Graduation Ceremony of HCSC 2009

On 18 December 2008, the BALTDEFCOL graduated students from the High Command Studies Course 2009. The course was graduated by 14 students representing Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Albania, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Poland, Romania and Ukraine.

The Graduation Ceremony, held in the Tartu University History Museum, was honored with the presence of representatives from the three Baltic States Ministries of Defence and Defence Forces Headquarters as well as other honorable guests who came to congratulate the graduates on this special occasion. Graduation speeches were given by Permanent Undersecretary of Estonian Ministry of Defence Mr Riho Terras, Latvian TRADOC Commander COL Igors Rajevs, and LTC Andrej Boi?išin from Lithuanian Armed Forces.

In the end of the official graduation ceremony BALTDEFCOL Commandant BG Gundars Abols awarded the BALTDEFCOL Directing Staff Member COL Almantas Leika, the Course Director of the HCSC in July 2007-February 2010, with the BALTDEFCOL Medal of Merit Silver for his outstanding contribution and utmost dedication for developing the Higher Command Studies Course. COL Igors Rajevs handed over to COL Almantas Leika the Latvian Chief of Defence’s award "For Merit" second degree to for outstanding performance of duties and great contribution to the BALTDEFCOL Higher Command Studies Course.