Four officers (one DS staff member and 3 students from the Senior Staff Course) from BDCOL took part in this exchange exercise 26 February to 8 March 2001. The Swedish National Defence College (NDC) is eager to continue and expand the exchange program to include a larger part of the 3d Senior Staff Course as an international Brigade Staff in the field into next year’s exercise in central Sweden. This concept represents an opportunity for the course to experience 24-hour staff operations in a field environment fully integrated with a Swedish Division Headquarters with staff company support for communications and logistics.

Environmental Conditions ranged from outside in 26 C to inside in well heated buildings. The team found themselves eating lunch with senior officers in very nice mess and sitting in the back of a converted C2 MTLB within the hour. Additional cold weather training would have been needed had not the team been so experienced and well supported by the Swedish officers on the exercise.

Students comments: Generally we got the good overall picture about new Swedish C2 system IS Mark and about the command relations and responsibilities on the Joint National, divisional brigade and battalion level. Organizational capabilities of combat service support and HQ Company’s professional readiness was very good. All the command posts were moved during the exercise many times and established on the new positions quickly and effectively.

The exercise presented an excellent opportunity for the participants to become familiar with the Swedish way of conducting operations, organization, their command and control system, and their military equipment.

In all a good exercise and visit to a Swedish MechDiv. We believe that the school should participate in the exercise next year as well regardless the size of the BDCOL detachment.

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