The sixth edition of the Personnel Recovery Controller and Planner Course (PRCPC), a project initiated and supported by the European Defence Agency (EDA), was organised and hosted for the third time by Sweden in Karlsborg from 29 February to 11 March 2016.
Instructors from Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden shared their knowledge and experience of Personnel Recovery (PR) matters with a group of students coming from Austria, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland. The main focus of the course was to train staff officers in supporting their commanders in PR related issues. The course is designed for personnel who man personnel recovery positions in tactical operation centres (TOCs), personnel recovery coordination cells (PRCCs) or joint personnel recovery cells (JPRCs). Overall, it is acknowledged that PR capabilities in Europe benefitted through the increased number of trained personnel available to support our future operations and missions.
Personnel Recovery
Personnel Recovery is usually defined as the sum of efforts needed to recover isolated civilian or military personnel. Certainly, PR is a vital element of modern operational planning as it provides a security net for deployed personnel. Most importantly, it boosts morale and acknowledges national as well as European Union responsibilities to effect the recovery and reintegration of isolated personnel deployed in the context of Crisis Management Operations under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).
Next Course
The next EU PRCPC will take place at the European Personnel Recovery Centre (EPRC) at Poggio Renatico Air Base (Italy) from 4 to 15 April 2016.
Background
The EDA PRCPC project was established on 30 May 2013 as an EDA Category B project under the lead of Sweden. As of today, it includes six contributing EU Member States (cMS): Austria, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands and Sweden. On 31 May 2015, the cMS agreed to extend the PRCPC Cat B project until 30 May 2017. The EPRC is a potential candidate for the continuation of the project.
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