The NATO Defence College was established in 1951. Since 1999 it has been at Cecchignola, near Rome, Italy, having previously been at Viale della Civilta del Lavoro, Rome, Italy 1966-1999, and the Ecole Militaire, Champs de Mars, Paris, France 1951-1966. For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... The École Militaire (French for military school) is a vast complex of buildings housing various military teaching facilities located in Paris, France southeast of the Champ-de-Mars. ... View of Champ de Mars from the top of the Eiffel Tower The Champ_de_Mars is a vast public area in Paris, France, located in the 7th arrondissement, between the Eiffel Tower to the northwest and the École Militaire to the southeast. ... The Eiffel Tower, the tallest structure in Paris, is an international symbol of the city. ...

The Commandant is an officer of the rank of Lieutenant-General or higher, and there are two Deputy Commandants (military, who are Major-Generals. There is also a Deputy Commandant (civil), and an academic staff of 30 lecturers. Additionally, 8 faculty advisers (2 civilian, 6 military) each heads a committee of 7-8 students, which change halfway through each course. Commandant is a military or police title or rank and can mean any of the following: The commander of certain military corps and services, such as the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Commandant of the Coast Guard in the United States or the Commandant of the (now obsolete... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in almost every country in the world. ... Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Lecturer is the name given to university teachers in most of the English-speaking world (but not at most universities in the U.S. or Canada) who do not hold a professorship. ...

Courses lasts 5½ months, and are run twice a year. Some 15 weeks are spent in the College, with the rest of the time travelling. There is a 2-3 day crisis management exercise.

NATO officers attend as Lieutenant-Colonels, Colonels, and some as Majors. Over 100 attend each year (25% civilian). Officers receive the letters nadc, if they graduate or are on the staff for one year. NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ... Lieutenant Colonel (Lieutenant-Colonel in British English) is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and marine corps (and some air forces) of the world, typically ranking above a Major and below a Colonel. ... Colonel is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. ... Major is a military rank denoting an officer of mid-level command status. ...

There is also an annual two week General/Flag Officer course for 1-2 star officers, and equivalent civilians. Flag Officer is both a historic naval rank and a modern day navy title. ...