By Kenneth A. Stewart

German Army Lt Col. Olaf Manhenke, with U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) briefs students about the organizational structures of European Union Operational Headquarters (EU OHQ) and the role one EU OHQ played during a recent EU mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo, June 4. Manhenke traveled to NPS with the commander of German Forces Command U.S./Canada, German Air Force Col. Joachim Bohn who is currently visiting the 80 locations where German military personnel are stationed in the U.S. and Canada.

"In the German military, NPS has a reputation as an excellent academic institution known for its first-class education programs and a unique, multinational learning environment," said Bohn. "Based on a long-standing and close cooperation between NPS and the German Bundeswehr, 23 German students are currently attending NPS in all four Schools and the Defense Resource Management Institute (DRMI).

"I look forward to further deepening and intensifying this cooperation, hoping that U.S. military personnel also take the opportunity to go to Germany for education and training. Hereby, we can mutually strengthen the trans-Atlantic as well as our important bilateral partnership, particularly in terms of security and defense affairs," Bohn continued.

Bohn and Manhenke attended NPS Associate Military Professor German Army Col. Peter Frank's class while visiting the campus. Frank used the visit to explain to his students the opportunities and challenges presented by EU led military operations.

"The EU is not operating as a 'single actor.' It is part of a system including host nations and international organizations such as the United Nations and the African Union," he said. "In most cases, the EU is a flexible 'niche player' that conducts civilian and military bridging missions, or a combination of both, to support the overall strategy. "It is important to prepare U.S. military students for the future operational environment and for cooperation with other actors, like the EU," Frank continued.