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Higher Command and Staff Course (HCSC) 18 Group Captain Al Marshall
THE 2018 HCSC COHORT comprised 24 UK Military Officers, 8 International Officers from Australia, Denmark, France, Germany,
New Zealand and the USA, and 5 civil servants from the Department for International Development, Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
Ministry of Defence and UK Intelligence Agencies. Now in its 20th year, HCSC prepares future strategic leaders for higher command appointments across the defence and security environment. Four months in duration, it covers significant ground with areas of particular focus being the utility of force, operational art, the Defence contribution to national strategy, decision making and the enduring character and nature of higher command and leadership. In addition, HCSC seeks to revitalise one’s professional interest and create an enduring network of security professionals spanning Defence, government and key international partners.
Whilst the Course has continued to evolve since its creation, the 2018 iteration saw the greatest change in recent years. Time allocated to exercise activity and the staff ride was notably reduced,
to accommodate a visit to Washington DC and increase the scope for reflection and peer interaction. Concurrently, the focus on individual academic deliverables was lessened, being replaced by opportunities for collaborative learning within small groups, to maximise the intellectual dividend from research, debate and the sharing of experience. These changes proved to be both welcome and
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successful; the syllabus felt well balanced and appropriately paced, with sufficient time available for personal reflection and to explore areas of individual interest in greater depth.
The Course was divided into three main phases: Leadership, Strategy and the Operational level,
all of which benefitted from the richness of the contemporary security context in terms of material for discussion and the comparison of national approaches. China, North Korea, the Sahel, revanchist Russia and the security implications of Brexit were all areas of focus, along with threats
and opportunities from developments in technology and within society. Throughout, we benefitted from the excellent reputation that HCSC retains, with an impressive array of high profile speakers prepared to spare their time for the course. By way of example, we were privileged to be briefed by several UK Secretaries of State, Ministers, agency heads, all the Service Chiefs and the National Security Advisor plus many esteemed academics and historians. Looking further afield, the US National Security Advisor, US Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and the French Minister for the Armed Forces, were just some
the senior international speakers that offered their national perspective and a view of how UK Defence is perceived from within their capitals.
Around one third of the Course was spent away
from the Academy. Short visits were completed to many units and agencies, including the Permanent Joint Headquarters, Government Communications Headquarters, National Cyber Security Centre, Joint Forces Intelligence Group and HMS Queen Elizabeth, whilst more substantial programmes were offered in
London, Washington, Brussels/Paris and Normandy. In London, we were hosted at No 10, the Ministry
of Defence, several other government departments and agencies, and had sufficient time to engage with HCSC alumni and students of the Royal College of Defence Studies. Washington, a new addition
to the Course for 2018, involved the UK Embassy, Pentagon and National Defence University. Coming not long after the publication of the latest US National Defense Strategy, the visit was highly informative and stimulated much debate on topics such as the return of great power competition and the 4th industrial revolution, as well as the interesting political context on both sides of the Atlantic.
Brussels and Paris proved equally valuable, covering NATO, the EU military construct, UK/French cooperation and UK’s relationship in all three areas post-Brexit. Paris was another new element for 2018, and with briefs from the Defence Secretary, Chief of Defence and the President’s personal military advisor, we certainly felt invested in and hope that Paris can be included for future Courses.
As in previous years, the Course culminated with
a staff-ride flowing from Eisenhower’s Operation Overlord headquarters in Southwick Park, through the Beaches of Normandy to other key sites in Northern France. Blessed with some glorious April weather, it was a superb finish and we depart for our forthcoming appointments better prepared for the complexity of the future operating environment and having made some great friendships. HCSC 18 involved a bold rebalancing of a well-established Course and we commend the staff for their initiative and hard work in making it such a success.
HCSC prepares
future strategic leaders for
higher command appointments across the defence and security environment. ◆◆◆