US Air War College Group visited Baltic Defence College

On 12 March a group of 20 students and faculty members of the US Air Force War College, located in Montgomery Alabama, visited the Baltic Defence College.

The US Air War College, established 1948, is a yearlong strategic level course for senior military officers and senior defence civilians. As part of a strenuous academic program, the students take part in two-week long study trips to different regions of the world to meet with regional military and civilian leaders and to learn about the security issues of the region. The region visits are a core part of the Air War College course.

One of the Air War College study trips focuses on Russia and Eastern Europe so the group visited the Baltic Defence College as part of a trip that included a visit to Russia. Visiting the Baltic States as well as Russia offered the Air War College scholars an interesting contrast. The Air War College Eastern Europe group was led by the Dean of Air War College, retired USAF Colonel Mark Conversino PhD, and included Lieutenant Colonels, Colonels and senior civilians from all branches of the US military.

At the Baltic Defence College the American group was met by the College Commandant, Major General Vitalijus Vaikšnoras, and briefed on the College by the BALTDEFCOL Management Group members. The main part of the visit consisted of an extended discussion on Baltic regional security with seven members of the College faculty from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. 

The Air War College group found the opportunity to have frank discussions with Baltic officers and academics a high point of the trip. The visit concluded with a tour of the College and an exchange of gifts. The Air War College group had a brief cultural tour of Tartu and returned to Tallinn. The American group expressed their thanks for the visit and expressed the hope that in the future they can spend more time in the Baltic States and Tartu as part of their study program.