Mountain Warfare Small Units Leader Course in Poland

Code: LOP-LO-35586

Aim:

• Provide in-depth knowledge and understanding of Mountain Warfare;
• Foster the leadership & management skills and the understanding of the specifics of mountainous terrain & climate, needed when planning activities in this demanding environment;
• Develop the adaptability and resilience of military personnel by exposing them to diverse and unpredictable mountain environments, to be able to conduct activities in all weather conditions.

Structure of the course:

Prior to starting this course, attendees are required to have completed our introductive e-Learning course Basic Mountain Warfare Environment Characteristics, as a preparation for the residential course.

The two-week course is carried out in a combination of teaching methods like classroom lectures, team work and going in the field, to build capabilities from easy to difficult, and is comprised of three main parts: Leadership, Movement and Planning.

• The first week focuses on building the students’ knowledge on specifics of mountainous environment, its influence on combat functions and the best ways to mitigate negative effects and seize opportunities. Students will be introduced to the importance of leadership skills in critical situations, of SMEs in preparation and execution of training in military operations, and of proper mountaineering/ winter equipment for movement in difficult terrain;
• In the second week, course participants will be faced with a tactical situation with fighting areas where technological supremacy can be negated by terrain or climate and combat power can be achieved only with good planning and skills. Students will train troop leading procedures, taking in consideration the specifics of mountainous terrain and its influence on combat power. After building COAs based on map reconnaissance, they will execute on-foot recce in the area of operations to assess the implications of mountainous terrain on planning process and conducted activities.

Each student must achieve all Learning Objectives in order to pass this Course and the evaluation will be done by developing an OPORD, with focus on METT-TC analysis, risk assessment and decisive point identification.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyse how the mountain environment affects military actions in a given area of operations, considering:

  • own troops’ education and training in Mountain Warfare;
  • the difficulty of the mountain terrain & climate conditions;
  • own units’ equipment and capabilities.

• Conduct activities with sub-level units in difficult mountainous terrain, with the next capabilities:

  • understand activity planning particularities and required equipment;
  • move personnel and equipment across all types of obstacles and danger areas;
  • organize casualty rescue from difficult mountainous terrain.

• Plan activities up to company level, in difficult mountainous environment, with the capability to:

  • identify constrains and opportunities that the mountainous environment has on conducting operations;
  • understand special characteristics and fundamentals of military operations in mountainous environment.

Security Classification:

NATO UNCLASSIFIED releasable to PFP.

Target Audience:

Officers and NCOs at light infantry platoon/company level, as well as staff workers of different branches of light infantry battalion/regiment HQs, from NATO members and Partner Nations.

Rank Level:

OF-1/2 , OR-4 to OR-9 and other selected personnel, according to requirements.

Language Proficiency:

Recommended English SLP 3232, minimum 2222 – NATO STANAG 6001.

Prerequisites:

• Online e-Learning course Basic Mountain Warfare Environment Characteristics, available on NATO JADL and NATO MW COE e-Learning platforms.
  (upload graduation certificate in the registration form)

Event fee:

None

Project Officer:

CPT Adrian CUDALBU (ROU)
Staff Officer, Education & Training Branch