Higher Command and Staff Course
Encyclopedia
The Higher Command and Staff Course is a staff course for senior military officers of the United Kingdom
armed forces and allies. It is taught at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in Shrivenham
, Oxfordshire
, United Kingdom
.
The course is provided by the Joint Services Command and Staff College
of the British Armed Forces
initially for 24 colonel
s or equivalent aged 41 to 44 years (and a few lieutenant-colonels and brigadier
s): 15 from the army, 1 or 2 from the Royal Navy
, 1 or 2 from the Royal Air Force
, and 4 from overseas (such as the United States of America, Germany
, Netherlands
, and Australia
), and some civilians (from the Ministry of Defence
). In 1994 it was increased to 30 officers, and was part of the new Joint Service Command and Staff College, having originally been at the Staff College, Camberley
.
The course lasts 3 months (14 weeks) and concentrates on joint operations.
Led by the Colonel Higher Command and Staff Course, from 1988, the course is based on the German Führungsakademie, Hamburg
, and the USA Command and General Staff College
School of Advanced Military Studies. There are 9 phases including out of area and future battlefield. The course culminates in an army-group level ADP backed wargaming exercise.
Those attending the annual course, and those on the Directing Staff
receive the letters "HCSC" in the service List. The course is designed to prepare selected officers for higher command of field formations and for senior operational staff appointments in national and international HQs. There is an average of 240 pages of background reading per day.
The Higher Command and Staff Course resembles the 1938 Higher Command Course, Aldershot
, which was for lieutenant-colonels and above.
The HCSC is intended:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
armed forces and allies. It is taught at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in Shrivenham
Shrivenham
Shrivenham is a large village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England, close to the boundary with Wiltshire. It is in the Vale of White Horse, between Swindon and Faringdon. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Character:Shrivenham features many...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The course is provided by the Joint Services Command and Staff College
Joint Services Command and Staff College
Joint Services Command and Staff College is a British military academic establishment providing training and education to experienced officers of the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force, Ministry of Defence Civil Service, and serving officers of other states.-History:JSCSC combined the single...
of the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
initially for 24 colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
s or equivalent aged 41 to 44 years (and a few lieutenant-colonels and brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
s): 15 from the army, 1 or 2 from the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, 1 or 2 from the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, and 4 from overseas (such as the United States of America, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), and some civilians (from the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
). In 1994 it was increased to 30 officers, and was part of the new Joint Service Command and Staff College, having originally been at the Staff College, Camberley
Camberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
.
The course lasts 3 months (14 weeks) and concentrates on joint operations.
Led by the Colonel Higher Command and Staff Course, from 1988, the course is based on the German Führungsakademie, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, and the USA Command and General Staff College
Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military officers. The college was established in 1881 by William Tecumseh Sherman as a...
School of Advanced Military Studies. There are 9 phases including out of area and future battlefield. The course culminates in an army-group level ADP backed wargaming exercise.
Those attending the annual course, and those on the Directing Staff
Directing Staff
Directing Staff are the military officers who comprise the permanent instructional staff at a military staff college. They are customarily one rank higher than the officers undergoing instruction....
receive the letters "HCSC" in the service List. The course is designed to prepare selected officers for higher command of field formations and for senior operational staff appointments in national and international HQs. There is an average of 240 pages of background reading per day.
The Higher Command and Staff Course resembles the 1938 Higher Command Course, Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
, which was for lieutenant-colonels and above.
The HCSC is intended:
- to provide a sound theoretical grounding in the principles of the conduct of war at the operational level (i.e. corpsCorpsA corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
, armyArmyAn army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
); - to indicate the factors which have moulded national armies and are now shaping modern concepts of warfare;
- to provide the strategic and political framework within which operations, in co-operation with allied formations, may be conducted;
- by an analysis of historical examples and exercises, to provide an insight into the key factors which require continuous assessment during the conduct of operations;
- to provide an understanding of how to plan and shape the battlefield at the operational level in order to meet the strategic aim;
- to provide an insight into the role of technology in the shaping of modern armies, with a proper regard for the financial implications, with an update on present and projected weapon and equipment capabilities;
- to provide an understanding of the principles of leadership and command appropriate to the operational level of command and senior staff appointments in peace and war.