Air Force Command and Staff College (AFCSC)

Mission

Having as its motto Empedokles’ words: “Learning broadens the mind”, which highlight the importance of learning process in broadening human thinking and valuable experience, the AFCSC remains devoted to its mission to provide the Hellenic AF personnel with staff training as well as broader vocational and general training.

According to article 2 of the AFCSC constitution, the college’s mission is:

• To provide officers with theoretical and practical training, in order to develop their staff and command capability to carry out their duties as Staff Officers and Commanders.
• To keep up with scientific and technological developments and also be aware of the impact they have on airspace. To define and disseminate principles deriving, at an international level, from scientific research, from the application of technology or from the actual practice, in order to be ensured the effective employment of the Air Force power.

Moreover, scientific research as well as the elaboration of studies in the field of Aviation science and strategy is also included within the context of the AFCSC’s mission.

Background

In the last few decades, rapid developments in the Air force made the staff officers’ education and training more imperative than ever before. In order to cover the aforementioned need, the Air force made concentrated efforts and founded according to the Royal Decree of September 9th, 1957 the HAF War College, adopting the standards of the western world advanced Air forces. The HAF War College was equivalent to the respective Army and Naval War Colleges.

Initially, the HAF War College used the AF facilities in Paleo Faliro, and later on it was transferred to the Dekeleia Air Base. Thus, it built up a background to be briefly unfolded below.

During the first three years (1957-1960), the War College offered training exclusively to senior officers. However, the need for manning a gradually increasing number of vacancies with trained staff officers resulted in the establishment, for the first time in 1960, of a separate Department with the aim to train Junior Staff Officer (AFWC/JSO). Initially, the duration of the training was two months, and later on it was extended to three and half. At the same time, the Senior Staff Officer Department continued providing training and improved its curriculum by adding operational exercises and other essential subjects. However, the duration of the course remained unfixed.

The year 1963 was a turn point in the course of the College as the necessity for two separate training Departments – one for senior and one for junior officers - was formally recognized. Furthermore, the duration of the training for senior officers was set to five and a half months, while training programs as well as Training Regulations were thoroughly reviewed. In December 1963, the College was transferred to Dekelia Camp, where facilities were adequate for the two schools to operate simultaneously. In 1964, a “Preparatory Course” was established aiming at preparing senior officers selected for the training in the National Defense College. In July 1965, the AF War College Department for Junior Officers was renamed Junior Staff Officer School (JSOS) and the duration of the course extended to four and a half months. In October of the same year, the duration of senior officers’ course was also extended to 9 months, while the curriculum was enhanced to offer thorough training.

Furthermore, the Law 178/1969 stipulated that the successful graduation from the War College should be considered a prerequisite for officers’ promotion. As a result, the College started providing training in September 1969 on the basis of reviewed curriculums, while the duration of the courses was tailored to the HAF’s actual needs.

In 1985, the Air force Training Command (AFTC) ceased operating, and the HAFGS took up Command of the College. At this point, and following the HAF Supreme Council’s decision for the establishment of a HAF unified post-graduate studies center, the College also included additional activities that contributed to training. Specifically, the following schools were incorporated in the war college:

• Schools for Staff Officer, such as:
• Training Administration School (TAS – ISD)
• Ground Trainer School (GTS)
• Flight Safety School (FSS)
• Intelligence School (IS)
• School on computer science
• Foreign Language School (FLS)
• Scientific Library.

In 1993, the AF Training Command (AFTC) was reestablished, and the War College came once more under its Command.

In 1998, a new course for Junior Officers starting their career as NCOs was founded. The new school’ name was AFS/JO (which later on was renamed Training School for Officers Starting as NCOs), and duration of the training was designated to one (1) month. The AFS/JO mission is to train the AF staff officers who start their career as NCOs to carry out administrative duties as head staff officers. The members of the first AFS/JO class initiated their training on November 1st, 1999.

On May 30th, 2003, after AFS/SO 80th class graduates were awarded their certificates, Senior Officer School stopped operating adhering to a decision taken for the reform of the War Schools in the Armed Forces, and for the establishment of the Supreme Joint War College (SJWC) in Thessaloniki.

The AF War College suspended its activities, and the AF Command and Staff College (AFCSC) was founded on 8-6-2004.

TRAINING

TRAINING OBJECTIVES

Based on its mission, the main objective of the HAF Staff Officers’ School of Command (HAFSOSC) is to develop a training curriculum of high quality and wide spectrum, which will meet this mission. More specifically, the partial objectives are as follows:

• Understanding the obligations and increasing – improving the Hellenic Air Force cadres’ ability to carry out their staff and administrative duties.
• Consolidating Leadership, Command and Management principles
• Understanding the Doctrine of Using the Air Forces.
• Studying Air Operations and understanding the principles governing their conduct.
• Improving the Students’ ability to study, conduct research, write and present staff papers.
• Studying modern military strategy and understanding its development and implementation
• Understanding National Power factors and their impact on developing the National Strategy.
• Briefing on National Issues and acquiring knowledge concerning the National Policy.
• Studying and evaluating the geo-strategic environment and the respective threat.
• Developing conditions enabling the consideration and research in solving problems or improving situations concerning the Armed Forces.
• Acquiring comprehensive knowledge of the universal environment through briefings on International Relations, International Organizations and Alliances.
• Completing-consolidating the respective theoretical education by participating in training trips and visits to large formations of the Armed Forces, to places of strategic significance (defense areas, industries, great energy units), think tanks, cultural foundations etc.

CURRICULUM - TRAINING PROGRAMS

According to article 39 of the Constitution the training programs are worked out by the Study Division and following the consultative response of the Education/Training Council, they are submitted for approval to the Air Force Training Command.

Training Programs determine the following:

• The subject of the Training
• The expected result
• The teaching procedure
• The curriculum, the teaching lay-out of every teaching method (teaching, educational visit, seminar, presentation of essays, tests etc) and of   every training   period as well as the subjects that eventually deal with national secrets or affect national security is not provided to students without the respective HAF security clearance.

The curriculum is enlisted among the Study Departments/Sections as follows:

• Section «A» Communication – Staff Responsibilities
• Section «B» Leadership – Administration – Commandment
• Section «C» Doctrine  – Strategy – Air Operations
• Section «D» National Affairs – International Relationships

TRAINING  METHODS

According to Article 37 of the Academy’s Constitution the training at SDIEP (Air Force Command and Staff College) is in keeping with the training program using the following methods:

• Lectures: Presentation of subjects by the training personnel, invited Speakers – Lecturers
• Seminars: Guided conversation with active participation of the students of the Academy
• Exercises: Accomplished during Seminars either on a personal or teamwork basis.
• Tasks/Practices: Designed by the Academy based on the curriculum, described in the study program and analyzed in detail by written and oral guidelines which comprise:
• Personal Exercises: Written and oral personal exercises
• Written exercises: accomplished by the students according to the detailed program and the guidance of the Academy
• Oral exercises: Unfolding of a specific subject, approved by the Academy in order to increase the student’s fluency in speech
• Team-works: Accomplished during seminars for training groups in order to solve problems of administrative and operational nature.
• Exercise “Essay” or “Dissertation”. Written, personal exercise concerning subjects of the study fields.

• Educational journeys and visits: Educational journeys and visits in the inland and abroad at places with specific interest concerning the training purposes of the Academy.
• Meetings: Meetings about interesting subjects of the Departments of Study, defined by article 39 of the Academy’s Constitution