JCGSC Participated in VIKING 11 in Sweden and Germany

On 5-14 April students of the JCGSC 2010/2011 together with 17 College faculty members participated in the multinational command post computer assisted staff exercise VIKING 11. The exercise was conducted by the Swedish Armed Forces and the Folke Bernadotte Academy. It took place in six different countries simultaneously (Ireland, Georgia, Austria, Germany and Ukraine with Sweden as the Lead Nation).  Viking is the largest recurring civil-military relations exercise in the world with more than 2000 participants from 31 nations and 35 Non Governmental Organisations. 

The overall objective of the Viking 11 was to train and educate participants - civilian, military and police – in planning and conducting a UN mandated Chapter VII Peace Operation/Crisis Response Operation, based on a Comprehensive Approach; and focusing on co-operation and co-ordination within an unstable environment, involving all stakeholders.

The BDCOL students were acting as staff officers in the Combined Joint Tasks Forces and in different Component Commands Headquarters. The exercise gave a great opportunity to apply the skills they had previously obtained in College  into practise in a different multinational working environment. Until the exercise Viking, the students had experienced planning process at operational level. It was important to provide students with the opportunity to see how planned operations are executed in staffs in the area of operations.

After nine days full of activity the students had an opportunity to visit museums in Stockholm, and spend time in the beautiful capital of Swedish Kingdom.

Commandant of the BALTDEFCOL Brigadier General Meelis Kiili also visited the JCGSC students during the exercise  to keep their spirits high and motivated.