Fort Leavenworth, Kansas (Mar 12, 2015) – With US and NATO forces drawing down in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and other countries in the region may find themselves playing larger roles in regional security. It is with this realization in mind that Uzbekistan is cooperating with the Partnership for Peace Consortium (PfPC) on defense education assistance through the Defense Education Enhancement Program (DEEP). From 2-12 March six Uzbek members of the Uzbek Armed Forces Academy (AFA) participated in a faculty immersion at the US Command and General Staff College (CSGC). The Uzbek faculty learned from their CSGC counterparts how to plan brigade-level exercise, incorporating lessons learned from the US’s experience in Afghanistan. As US and NATO forces draw down in Afghanistan, such educational exchanges help the faculty at the Uzbek AFA develop soldiers with decision making skills that will translate to Uzbekistan’s effectiveness in contributing to regional security. The DEEP program, jointly managed by the PfPC and NATO, was initiated in 2007 in response to efforts of former Soviet Union states to transform their defense institutions. Uzbekistan has been involved in the DEEP program since 2013. DEEP serves as an important means to foster relationships between Uzbekistan and NATO members and contributes to the development of Uzbekistan’s capabilities to support regional stability. As the PfPC, Marshall Center, and NATO look to the future of DEEP, they envision a converging of norms. In the words of James Appathurai, NATO’s Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, “Our readiness to tackle new and diverse threats and challenges in the future will only be as strong as our commitment today to building like-minded doctrinal standards among our educational commands. These common threads will enable us to continue to stand by one another in partnership and cooperation.”