Posted on: 9/1/2023
A Strategic Advisor Course recently concluded for fifteen students, including seven Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) Ministry of Defense Advisors who will deploy to worldwide assignments, at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center (MUTC), Camp Atterbury, Indiana. This three-week course led by DSCU’s College of Strategic Security Cooperation (CSSC) Defense Advising Department prepares DoD experts to serve safely and effectively as advisors in operational and steady-state capacity building missions worldwide.
The Strategic Advisor Course is delivered in an immersive, residential training environment. It also includes an active schedule meant to create a challenging environment that tests the students’ ability to deal with stress and high operational tempo while building and managing effective relationships.
As an institute of higher learning, DSCU holds itself accountable to a higher standard of Security Cooperation education and practice. One of the key modes of accountability is collecting student feedback through surveys and integrating this feedback into future course iterations.
All students in course, the 41st of its kind, confirmed the importance of the immersive, intensive environment. Including, one student stating, “I’m leaving this course with a lot more knowledge and ‘tools’ to put in my tool bag.” And another stating, “the opportunity to role play and put lessons into action” were the most valuable aspects of the course.
DSCU’s CSSC is focused on higher-level Security Cooperation education as well as functional and regional studies. The Defense Advising Department introduces and refines students’ foundational concepts, techniques, and approaches for building relationships and Partner Nation capacity in U.S., bilateral, or multilateral missions.
Since its establishment in July 2010, Defense Advising has trained more than 1,000 advisors who have deployed in support of global operational and Security Cooperation missions. Throughout its history, the advisor training program has evolved and adapted to support ever changing requirements.