Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, and commander, U.S. 6th Fleet wrapped up the weeklong Combined Force Maritime Component Commander (CFMCC) Flag Course Europe on board Naval Support Activity Naples, June 30, 2017.

Hosted by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet and presented by the U.S. Naval War College, 48 senior military leaders from maritime countries in Europe and North America participated in seminars and discussions focusing on the effective employment of naval forces in a joint, coalition or interagency environment. The course addressed the complex problem sets that we face in the multiple-domain environment, high-end warfare capability development and employment and the criticality of command and control and maintaining our enduring relationships.

Quote:
"This has been a superb week, where Coalition Naval and Joint leadership was able to have rich discussions on the challenges and opportunities in this theater. I appreciate the great support of the Naval War College and the U.S. and international mentors who facilitated the conversation. The trans-Atlantic-European Maritime domain is an active and dynamic arena that holds all aspects of hybrid warfare. Recrafting the course to a classified level ensured we had valuable dialogue while sharing professional perspectives. I'd like to thank our coalition partners for their participation and commitment to strengthening interoperability at sea."
-Adm. Michelle J. Howard, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa

Quick Facts:
* Throughout the course, senior leaders delivered briefs and facilitated candid discussions about maritime security, strategic and operational planning, and command and control structures among other topics. The talks provided an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the diverse perspectives involved in a combined force.

* The practical application of maritime capabilities to real-world scenarios helped improve the effectiveness of leaders to function together at the operational level of command and control.

* Now that the course is complete, participants are returning to their respective services with new ideas and with a strengthened sense of partnership between regional leaders in Europe. Participants should also have a greater appreciation for the critical role cooperation and collaboration play in maintaining regional safety and security.

* The course included 17 students from 17 different NATO ally and partner nations.

* Nations participating in this year's CFMCC Course included: Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States.

* The first CFMCC Course was conducted in September 2006 at Newport, Rhode Island, and focused on U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. Since then, CFMCC has expanded to include three courses conducted periodically in the European, Middle East and Pacific regions. U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet previously hosted CFMCC courses in 2008, 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

* U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, oversees joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, join, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.

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For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/.