NATO School

NATO School Oberammergau
Motto	Knowledge Enables Capabilities
Established	March 1953
Officer in charge	Col. Jay Smith, USA-A
Dean	Col. Ryan Craycraft, US-AF
Administrative staff	200
Students	12,000/year
Location	Oberammergau , Garmisch-Partenkirchen , Germany; 47°36′N11°5′E / 47.600°N 11.083°E
Campus	NSO Campus
Website	www.natoschool.nato.int

Last updated May 25, 2023

The NATO School Oberammergau in southern Germany is NATO's key training facility on the operational level. The School started with two courses in 1953 and now offers over 100 different courses to Alliance members and partners on subjects related to NATO's policies, strategies, missions and operations.^[1]

The school conducts multinational military education and individual training in support of current and developing NATO operations, strategy, policy, doctrine and procedures. This includes cooperation, dialogue, and information exchange, as well as education and training, with military and civilian personnel from non-NATO nations. Annually, more than 10,000 students and conference attendees visit the school.

Since 1953, more than 200,000 officers, non-commissioned officers and civilians have attended courses at the School. Annually, about 12,000 students and conference attendees visit the School.^[1]

Curriculum

The NATO School Oberammergau provides courses of instruction in nine main disciplines, mostly one week in duration, in the fields of:

Intelligence (INTEL)
Cooperative Security (COSEC)
Joint Plans and Operations (JPOD)
Joint Targeting Interoperability Curriculum (JTIC)
Standards, Evaluation and Training (SET)
Protection (PROT)
Hybrid, Influence and Effects (HIED)
Non Commissioned Officer Programmes (NCOPD)
Distributed Learning (DL)

Primarily focused on individual education, NATO School Oberammergau also supports many aspects of collective training, exercises, experimentation and operations. Education and training is centred on combined and operational art while offering Mobile Education and Training Teams (METT), web based Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) and of course resident courses and seminars. Moreover, the School has become a destination for many defence and security related conferences.^[2]

History

In October 1937, the 54th Mountain Signal Battalion moved into the Hötzendorf Barracks. From August 1943 the Messerschmitt research and design bureau operated on to the site, under the cover name of "Upper Bavarian Research Institute". In an underground factory the Institute produced the first serially usable military twin jet aircraft such as the Messerschmitt-262 and worked on variable-geometry "Project 1101", the Enzian surface-to-air missile and other aircraft weapons systems.

Between 1970 and 1990 the school expanded its curriculum from 6 to 23 courses as NATO recognised the value of standardised education for members of the Alliance. The Orientation Department provided training for staff and flag rank officers newly assigned to NATO HQs.

A Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Department (NBC) gave instruction on the defence against NBC weapons and an Electronic Warfare Department trained students on defensive electronic warfare.

In 1984 the school was the target of an attempted terrorist attack by the Red Army Faction. A stolen car laden with explosives was driven on to the site and abandoned by its driver; alerted by suspicious guards the Bundespolizei successfully defused the bomb and there were no casualties.

While over the last decades the curriculum focused on courses reflecting the military circumstances of the Cold War, in the mid-90s new conflicts in the Balkans led to new courses enabling NATO forces securing the peace across the region.

The situation across the Balkans illustrated and raised awareness, for the numerous parties on the battlefield such as militias, civilians, United Nations agencies as many governmental and non-governmental organisations.

During a Transfer of Authority Ceremony in June 2003, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) took over the responsibilities of the school and the school got its present name: "NATO School Oberammergau". In 2013 the NSO celebrated the 60th anniversary of NATO training at Oberammergau.

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Locations of NATO's two strategic commands—Allied Command Transformation (ACT; yellow marks) and Allied Command Operations (ACO; red marks)—the latter of which has Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) as its headquarters. The subordinate centres of ACT and subordinate commands and joint force commands of ACO are also shown.

Allied Command Transformation (ACT) provides guidance for the School's quality assurance with Allied Command Operations (ACO – also known as SHAPE) providing most of the curriculum. The courses are continually revised and updated to reflect current developments in SHAPE and across NATO as a whole.

Germany and United States contribute personnel, facilities and logistics support. The expanded role of the School is reflected in its staff and faculty. More than twenty nations voluntarily contribute personnel to the staff body of the School.

The students regularly come from all allied and national military commands within the NATO alliance. Students from about 80 different nations attend classes in Oberammergau, including members of the alliance's Partnership for Peace programme, nations composing the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Conference Initiative, and other Partner nations.

