Following the opening remarks by Admiral Mark P. Fitzgerald, Commander, US Naval Forces Europe and Commander, Allied Joint Force Command, Naples, US Navy, a panel of senior officers headed by Major General Guy Buchsenschmidt, Deputy ACOS Operations & Training for Support, Belgian Armed Forces, will be giving expert insights into the contemporary training scene on the first morning of ITEC, which opens in Brussels on 12th May.

Joining Gen Buchsenschmidt will be Brigadier Simone Wilkie, Training Command - Army, Chief of Staff (and Acting Commander) of the Australian Armed Forces; Admiral Luciano Zappata, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, Italian Navy NATO; Major General Gerry Berragan, Director General, Army Recruiting & Training of the British Army; and Maj Gen Erwin F Lessel,  Director of Plans, Requirements & Programs, Air Education & Training Command, US Air Force. Dale Bennett, President, Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training & Support, USA, will also be participating in this high powered panel.

The Senior Officers Panel is always one of the highlights of ITEC and this year delegates will be keen to hear what these authoritative voices have to say about the challenges and opportunities that the training community is having to address. Given the backdrop of a world beset by ever increasing threats to its security and a global economic downturn, this is arguably one of the most significant ITEC conferences in recent years.

ITEC takes place from 12 to 14 May 2009 at the BrusselsExpo, Brussels, Belgium.  For full details visit www.itec.co.uk

ends

For more information please contact Nick Johnstone at CMS Strategic on +44 (0)208 748 9797 or email nick.johnstone@cmstrategic.com

About the speakers

Major General Berragan was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1979. His early years saw tours as a troop commander, forward observation officer and adjutant with 40 Field Regiment, 17 Training Regiment and 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery before attending the Staff College in 1990. Following this he was posted as Chief of Staff 4th Armoured Brigade, deploying immediately on Op Granby. He commanded 32 Regiment from 1997-1999 on operations and training in NI, Kosovo, Canada, Germany and Egypt. Subsequently he served as a Colonel in HQ AG responsible for individual training policy before being promoted to Brigadier in December 2001. He held the post of Chief of Staff Field Army/ACOS Training in HQ LAND in May 2004 for almost three years. Promoted to Major General in Jan 2007, he deployed as the Deputy Commander of the Multi-National Corps Iraq for nine months until Oct 2007. He assumed the role of Director General Army Recruiting and Training in December 2007.

Major-General Guy Buchsenschmidt attended the Royal Military Academy, achieving Master in Social & Military Sciences. Promoted to second-lieutenant, he served with the 3rd Lancers Regiment as tank platoon commander, squadron second-in- command and scout platoon commander. In 1985 he was appointed instructor to the armament and fire control section within the Leopard Group and from 1988 to 1990 commanded squadron A of the 3rd Lancers Regiment. After attending a Senior Officers’ training course he was assigned to the School for Armoured Troops as tactical instructor for the course for captains and the Senior Officers training course. From 1994 to 1996 he was in charge of the officers’ training Section in the School for armoured Cavalry. In 1996, he attended the Senior Staff Course and was awarded the Chief of the General Staff’s prize for his thesis on international law and the use of land mines.  Subsequently he was appointed operations officer (S3) of the 7th Mechanised Brigade, becoming Chief of Staff of the Brigade in 1999. From December 1999 to April 2000, he was assigned to the HQ of the Multinational Brigade North (MNB-N) in Mitrovica (Kosovo). At the end of his mandate as Chief of Staff he took command of the 1st Lancers Regiment, then in 2003 he was assigned to the Operations and Training Staff Department, in charge of the “evaluation – lessons learned” section and promoted to Colonel. During this time he was also in charge of military training courses on leadership at the Royal Military School. In late 2004 he conducted the 1st Integrated Brigade‘s assessment mission in Bunia (Ituri – Democratic Republic of the Congo).Promoted to Brigadier in 2005, he was posted to Kinshasa as Adviser to the Military Integration Structure. In July 2006 was appointed Deputy Commander of the Land Component and in 2007 became commander of the 7th Brigade. On 18 April 2008 he was appointed Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff “Operations and Training” in Staff Department Support and promoted to the rank of Major-General on 26 June 2008.

