Brunssum, The Netherlands – On 13th February 2024, Major General Stefan Fix, Headquarters Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFC Brunssum) Deputy Chief of Staff for Support, hosted a visit of students from the German Bundeswehr Command and Staff College to JFC Brunssum.
A credible deterrence and defence in Europe’s central region is essential to assure the security of our Alliance
The group of students consisted of approximately 120 officers from all German services, and from 13 other NATO countries plus Switzerland and Austria. They attend the two-year course at the Command and Staff College in Hamburg, entirely conducted in the German language. The course will prepare them for future assignments to key positions in their respective armed forces.
During their visit to JFC Brunssum, the future senior military leaders received briefings by MajGen Fix and members of the staff throughout their day at, including a mission brief, an operational brief, a political assessment, and an update about the headquarters’ current plans. This excursion to a NATO HQ is part of the training programme of each iteration of the course and serves to broaden their knowledge on the Alliance’s structures and responsibilities, and in particular, the tasks they can expect once serving in international military organisations themselves.
In his own presentation, Maj Gen Fix focussed on the challenges the students will encounter in their future positions. “In your future careers, you will be constantly confronted with new challenges that require innovative solutions. In particular after the beginning of Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine, the security posture in Europe has dramatically changed, and you will be among those who have to find new answers to this constantly developing security environment,” said Maj Gen Fix, a German Army officer himself. “A credible deterrence and defence in Europe’s central region is essential to assure the security of our Alliance. Millions of people in all NATO nations rely on our capabilities, and the readiness to use them if necessary. To lead by example on this path and inspire others to follow will be your future mission.”
The students of the Command and Staff College continue their study tour with visits to various national HQs and other international institutions.