U.S. Officers Graduate from Peace Keeping Operations Center

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Army Capt. David Swisher and Army Capt. Todd Keyser of the Ohio National Guard successfully completed the Balkan Staff Officer’s Course May 27 in Belgrade.

BALSOC is a three-week multi-national course designed to prepare nationally trained staff officers, captains and majors, from North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Partnership for Peace countries for assignments in multinational headquarters conducting Peace Support Operations.

For the U.S. participants, attending the BALSOC provided a valuable opportunity to gain practical experience working collaboratively within a multi-national staff and to familiarize them with NATO doctrine and methodology. Sending U.S. students to attend this course in Serbia is just the latest cooperative activity to be realized through the State Partnership Program relationship which has existed between Serbia and Ohio since 2006.

The course was hosted by the Serbian Armed Forces Joint Forces Command’s Peace Keeping Operations Center and conducted in cooperation with the Nordic Coordination Arrangement for Peace Support Operations. The PKOC is located on Banjica Barracks installation, also home to the SAF General Staff Headquarters.

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