UN Staff Officers Course (UNSOC) and UN MILOBs Course (UNMOC) - first edition of 2015.
Rio de Janeiro (RJ) - Rio de Janeiro (RJ) - On 04 May, the UNSOC and UNMOC, in its third and last phase of preparation of Staff Officers and Military Observers, started at CCOPAB and it was to last for 4 weeks. The firts phase is conducted through e-learning and CCOPAB is in charge of it. The second phase is on-site to be conducted by the Center for Personnel Studies and Fort Duque de Caxias.
For the courses, CCOPAB has received a British officer to work as an instructor - CPT Philip Mhamgo. The courses are divided into groups: one of officers who will be deployed as staff officers who total a number of 13 - 03 from the Brazilian Air Force, 01 from the Brazilian Navy, 05 from the Brazilian Army and one officer from Suriname; the other group has 08 officers from the Brazilian Army to be deployed as military observers.
The first week of the course is dedicated to commom instructions, when the UN system is presented by using CPTM.
The second and third weeks provide specific instructions for each of the groups. In the third week, there are 2 days for field exercises only. On the first of the two days, there are driving skills, parking, left-hand traffic, changing tyres, and maintenance; on the second day, the green day, lessons are consolidated through practice for military who will be deployed as MILOBs.
During the last week, there is a field exercise for both groups, within the context of a fictitious peace mission.
As to Colonel Roberto Miranda Aversa, who will be deployed as a staff officer, when he took part of a peace mission in 1994, there was not any specialized organization in charge of their preparation.
When comparing to the present experience, he highlights the importance of CCOPAB and of its mission, confirming the excellence and significance of the courses provided. He cites the presentation of the UN system as well as the experience of the instructors and the contact with foreign students and instructors. These factors guarantee the confidence in the personnel to accomplish the mission and to well represent Brazil abroad.
CPT Daniel Falcão Xavier de Souza, who will be deployed as a MILOB, highlighted the preparation as a whole, but most importantly the third phase, which sets a change of minds, for they have always been prepared to face war and need to learn how to act in peace missions with all their peculiarities. He also mentioned the organization of the modules, ranging from the most general to the most specific, setting the group in the greater context of the mission and well preparing them for the typical MILOB activities.
Translation: CPT ISRAEL
