Brunssum, Netherlands - Joint Force Command Brunssum welcomed 39 students and staff of the UK’s Joint Services Command and Staff College, in a delegation led by Brigadier General Charles Herbert, as part of the curriculum of the Higher Command and Staff Course (HCSC). HCSC is designed to prepare selected officers and officials for command and staff appointments at 2* level and above (the highest levels of the British military structure). The visit was part of the course’s familiarization with NATO and other international organizations.
The delegation was welcomed by Rear Admiral Simon Hardern, Deputy Chief of Staff (Plans) on behalf of the Commander. Topics discussed covered a range of subjects including: NATO’s trajectory since the Wales Summit; progress made in adapting NATO to a new security environment; examples of how a Joint HQs delivers NATO’s core tasks at the operational level; and, continued operations in Afghanistan.
In addition to Rear Admiral Hardern, visitors were able to talk in detail with Ms Catherine Royle (Political Advisor), Air Commodore Andrew Huggett (Director of Management), Brigadier General Almantas Leika (Assistant Chief of Staff, Exercises & Training), Group Captain ‘Spike’ Grimshaw (Branch Head (Operations/Plans) who spoke about enhanced Forward Presence), Colonel Trey Weems (Director of the Resolute Support Mission Focus Group), Captain Jim Housinger (Policy Branch Head) and Group Captain David Jones (Director, Joint Operations Centre and UK Senior National Representative). Immediately following the visit Rear Admiral Hardern stated:
"I was delighted to host students of the UK Higher Command and Staff Course at Joint Forces Command Brunssum. I find it immensely encouraging that the UK, together with many other Alliance Nations, considers it beneficial for their senior military leaders to explore NATO’s operational level of command here at Brunssum. As always with such a group, we enjoyed a professionally stimulating discussion which, I trust, offered an insight into the vibrant, multinational and strategically relevant environment that characterizes the HQs.”
Story by JFC Brunssum Public Affairs office