates of the course have gained the knowledge, which enables them to work within the Joint Operational Planning Group at the International Headquarters and to prepare operational plans that include all relevant factors for effective and successful execution of joint NATO operations and help to implement the planning processes in practice.
The course was solemnly ended by handing over the certificates to the graduates and the speech of the Director of Professional Military Education Center (PMEC) of AFA, COL Roman Kral. He pointed out that “NATO is not just an alliance of convenience. It is an alliance of shared values—values of freedom, democracy, and mutual defense. By completing this course, you are fostering NATO's broader efforts to ensure stability and peace in the face of global challenges”.
Participants from different countries obtained not only necessary knowledge, but also built trust and interoperability among nations. Two observers from Sweden also spent a week at ICD, as they plan to organize similar courses in SWEDINT and were interested in the organization and execution of the course at the AFA. As part of the visit, discussions took place with members of the international courses department about building cooperation not only in terms of courses, but also about possible DH LANDOPS. As was also mentioned in the final speech, “…observers from Sweden remind us of NATO’s ever-growing partnership network, which plays a vital role in ensuring peace and security. This course has brought you together not just to learn, but to strengthen the ties that bind our nations in common purpose”.
