Naval War College Faculty Lectures in Uganda

From Naval War College Public Affairs

JINJA, Uganda (NNS) -- U.S. Naval War College (NWC) faculty members visited Jinja, Uganda, Jan. 17-20, to kick-off the Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF) Senior Command & Staff College 2011 academic year.

The visit was at the request of U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) and the U.S. Embassy at Kampala, Uganda.

Professors from NWC's National Security Decision Making and Strategy and Policy departments, Larry McCabe, Al Shimkus and Dex Wilson, delivered presentations to students about the history and theory of armed conflict, strategic considerations for armed conflict, military technology, and strategic leadership.

The lecture series is designed to provide the students a strategic foundation to support a nine-month course on strategy, war, and leadership, as well as military operations and tactics.

In addition to the lectures, McCabe, Shimkus, and Wilson met with the student syndicates to facilitate an in-depth discussion on strategic leadership, and they met with the college faculty to discuss curriculum development.

This is the third year NWC has provided support to the Uganda Command & Staff College.

The College Director, General Gutti, said "the lectures by the Naval War College faculty have become critical to our success as they introduce my students to the key concepts they will study throughout the year. We always look forward to (NWC's) visit. We make a good team."

This year's class included students from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Southern Sudan, Rwanda, and Burundi. The students from the Sudan People's Liberation Army were particularly interested in discussions on national strategy development and strategic leadership.

The senior student from Southern Sudan, an autonomous region seeking independence, said "these are the issues our new country must understand if we are to be secure and successful."

NWC support to Uganda is one of several Newport programs providing primary military education support to operational commanders' theater security engagement programs.

"Working directly with our international partners is a clear win-win for the NWC and theater commanders," McCabe said. "We strengthen important relationships and deliver useful content to our regional allies while gaining extraordinary insight and experience to support our Newport curriculum."

USAFRICOM's representative to the U.S. Embassy in Kampala, Lt. Col. Vince Golembeski, chief, Office of Security Cooperation, considers NWC support to the UPDF to be a key component of his engagement program.

"NWC support to the college has been great," Golembeski said. "We look forward to strengthening the program over the next several years."

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This article was sponsored by Military Writers.