Related Research Articles

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 31 member states – 29 European and two North American. Established in the aftermath of World War II, the organization implemented the North Atlantic Treaty, signed in Washington, D.C., on 4 April 1949. NATO is a collective security system: its independent member states agree to defend each other against attacks by third parties. During the Cold War, NATO operated as a check on the threat posed by the Soviet Union. The alliance remained in place after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, and has been involved in military operations in the Balkans, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. The organization's motto is animus in consulendo liber.

Supreme Allied Commander is the title held by the most senior commander within certain multinational military alliances. It originated as a term used by the Allies during World War I, and is currently used only within NATO for Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Supreme Allied Commander Transformation.

Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) is the military headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO) that commands all NATO operations worldwide. SHAPE is situated in the village of Casteau, near Mons, Belgium.

Civil-Military Co-operation (CIMIC) is the means by which a military commander connects with civilian agencies active in a theatre of operations.

Lance L. Smith is a retired United States Air Force general who last served as the Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia, and NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation from November 10, 2005, to November 9, 2007. A highly decorated combat veteran, the general retired from active duty on January 1, 2008.

Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine Major Commands (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force (USAF), reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force. It was established 1 July 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University.

Allied Command Transformation (ACT) is a military command of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), formed in 2003 after restructuring.

Air University is a professional military education university system of the United States Air Force. It is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award master's degrees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USAF Air War College</span> Senior professional military education school of the U.S. Air Force

The Air War College (AWC) is the senior Professional Military Education (PME) school of the U.S. Air Force. A part of the United States Air Force's Air University, AWC emphasizes the employment of air, space, and cyberspace in joint operations. Headquartered at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, its higher headquarters is the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. It is one of six war colleges within the U.S. Department of Defense's Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) Phase II Education Program for commissioned officers.

The Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) is located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama and is the United States Air Force's intermediate-level Professional Military Education (PME) school. It is a subordinate command of the Air University (AU), also located at Maxwell AFB, and is part of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.

The Defence Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Centre is a United Kingdom military facility at Winterbourne Gunner in Wiltshire, south of Porton Down and about 4 miles (6 km) north-east of Salisbury. It is a tri-service location, with the Army being the lead service. The centre is responsible for all training issues relating to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) defence and warfare for the UK's armed forces.

Republic of Korea Air Force Education and Training Command, located in Jinju, was established 1973. The command is one of the major commands of the Republic of Korea Air Force. The total area of the base is about 1.1 million square meters.

The Confédération Interalliée des Officiers de Réserve (CIOR) or Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers is an association of reserve officers' associations in NATO and beyond. CIOR is sanctioned and formally recognized by NATO through the document MC 0248/2 to assist and advise on reserve affairs, however, it is politically independent. The confederation promotes and organizes advanced training measures, international seminars and working meetings for reserve officers.

The Joint Analysis and Lessons Learned Centre (JALLC) is a NATO body located in Monsanto (Lisbon), Portugal.

The Structure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is complex and multi-faceted. The decision-making body is the North Atlantic Council (NAC), and the member state representatives also sit on the Defence Policy and Planning Committee (DPPC) and the Nuclear Planning Group (NPG). Below that the Secretary General of NATO directs the civilian International Staff, that is divided into administrative divisions, offices and other organizations. Also responsible to the NAC, DPPC, and NPG are a host of committees that supervise the various NATO logistics and standardisation agencies.

The NATO Communications and Information Systems School (NCISS)is a school run by NATO that provides formal technical training on certain Communication and information Systems (CIS) deployed on operations or exercises by the Alliance.

Allied Land Command (LANDCOM) formerly Allied Land Forces South-Eastern Europe (LANDSOUTHEAST) is the standing headquarters for NATO land forces which may be assigned as necessary. The Commander LANDCOM is the primary land warfare advisor to Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and the Alliance. When directed by SACEUR, it provides the core of the headquarters responsible for the conduct of land operations. The command is based at Şirinyer (Buca), İzmir in Turkey.

Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) is the central command of all NATO maritime forces and the Commander MARCOM is the prime maritime advisor to the Alliance. When directed by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), it provides the core of the headquarters responsible for the conduct of maritime operations. The command is based at the Northwood Headquarters in Eastbury, Hertfordshire.

NATO Defense College (NDC) is the international military college for North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries. It is located in Rome, Italy.

Terrence John O'Shaughnessy is a retired United States Air Force four-star general who previously served as the commander of United States Northern Command and as the commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command.

References

1 2 "NSO > Home". natoschool.nato.int. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
↑ "NSO > Academics > Resident Courses > Portfolio". natoschool.nato.int. Retrieved 6 April 2017.

External links

Official website

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[:0-1] 1 2 "NSO > Home". natoschool.nato.int. Retrieved 6 April 2017.

[2] "NSO > Academics > Resident Courses > Portfolio". natoschool.nato.int. Retrieved 6 April 2017.

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