Royal United Services Institute of
Vancouver Island (RUSI-VI)

ABCA Goes to College

by Maj Mike Wiesenfel

TORONTO - Nestled on a hill on a former estate in the north of Toronto is an institution that has quietly made a name for itself as the intellectual engine of the CF. For more than 65 years, what was the RCAF Staff College and is now known as the Canadian Forces College (CFC) has provided world-class education to our nation's military and civilian leaders, as well as to select foreign students.

It's an institution respected by Canada's allies because of its innovative approaches to professional military education. In early October 2008, these approaches framed the discussions when CFC hosted the American, British, Canadian, and Australian (ABCA) college commandants for their two-day inaugural conference. "We needed to meet," said CFC commandant Brigadier-General David Fraser. "Our nations' militaries invariably work together around the globe, so it was obvious that we would all benefit from increased educational co-operation."

It was a message that resonated with our other allies who sent commandants and delegates from the Australian Defence College, the Australian Defence Force Academy, the US National War College and the US Joint Forces Staff College. "The importance of this conference can't be understated," said Major-General Daniel Gosselin, Commander, Canadian Defence Academy. "We are all committed to delivering the highest quality professional military education in a continually changing operating environment. We needed a regular forum to share best practices, and this initial gathering helped us achieve this."

The key to understanding best practices, BGen Fraser said, is that each of the ABCA nations brings a particular focus and expertise that the others should study and possibly emulate. "The Australians are experts in amphibious operations, the British have a comprehensive approach to military operations, and the Americans are leading the way in space operations," he said. "We should be learning from them, and they should be learning from us."

Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti, Commandant of the UK's Joint Services Command and Staff College, agreed. "The conference provided an excellent opportunity to increase our mutual understanding of the institutions," he said, "and to identify ways by which we could collaborate in providing first-class education for our students."

The potential of this new co-operation is simple yet far-reaching, and so the effects of this modest gathering in Toronto will be felt from the battlefields of Afghanistan to the corridors of NATO. Better co-operation means finding and employing the best practices possible in educating leaders. The end result is having better-educated leaders, the benefits of which are obvious.

The next ABCA commandants' conference will be held in November 2009 in Australia.

—The Maple Leaf, Nov. 26, 2008