Serbia and US strengthen military education co-operation

Serbia and US strengthen military education co-operation

Through international training, Serbia and the US are bolstering the Balkan country's defence reform process.

Training with US soldiers offers Serbian service members new knowledge and skills. [US Army]

Army Major Marko Marjanovic is one of the eight Serbian service members that have been studying at the US Army's Combined Arms Centre (CAC), on Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, as part of the Command and General Staff College within the International Military Education and Training Programme/IMET.

IMET gathers military service members from US partner nations to train and learn crucial skills and information, and to improve co-operation with the US. Serbia joined the IMET in 2006.

Marjanovic studied with more than 1,000 US officers, exchanged experiences with 70 colleagues from 68 countries, and participated in command post exercises alongside representatives of US government agencies.

The programme includes training is intended to improve the abilities of military leaders in critical and creative thinking, efficiently adjust and manage military organisations in response to modern security challenges, and implement the decision-making process for complex issues.

"This is very important because the basic characteristics of a modern society and of an actual security environment and armed conflicts are uncertain, constant and fast changing. This demands excellent flexibility, which is the mission of this school," Marjanovic told SETimes.

"Such challenges require responsible and flexible individuals, leaders and organisations, ready and capable to learn, develop and change and to adapt to current conditions in entire environment. This is the skill we have...