The Bugle BALTDEFCOL NEWSLETTER May ‘09 Nr. 2 AICSC 2009 graduation Special points of in- terest: • SWEDEX p. 3 • BALTDEFCOL song p. 3 • AICSC Graduation p. 4 • Farewell from France p. 5 • Student interview p. 6-7 • Academic writing special p. 9-12 Mr Villu Varjas by the presence and Minister of National De- speeches of Col Aivar fence). ON May 20th graduated Salekešin (EDF Chief of J1), More detailed overview the 3rd fleet of the Army Col Igors Rajevs (Latvian of the AICSC graduation can Intermediate Command and TRADOC Commander) and be found in Course Director Staff Course (AICSC). MajGen (ret.) Jonas Kron- Col Olle Ljung´s article on The event was honoured kaitis (advisor to Lithuanian page 4. Editor’s introduction The Bugle Mr Villu Varjas pages 9-12, where we have five months in Tartu, and of Est. 2008 published a student essay and course the news section, IN the 2nd number of an article based on the PhD where among other news is Chief Editor: The Bugle we have tried to dissertation of Dr. Eric Sibul. covered the birth of the Mr Villu Varjas keep all the best parts of the Another page that might BALTDEFCOL anthem and [email protected] first number, but at the same arise interest is page 8 where AICSC exercise in Sweden. +372 717 6068 time have fine-tuned some can be seen some moments Without any doubt all Language Editor: robust aspects and launched of the BALTDEFCOL 10th readers should find some- Ms Kaja Võsu some innovations. Anniversary celebration. thing interesting to read The most noticeable of Page 6 with an interview with from the current edition. All Baltic Defence College these is the addition of aca- two AICSC 2009 students suggestions and critique is Riia 12, Tartu demic writing section in the talking about their experi- highly welcomed and should Estonia end of the newsletter on ence gained during the last be forwarded to the editor. Page 2 NEWS BALTDEFCOL Appreciation for a good job done and farewell to leavers ing and challenging environment for had a remarkable role in developing the students and made their learn- the BALTDEFCOL into a widely ing experience as rich as possible. respected international military edu- Without your devotion and dedica- cational institution. On behalf of the BG Gundars Abols tion the AICSC 2009 would not BALTDEFCOL community I take the Commandant have been as successful as it was. honour to wish you every success in Let’s keep up the same good job your future careers as well as per- DEAR BALTDEFCOL staff! with the JCGSC 2009/2010 and sonal lives. I hope that you will re- Please accept my sincere words of HCSC 2009 starting in August. member the time spent in the gratitude for the maximum effort I would also like to thank all the BALTDEFCOL as the time of new you have all put in organizing and leaving Staff members for their ex- opportunities, innovations and ex- conducting the newly graduated cellent service and input in educat- perience. We will always be glad to AICSC 2009. Without any doubt ing officers from Baltic and non- see you coming back! your hard work created a stimulat- Baltic states. Every one of you has On the influence of BALTDEFCOL in other regions mind the tortured relations be- stitution towards a multinational tween Bosnian Serbs, Croats and college took longer than the BALT- Muslims, this is welcome news, and DEFCOL. Since the Dayton Accords BALTDEFCOL can take a part of were signed, the creation of a peace- the credit for this development. keeping training centre was a matter Mr Frederic Labarre The example given by the world’s of common sense, but it is the grad- first multinational staff college is ual familiarity between the members IT seems that the BALTDEF- yielding results even where regional of the security sector of the three COL is the example to follow in relations seemed to forbid it. nations (and two entities) in peace- multinational military training and The curriculum is composed of keeping training that has led to the education. In a discussion with much the same courses and topics, creation, last January, of the multina- BALTDEFCOL adjunct professor but some topics are a novelty in tional college (yet to be named). and occasional guest lecturer Brig- that area of the world, and could be It is not the only region where Gen (ret.) Dr. Heinz Vetshera, I considered in the future elaboration the Baltic example is felt. Since 2006, learned that the Peacekeeping Op- of the curriculum at BALTDEFCOL. rumours of a possible “Greater erations Training Centre (Camp For example, military psychology is Black Sea” defence college keep sur- Butmir) in Sarajevo has begun an prominently featured (although not facing in conferences and discus- unlikely transformation; that of a part of the leadership and ethics sions. tri-national staff college. Bearing in program). The evolution of the