European initiative for the exchange of young Officers, the way ahead for the next 5 years

Division External Relations

LtKol SBH DUBOIS Dirk

History

• 2008 French Presidency– Initial stocktaking– Council Conclusions

• 2009– Creation IG– 5 Quick-wins– Lines of Developments– FRONTEX briefing

Assumptions

Financial crisis• Early entry of young officer in international

environment• Will perform better if he has been in contact

with other nationalities before.

“The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just”

What to do

1. Ensure MS buy-in2. Coordinate closely with conferences of

commandants/ superintendents3. Progressively open the initiative to allies and

partners 4. Reallocate funding to young officiers

exchanges;5. Find (alternate form of) funding;

6. Keep within ESDC network7. Support regional cooperation in the field of

training8. Promote use of common course descriptors

based on learning outcomes9. Promote teacher mobility, mobile training

teams!10. Keep focus on young officers

Level of ambition

• The national audience learns as much from the mobility student/teacher as vice versa

• Allign with civilian norm of minimum 20% of students participate in mobility

‘The only thing harder than getting a new idea into the military mind is to get an old one out.‘

(Sir Basil H Lidell Hart)