Welcome to New Students on the Army Intermediate Command and Staff Course 2009

Dear students,

We are now in the final preparations of the Army Intermediate Command and Staff Course (AICSC) 2009, and I would like to congratulate you for having been selected to this course. I also would like to welcome you to Tartu and the Baltic Defence College (BALTDEFCOL).

With this welcome letter I would like to give you some information and advices that, hopefully, will answer your most urgent questions and help you to get ready for the course.

Baltic Defence College will celebrate the 10th anniversary in February 2009. Since its establishment, the College has contributed immensely to the development of the military education system of the Baltic States, by increasing the professionalism and efficiency of their armed forces. BALTDEFCOL has constantly developed to meet the challenges in a new world. The security situation has changed and will continue to change also in the future. The enlargement of NATO and the European Union has led to a more secure Europe with nations working in close cooperation with each other. But at the same time the threat to our community has changed to a more indefinable one which may arise in new areas and demand completely new capabilities – not only military ones. The members of the Alliance and the contributing states of the European Union need a pool of well trained and equipped forces, capable of deploying and sustaining operations within their own country as well as remote areas of the world. A prerequisite is a highly trained and motivated cadre of professional officers and this is where BALTDEFCOL has its role.

The AICSC is another step in your professional development towards being able to take on future command or staff challenges. The College will do it’s best to provide high quality teaching and guidance. Your motivation and attitude are also critical factors impacting on the outcome of the course. Active participation and contribution from all of you will be very important to ensure the best possible result from the course. The teaching alternates between lectures, plenary sessions and work in syndicates or staffs. Practical discussions and problem solving is more important than theory and "school solutions". There will be hard work, but also time to reflect and relax.

The AICSC is conducted in English (required language skills according to NATO STANAG level 3333) and is based on NATO procedures and doctrine, whenever applicable. The main topic at the AICSC will be planning and conduct of formation level combined arms operations. This will be done with focus on the brigade formation. The formation level operations learning area will cover high intensity war fighting as well as peace support operations, counter insurgency operations and operations in special environments. Exercises will be conducted in Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden. To ensure that the course has a balanced content to support you in your future assignments there will be teaching in aspects of Small States National Security, Project Management and Leadership & Ethics. You will also have to complete a 2000 – 3000 word long academic essay during the course.

We are expecting approximately 48 students from over 10 nations – a multinational educational environment which also will familiarize you with different cultures and traditions and, furthermore, for you to establish a network of contacts in Europe and beyond. This will be important for your future career working in international staffs and participating in multinational operations.

As you will realize, the Baltic Defence College is constantly trying to improve ways of using the Internet. On this website www.bdcol.ee you will find a lot of information, which we constantly try to improve and keep up to date. Pre-Course Assignment and Joining Instructions are important parts which you need to access in your preparations for the course. It is also recommended to study the Course Plan which gives you the framework of the Course. Detailed lecture plans and weekly schedules will be issued at the beginning of the course.

Each of you is asked to complete and send the in-processing form on this web-site http://www.bdcol.ee/?id=46. The information you provide in this form is important for us to be able to prepare for your arrival and course start. The form should be completed as soon as possible after you have been selected for the course and not later 12 December 2008. After we have received your completed in-processing form you will be contacted by Course Office who will give you detailed information about the location of your accommodation, check-in times and procedures. Accommodation will be ready for you from 05 Jan 2009 (in some special cases earlier).

The 7th of January is the main in-processing and admin day. All AICSC students are asked to be present in Von Sydow Hall at the College on 7th of January at 0900 hrs. You will receive briefings on administrative issue, obtain id-cards, etc, and conduct the admin practicalities related to in-processing as a student at the College.

The official course starts at 1300 hrs. The first day will conclude with the forming up of syndicates, an English Language test and a reception hosted by the Commandant. The dress code for the introduction day is Jacket uniform.

We are looking forward to personally welcome you to the Baltic Defence College in January.

Olle Ljung
Colonel, Swedish Armed Forces
Course Director AICSC