Admiral Mark Fitzgerald graduated from Northeastern University, Boston in June 1973. He was designated a naval aviator in October 1975. He held the post of deputy commander, US Naval Forces Central Command and commanded Joint Task Force Determined Response in Aden, Yemen (2000). Assuming command of Carrier Group 8 (2001), he deployed with Theodore Roosevelt Battle Group during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001-2002). He served as director, Air Warfare and then as director, Naval Warfare (2003-2004), and as Commander, 2nd Fleet/Director, Combined Joint Operations from the Sea Center of Excellence (2004-2006). In December 2006 he began his last assignment as the director, Navy Staff.  As Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe he is responsible for providing overall command, operational control, and coordination of U.S. Naval forces in the European Command area of responsibility. As Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa he is responsible for providing overall command, operational control, and coordination of U.S. Naval forces in the Africa Command area of responsibility. As Commander, Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Fitzgerald currently has operational responsibility for NATO missions in the Balkans, Iraq and the Mediterranean. He assumed his duties on November 30, 2007.

Maj Gen Erwin F “Erv” Lessel III graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1979. He has commanded an operations support squadron, operations group, air refueling wing and an airlift wing. He served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Communications and military spokesperson for Multi-National Forces - Iraq. A graduate of the National War College, General Lessel has held positions on the staffs of Air Force Materiel Command, Air Mobility Command, US Air Forces in Europe, the Air Staff and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Prior to his current assignment, General Lessel served as the Director of Communication, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington. He now holds the post of Director of Plans, Programs, Requirements and Assessments, and Director of the San Antonio Joint Program Office, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. He is responsible for command supervision of planning, programming, mission and system requirements, studies and analyses, and management improvement actions affecting almost 100,000 military and civilian personnel located at 13 bases.  Additional responsibilities include development and implementation of future learning concepts and the integration of Balanced Score Card, Air Force Smart Operations 21, and Program Objective Memorandum initiatives and actions.

Brigadier Simone Wilkie was commissioned into the Royal Australian Corps of Signals in 1983. As a Lieutenant and Captain she served in a range of regimental and instructional appointments in Land and Training Commands. Key appointments include platoon commander at the 1st Recruit Training Battalion; instructor at the Royal Military College, Duntroon; Training Officer for the 7th Brigade Signal Squadron; Adjutant, 1st Signal Regiment; and Adjutant of the Force Communications Unit, Cambodia. Her staff experience includes Career Adviser Signals and Staff Officer Grade One Plans and Selections in the Directorate of Officer Career Management; Staff Officer Grade One Operations Support at Headquarters 2nd Division; and Assistant Chief of Staff on the Multi National Force Headquarters Iraq in 2007. Brigadier Wilkie has held command appointments at every rank level including Officer Commanding 136 Signal Squadron; Commanding Officer of the Corps of Staff Cadets, Royal Military College, Duntroon; and Commandant of the Army Recruit Training Centre. During 2008 Brigadier Wilkie attended the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies at the Australian Defence College, following which she was appointed as the Chief of Staff of Training Command - Army. Brigadier Wilkie has a Bachelor of Social Science (Human Resource Management), a Graduate Diploma in Telecommunications Systems Management, and a Masters of Defence Studies.

Admiral Luciano Zappata joined the Italian Naval in 1966 and on completion was commissioned May 1970. He served first on submarines, then destroyers, before taking command of a corvette in September 1978. From 1979 to 1985 he served as Staff Officer in charge of the development of the Navy Command, Control and Information Automated System.  Promoted to Commander in 1982, he held positions within the Navy General Staff and Commander in Chief Naval Fleet as Chief of the Command and Control Section and subsequently Head of the C3 Office. From 1985 to 1988 Admiral Zappata served first as Executive Officer and then Commander of frigates, participating in the Gulf Operations. From 1987 to 1992 he was assigned to the Italian Naval Staff Weapons Department, where he held several appointments in the Combat Systems Division. From 1992 to 1993 he served as Commanding Officer of a cruiser, participating in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, as well as NATO and Western European Union Operations in former Yugoslavia as Flagship of the NATO Commander, Standing Naval Force Mediterranean. Promoted to Rear Admiral in December 1996, he held the position of Commander of the Second and Third Naval Divisions during Operation ALLIED FORCE - KOSOVO. Subsequently, he held various positions, including Assistant Head of the Navy Development Department, Chief of Staff of Commander in Chief Naval Fleet and Vice Inspector for Naval Logistic Support. In January 2005 he was promoted to Vice Admiral and served first as Navy Chief of Staff Advisor and then as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy. His most recent tour was Advisor to the Chief of Staff of the Italian Defence. He was promoted to Admiral on 26 June 2007 and assumed the position of Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation on 2 July 2007.