"Comprehensive Operational Level Planning Course" (COLPC) was held at the National Defense University Carol I (NDU) in Bucharest On April 17th – 28th, 2023. MAJ Miroslav Majtner and MAJ Ján Sedliak, members of International Courses Department (ICD) of Armed Forces Academy (AFA) of GEN M. R. Stefanik also took place in it.
The goal of the NATO certified course is the education of senior officers destined for positions at NATO operational headquarters within the NATO Command / Force Structure and for NATO Partners in the field of planning operations at the operational command level. Besides others, the SMEs (subject matter experts) for the course are also those from NSO (NATO School Oberamergau). This type of course will enable its participants to work in positions within NATO's international operational commands, participate in planning joint operations and processing operational plans and relevant planning documentation. The course also includes an exercise aimed at creating relevant outputs from the individual steps of the planning process.
In the near future, similar course will also take place in AFA, therefore the direct experience of our instructors acquired in Romania is a great benefit for them. AFA, similarly to NDU, is a member of PTEC (Partnership Training and Education Centres), which facilitates mutual cooperation and assistance in the organization of further education, including NATO-certified courses. At the same time, we also appreciate a very good cooperation with NDU itself. Soon, its instructors will reciprocally participate in teaching within our COPC course, which is primarily prepared for members of the Slovak Armed Forces.