Spanish Minister of Defence, Ms Margarita Robles Fernández, delivers Award to the NATO Defense College

ROME. The NATO Defense College (NDC), NATO’s leading strategic educational and research organization, will receive the prestigious “General Gutiérrez Mellado” Extraordinary Spanish Defence Award for 2024 in recognition of its valuable contributions to the Spanish Armed Forces.

The award ceremony, scheduled for 01 March 2024 at the NDC, will welcome special guest Ms Margarita Robles Fernández, Spanish Minister of Defence.

Emblem of the NATO Defense College

This recognition highlights NDC’s pivotal role in the transformative journey of the Spanish Armed Forces, and for its mission in preparing Spanish o­fficers for senior positions within the Alliance’s military structure. The award underscores the unique contributions of the College in consolidating creative thinking, cultivating a unified culture, and instilling shared values among all NATO members.

The Spanish Ministry of Defence recognizes the NDC’s dedication to nurturing innovative thinking, promoting integration, and fostering strategic thinking on matters of collective defence.

This commitment mirrors the dedication to training and the principles of international solidarity in advancing security and peace, echoing the values of General Gutiérrez Mellado, to whom this award is dedicated.

The Spanish Ministry of Defence, Margarita Robles (Ministry of the Presidency. Government of Spain,)

Spanish offi­cers and offi­cials have been attending the NDC courses since 1982, with a total of 423 Spanish NDC graduates to this date.

The “General Gutiérrez Mellado” Extraordinary Defence Spanish Award, comprised of a certificate and a bronze figure of Miguel de Cervantes, is conferred every year by the Spanish Ministry of Defence to natural or legal persons who have distinguished themselves either by their work or collaborations in the literary, artistic or scientific fields or in their professional career, and helped advance the pro‑le of the Armed Forces in the areas of defence, culture and peace.

About the NATO Defense College

The NATO Defense College provides military o­fficers and civilian o­fficials from Allied and partner nations with senior-leader education focused on contemporary global security issues, viewed from a transatlantic perspective.

The core mission of the College is to provide senior-level education that contributes to the effectiveness and cohesion of the Alliance.

The NDC’s three main pillars and work strands are education, research and engagement. NDC courses are aimed at preparing participants to serve in positions within NATO, in NATO-related posts in their respective nations and capitals or in other multinational organizations, by ensuring that graduates have a firm grasp of the challenges that affect current and future global security and understand the relationship between NATO and the international security environment.

The courses are designed to develop strategic and collective thinking.

To that end, NDC courses provide an opportunity for offi­cers and o­fficials from different countries, and with a wide variety of backgrounds and experience, to work together in analyzing the wide array of factors influencing the global security environment and finding creative solutions to complex problems.

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