The ‘C-IED Staff Officers Course’ welcomes 23 students from 12 nationalities

•  This course is delivered by the NATO-accredited C-IED Centre of Excellence

The Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices Centre of Excellence (C-IED COE) has delivered the first edition of the C-IED Staff Officers Course (CSOC) at its facilities in Hoyo de Manzanares, Madrid. Two additional editions are scheduled to take place in June and October.

The course was inaugurated by the Director of the C-IED COE, Colonel Javier Sanz Maldonado, and brought together 23 students from 12 nations: Belgium, Canada, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Türkiye and the United States.

Its aim is to provide personnel assigned to general staffs, headquarters and other operational units with the training required to advise commanders leading the C-IED effort at both tactical and operational levels.

The classes focused mainly on understanding the C-IED threat, doctrine and operational planning. The theoretical modules were delivered by personnel assigned to the Centre as well as by external instructors from Hungary and Romania, all of them experts in different areas of C-IED.

The final two days were devoted to a group exercise based on a fictional scenario, during which the students had the opportunity to debate, share experiences and exchange knowledge.