Photo By Karlheinz Wedhorn | The Marshall Center in Garmisch-Partenkirchen welcomed 11 senior leaders from the...... read more read more
The Marshall Center in Garmisch-Partenkirchen welcomed 11 senior leaders from the Slovenian Armed Forces and Ministry of Defense from Sept. 22–26, 2025, signaling the role of professional education in addressing today’s complex security challenges.
This was the third official visit from Slovenia, and the first to include Ministry of Defense representatives alongside Slovenian Armed Forces. The delegation’s participation also reflects Slovenia’s evolution from a security consumer to a security contributor—demonstrating its growing role in strengthening Euro-Atlantic defense and cooperation.
“By now Slovenia has over 150 Marshall Center alumni, and my plan is not to leave Garmisch before we reach 200,” said Maj. Gen. Miha Škerbinc, Slovenian senior military representative to the Marshall Center, remarking on how Slovenia's defense and security contributions have steadily grown from participation to leadership. “In these turbulent times, building European defense capacities is of utmost importance, and this knowledge and exchange of experiences will serve our people well back home.”
Over the course of the visit, the Slovenian delegation engaged with Marshall Center faculty, international experts, and fellow Program on Applied Security Studies (PASS) participants on issues ranging from China’s sub-conventional warfare to lessons from Ukraine’s whole-of-society defense.
A highlight of the program included “Crafting Strategy” workshops, led by Škerbinc, who is currently seconded to the Marshall Center from the Slovenian Armed Forces. These sessions provided an opportunity for the delegation to examine strategy development through a practical lens while contributing national expertise to the broader PASS curriculum.
“Crafting strategy forces you to think outside the box, take time to reflect, and view different points of view in a rapidly changing environment,” said Col. Miha Rijavec, chief of staff of Slovenia’s Doctrine, Development, Education and Training Command. “It broadens your perspective as an officer.”
He added that mixing perspectives from both civilian and military participants is equally important.
“It’s always good to have military and civilian officials working together. Their ways of solving problems are very different, and that mix of perspectives is critical.”
The Marshall Center has hosted Slovenian delegations since 2023, with the most recent visit in fall 2024. Building on that tradition, this year’s expanded group continues to strengthen professional ties, deepen mutual understanding, and reinforce the shared commitment to regional security.
| Date Taken: | 09.30.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 10.14.2025 02:57 |
| Story ID: | 549903 |
| Location: | DE |
| Web Views: | 44 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Slovenian Delegation Underscores Growing Contribution to Euro-Atlantic Security, by Sarah Loicano, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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