By Christine June
Public Affairs Office
George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (Jan. 3, 2018) – The Marshall Center truly had a big year in 2017 with visits from the U.S. Secretary of Defense and German Minister of Defense, and the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the Munich Security Conference. After signing the agreement, the Marshall Center with the Munich Security Conference formed the Loisach Group and hosted two workshops in 2017.

In addition, the Marshall Center hosted a Middle East North Africa (MENA) workshop Sept. 25 to 28 in Rome.

The Marshall Center also hosted 14 resident programs, six community of interest workshops and numerous non-resident programs and presentations by our subject matter experts to international conferences and workshops.

Below are the highlights of stories published about our programs and alumni. The Marshall Center had 21 stories on resident and non-resident programs published on the U.S. Department of Defense website. Many of these stories were also published on the U.S. Army, U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command websites.

Remarks by Secretary Mattis and Minister von der Leyen at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (June 28, 2017) – The U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and German Minister of Defense Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed the transatlantic bond between the U.S. and Germany during their speeches at the Marshall Center’s 70th Anniversary of the Marshall Plan Commemoration Ceremony June 28, 2017.

More stories on this historical visit: Mattis Salutes NATO Collective Security During Marshall Center Speech; George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies “The Hinge of History”; Mattis Arrives in Germany for Marshall Plan Commemoration; ‘Transatlantic Bond Remains Strong’ in Speech Honoring Marshall Plan Anniversary; Mattis Meets German Counterpart, Highlights Trans-Atlantic Bond

George C. Marshall European Center and Munich Security Conference Officials Formalize Cooperation Agreement
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (August 24, 2017) - The Marshall Center Director, retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen Keith Dayton, and the chairman of the Munich Security Conference, Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, signed a memorandum of understanding Aug. 24, 2017 at the Marshall Center to commit to mutual cooperation in European security dialogue.

Marshall Center, Munich Security Conference Host Russia-Focused Policy Discussions
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany, Dec. 11, 2017 — The George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies and the Munich Security Conference’s Loisach Group met here Dec. 5 to 7 to discuss transatlantic policy solutions focused on Russia.

The Loisach Group was first held at the Marshall Center in May 2017: Special Group Focus Seeks to Bolster German-American Partnership at Marshall Center

Representatives of Mediterranean Nations Discuss Regional Security Issues
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany, Oct. 13, 2017 — More than 30 diplomats, academics and military officials from the Mediterranean region gathered Sept. 25-28 in Rome to examine the shared responsibility nations have for security at a conference hosted by the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies

The Rest of the Stories in 2017

Global Counterterrorism Workshop Builds the Team, Explores Increasing Role of Women
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (Jan. 12, 2017) – Getting his point across to 69 fellow counterterrorism practitioners from 44 countries, Lt. Col. Sameer Marouf Masri told the real-life account of one of his female security officers, who ran an 18-month operation in five countries, tracking a lone-wolf terrorist from ISIS, which resulted in his capture and six others.

Marshall Center European Security Seminar Explores Hybrid Threats, Resilience Building
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (Jan. 27, 2017) -- For more than two years, the West have been grappling with "hybrid warfare," which describes and encompasses a variety of shifty means of fighting war.

Marshall Center Seminar Looks at Security in a New Way
CHISINAU, Republic of Moldova (Feb. 21, 2017) - A new way of looking at security was shared by representatives working in various government ministries from the Black Sea and Eurasia region at the Economic Security Seminar held Feb. 15 and 16 in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova.

Marshall Center Alumni Spark Policy Change, Big Criminal Busts
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany, March 6, 2017 — A friendship that began in April at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies here led to a half-million dollars being seized and several criminals arrested in the first and second stand-alone money-laundering busts in Trinidad and Tobago in November.

Marshall Center Course Nurtures Network of Counterterrorism Experts
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (March 30, 2017) - Close to 80 terrorist attacks, 520 people dead and about 700 injured, have occurred throughout the world during this month alone.

Marshall Center's Seminar Encourages First Line of Defense in the Fight Against Corruption
KYIV, Ukraine, April 18, 2017 — Throughout the “Black Sea-Eurasia Region Countering Corruption Seminar” she was attending here April 11 and 12, a Justice Ministry lawyer from Armenia wrote notes, asked questions and researched in the evenings because she knew the seminar’s topic is “very important” to her country's well-being.

Seminar Digs into ‘Frozen Conflict’ to Uncover Tools for Peace
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (April 28, 2017) - Dr. Natalia Albu, associate professor at the Military Academy of the Republic of Moldova, was still in high school in 1992 when war broke out in her country, and more than 25 years later, it remains a "frozen conflict."

Marshall Center Course Strengthens Language Skills to Fight Organized Crime
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (May 9, 2017) - Dr. Ion Nastas, who is tasked with preventing and combating corruption in his country, has an answer for those who ask him why he needs to speak English since he works in the Republic of Moldova and speaks Romanian.

Central Asian Partners Share Insights in the Fight against Organized Crime
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany, June 23, 2017 — Almost two dozen Central Asian government officials shared strategies to fight global organized crime in their region at a four-day workshop at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies here, June 19 to 22.

Marshall Center English Course Brings Counterterrorism Experts Together
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany, July 6, 2017 — Learning more about the English language has brought a group of counterterrorism professionals closer together and enhanced their understanding of their mission, Royal Air Force of Oman 1st Lt. Mohammed Murad Kamal Han Murad Al-Balushi said.

Marshall Center African Students Meet with AFRICOM Program Designers
STUTTGART, Germany (July 26, 2017) - Sixteen military and civilian leaders from 13 African countries met with officials to discuss U.S. military involvement on the African continent during a visit to the U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart July 26.

Marshall Center Alumnus Finds Missing Piece of Counterterrorism Puzzle
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany, Aug. 7, 2017 — Palestinian Preventive Security Service Lt. Col. Sameer Marouf Masri knew he was missing a part of the picture of how online cyber profiling could help identify terrorists in his country.

Marshall Center’s Partner Language Training Center Europe Hosts Specialized English Interpretation Course
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (August 28, 2017) - Eight English language teachers from four nations attended a new specialized language program called Applied Consecutive Interpretation Techniques (ACIT) earlier this month, designed to help them act as informal interpreters for various groups requiring language support in their nations.

Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine Parliamentarians Return to Marshall Center to Build Resilient Region
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (Sept. 19, 2017) - Parliamentarians from the nations of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova returned to the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies for a two-day conference on building greater resilience through partnership in Eastern Europe, Sept. 13 and 14.

Marshall Center Graduates Ready to Tackle Global Threats
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany, Nov. 17, 2017 — After examining today’s worst global threats to security, 93 professionals from 41 countries are now armed to be “agents of change” when they return home.

Marshall Center Hosts Security Policy Seminar for Romanian Parliamentarians
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany, Nov. 22, 2017 — Romania has the highest growth in defense spending in Eastern Europe after achieving NATO’s goal of spending two percent of its gross domestic product on its defense budget this year.

FBI Shares Tools, Trains Partner Nations to Fight Terrorists Online
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany, Dec. 1, 2017 — By using the internet, terrorists can quickly and effectively recruit, incite violence, transfer funds and organize attacks with relative freedom and secrecy across borders to an almost limitless audience.

DOD Cyber Advisor Stresses Developing the Human Capital to Counter Adversaries
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany, Dec. 6, 2017 — The scope, sophistication, pace and spread of today’s cyber threats is unmatched in history, the deputy principal cyber advisor to the secretary of defense said here yesterday.