​Mobile Training Team (MTT) To Greece 7-11 SEP 2015

 

  The Military Centre of Excellence completed a Mobile Training Team Course from 7-11 SEP 2015 in Loutraki Greece, at the Hellenic Army Engineer School.  The Centre provides one such event per year, upon request from the sponsoring nations, in addition to the courses held at the Centre in Ingolstadt.  The training team was conducted by the Centre’s Training and Education Branch composed of instructors from the USA, NLD, POL, DEU and GRC.

 

By LtCol (OF-4) John Pope (USA A),

Military Engineering Centre of Excellence, T&E Branch Chief

  The training event consisted of three days of training on NATO Doctrine and Concepts relevant to the Company / Battalion level and to better prepare them for operations in a multinational environment.   Specific areas trained were on the NATO Organization and Structure, National Tactical Level Planning, Infrastructure Assessment/Surveys, Base Camp Planning, Force Protection, C-IED and Route Clearance. 

 

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  There were 23 students who attended the course from the Hellenic Engineer School, the majority of which were young officers who were also attending national basic training and the remaining were Captains attending national advanced training.  In addition to the lectures provided, students were also tasked to produce products related to the subjects and brief the results before the instructors and their fellow classmates. 

  There was a great deal of interaction between the students and instructors, which was critical to achieving the multinational aim of the course.  Its purpose was to expose the students to other engineers in NATO and how they operate and organize to show both similarities and differences.  A student’s assessment of the greatest value of the course was “interaction with engineers from other nations, how they work, and how to think in a multinational environment”. There was also benefit to the instructors, who learned more about the how the Greek Engineers operate and are organized.

  The Centre of Excellence members were most appreciative of the outstanding support they received leading up to and during the event that was critical to its success.   It was also proper for engineers that the training occurred close to the site of the Diolkos, an ancient track dating from 600 BC, built to move boats across the Isthmus of Corinth; “mobility” in its time!

 

 

  In summary, the event was successful in meeting its immediate the aim of providing information concerning NATO and the subjects taught, but will also hopefully provide long term effects concerning interoperability between NATO Military Engineers.  As stated by one of the Greek Senior Officers “It’s a great opportunity for our younger officers to be exposed to NATO earlier in their career than our generation”.  The event also highlights one of the stated returns of investment in the COE by providing NATO Mission oriented Interoperability Training that incudes multinational and cultural awareness.