SWEDINT is the Swedish Armed Forces International Training Centre. Annually, close to thousand officers from all over the world that will be trained in staff duties (how the work for peace is managed and planned) in UN and NATO-led Peace Support Operations. SWEDINT, commissioned by the Swedish Armed Forces, signed an agreement with the NATO School in south Germany. The agreement aims to deepen the co-operation and more courses in the future.
–We will, together with the NATO School develop the training and education for officers who will work in higher headquarters, corresponding on operational level already next year, says Magnus Bodén, head of the PSO department at SWEDINT. The courses can through this co-operation also be certified by the NATO School.
The certification represents the participating students will get a diploma which will be signed jointly by the commanding officers at SWEDINT and the NATO School, it also means that the content and realization will meet the level of quality required to get this certification. The courses at SWEDINT then will be an even better quality check before going to a mission. This also fits very well with the planning for the next EU Battle Group 2011.
–The courses satisfy the needs for the Swedish Armed Forces in a very good way. The new courses will also aim at NCOs, which will meet the Armed Forces new personnel system, adds Thomas Karlsson, CO SWEDINT. These courses could be further developed through the co-operation with the NATO School and by that, get support in planning and implementation.
The co-operation with civil organizations like the Folke Bernadotte Academy will also be further developed. This will benefit the unique course concept Integrated Mission Concept”, where civil, police and military personnel are trained together before going into mission.
–We have this concept for UN-missions but not for the NATO-led operations. This is of big interest in Sweden, due to the fact that both Kosovo and Afghanistan are NATO operations with a UN mandate, says Thomas Karlsson.
The co-operation with the NATO School will also, in addition to already very well qualified instructors and lecturers, improve when SWEDINT will get part of the NATO School lecturers and experts and learn from them. The competence to further develop the courses will be moved to the SWEDINT facilities in Kungsängen.