Description:

Please join the Political Science Department as we host SFA Director Col. Massimo Moncada and Lt. Col. Stefano Nappi for conversations on the on-going activities of the NATO Security Force Assistance Centre of Excellence, and their efforts to improve the effectiveness of the NATO Alliance through the progrmotion of stablity and reconstruction efforts for conflict and post-conflict scenarios. 

On the Practice of Security Force Assistance
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM, Scott Hall 201, Breakfast will be served

On NATO SFA COE & Italy's SFA Programs
12:00 - 13:00 PM @ 12:00 PM, Scott Hall 212, Lunch will be served

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Col. Massimo Moncada began his military career in March 1993 as a cadet in the 74th Non-Commissioned Officers Course at the NCO School of Viterbo. In the same year, he entered the Military Academy of Modena, attending the 175th Course “Impeto”. In 1998, after completing his training at the Army Application School in Turin as an Infantry Officer (Paratrooper specialization), he was assigned to the 186th Parachute Regiment “FOLGORE” in Siena for field training, and subsequently to the 183rd Parachute Regiment “NEMBO” in Pistoia, where he served as Platoon Commander and Deputy Company Commander. In 2016, he was assigned to the Infantry School, at the newly established Army Security Force Assistance (SFA) Centre, where he took on the role of Head of the Doctrine, Standardization and Lessons Learned Department. In 2018, he became Head of the Concept Development and Doctrine Branch at the newly established NATO SFA Centre of Excellence (COE) in Cesano, also serving ad interim as Chief of Staff until September 2021. From 15 September 2021 to 14 July 2023, he was the ninth Commander of the Training Regiment of the Infantry School. From 23 July 2023 to 28 September 2025, he served as Coordination Experimentation and Training Branch of the Italian Army Validation and Innovation Command in Civitavecchia (Rome). He holds two university degrees: one in Political Science from the University of Turin and another in International and Diplomatic Sciences from the University of Trieste. He has also earned two Master’s Degrees. He has taken part in several national and international operations in Kosovo, Albania, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and Niger. Col. Moncada is married and has two sons.

The NATO Security Force Assistance Centre of Excellence is a multinational entity with Italy, Albania and Slovenia as Sponsoring Nations, and Austria as Contributing Participant. By virtue of its high potential deriving from multiple military and civilian professionals and the use of a holistic and multidisciplinary approach, the Centre is a hub of reference in the Security Force Assistance field at the national, international and NATO levels. It provides paramount expertise in order to contribute to the development and experimentation of concepts and doctrines. The Centre also acquires and elaborates lessons learned, it contributes to the definition of capacitive development models in support of the Armed Forces of Partner Nations, and conducts educational and training activities for instructors, mentors and personnel belonging to other Nations. In order to broaden its spectrum and benefit from a different perspective, the Centre also collaborates with universities and many international civilian and military organizations. The project started in 2016 following the proposal from the Italian Minister of Defence for the creation of a NATO SFA COE with the aim to promote Stability and Reconstruction efforts for any crisis scenario and to become a SFA focal point for the Alliance.