27 June 2003

NATO school celebrates 50th anniversary News 17/06/2003 - IMS The NATO School celebrates its 50th Anniversary Multimedia Video file (.WMV/615Kb) History of the NATO School (MP3 .883Kb) Remarks by Admiral Sir Ian Garnett KCB (MP3 .1793Kb) Remarks by Captain Richard E. Stevens (MP3 .1068Kb) Change of Command (MP3 .331Kb) Remarks by the Representative of Allied Command Transformation Europe, Admiral Miguel Fernandez (MP3 .2717Kb) Remarks by the Commandant of the NATO School, Colonel Marc P. Sullivan (MP3 .1712Kb) Key links NATO School The NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany, is celebrating its 50th anniversary on 27 June 2003. More than 115,000 officers, non-commissioned officers and civilians from NATO and partner countries have been trained at the school to date. The School’s mission is to conduct courses, training and seminars in support of NATO’s current and developing operational needs and policies, including cooperation and dialogue with military and civilian personnel from partner countries. The academic programme has grown from two courses in 1953 to 64 different courses in 2003, which vary in length from one to three weeks. They focus on enhancing the Alliance’s operational capabilities and multinational interoperability by training officers, non-commissioned officers and civilians to work more effectively together in a multinational environment. In conjunction with the anniversary, the NATO School will hold historic Change of Command and Transfer of Command ceremonies. Formerly under the umbrella of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), the NATO School will now be under the operational control of the new Allied Command Transformation (ACT, formerly SACLANT), in Norfolk, United States. Colonel Mark P. Sullivan, US Air Force, will assume command of the School from Captain Richard E. Stevens, Jr., US Navy.