in- Bibliographic database “Baltic Security and Defence” Since 2008 the BALTDEFCOL can be searched by author, title, Library is responsible for develop- keywords or sources. ing the sub-database called “Baltic The idea of the online database Security and Defence”. The aim is came in respond to the continuous to register into one searchable da- information requests of our readers tabase every kind of literature on and the initial solution – different Ms Eve Vahtra security and defence policies of bibliographies – was not very user- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, pub- friendly. So far the feedback has SINCE 2007 the Library of Es- lished in English since 1990 to pre- been very positive. tonian General Staff of EDF to- sent. You can find the database at the gether with BALTDEFCOL library The database contains biblio- BALTDEFCOL web-page under the have compiled the Estonian Military graphic references to books, peri- Library information or at Bibliographic Database (ESBA). The odical articles and collections on http://www.biblioserver.com/kaitse/ aim of the database is to register all security and defence policies of the index.php?language=english. material about the military matters Baltic States. All records are in- published in Estonia. dexed with subject headings and NEWS Page 3 BALTDEFCOL participated in a multinational exercise in Sweden the tactical levels. AICSC students acted in the exercise as brigade staff offi- cers of two Multina- LtCol Aare Tuvike tional brigades to- gether with students 20-28 April AICSC 09 students from Finnish Na- participated in Command Post Ex- tional Defence Uni- ercise CJSE 09 in Sweden, con- versity and Swedish ducted by Swedish Armed Forces. National Defence For Baltic Defence College person- College. It was great nel, this exercise is mainly known as opportunity to our SWEDEX. Like previous years, the students compare exercise was conducted in and merge obtained Enköping, small and nice town East skills and proce- of Stockholm. dures with officers Exercise was conducted in a friendly international SWEDEX exercise series is mul- with different train- atmosphere tinational and strongly supported by ing and background. participation from the Baltic De- The cooperation ran smoothly and bers of exercise Observation and fence College, the Finnish National all students could study from each Training Team. Defence University, the Norwegian other. After the exercise BDCOL stu- Defence Staff College and the Swiss Together with students, number dents got an opportunity to visit Armed Forces Headquarters. of Baltic Defence College staff Swedish National Defence College SWEDEX focuses on staff work members was participating exercise and famous Vasa museum in Stock- in an operational framework of a as members of Land and Air Com- holm, and spend time in beautiful Peace Support/Enforcement Opera- mand Component staffs, and also in capital of Swedish Kingdom. tion on the operational as well on exercise control branch as mem- “Banners together”—the new song of BALTDEFCOL Mr Villu Varjas ration or as he puts it – “it either gether” should actually be called, comes, or doesn’t come, it is not thinks the author. ONE of the highlights of the like mathematics” –, but still The meaning of the song lays in the BALTDEFCOL 10th Anniversary agreed to give a try. idea of what the BALTDEFCOL does. celebrations was the first presenta- To the question how did he As the text says the hope of the future tion of the BALTDEFCOL song find inspiration, LtCol Šerelis gives lives in the college and the BALTDEF- “Banners Together” arranged by a philosophical answer that “you COL is like a light in the end of the Ms. Valli Ilvik and performed by the can’t find it, inspiration finds you”. tunnel. “What we are doing is injecting Tartu Students’ Mixed Choir. The Usually inspiration catches him the light” concludes LtCol Šerelis. author of both the music and the while driving between Estonia and lyrics is the BALTDEFCOL’s own Lithuania or just before falling directing staff member LtCol Va- asleep. For the latter cases he has lerijus Šerelis. The Bugle inter- a paper and pen ready by the bed, Banners Together V. Šerelis/V. Šerelis viewed him to find out more about in order not to lose valuable ideas the birth of the song. by the morning. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania It is no secret that LtCol Šerelis Composing the music was three sisters of the Baltic Sea has had a collection of poems pub- more complicated, because the like fingers in the fist lished and therefore it was a logical author was not particularly famil- united in the fight for peace step that the opportunity to write iar with the genre of the piece. In a song for the college was offered the end he decided to choose In the darkness light always finds the way to him.