The Armed Forces Academy (AFA) () is a military education institution which trains military officers (for the army, navy and air force) in

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and share ...

. The school was formed in 1945 as "Shkolla e Oficerëve" and closed in the early 1990s. It reopened in 1995 under the supervision of the Military Academy of Hannover,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

History

The Academy of the Armed Forces was established decision of the government on 10 May 1958, in the Rrapit i Treshit District of

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

, initially with the name Military High School. The school bore the conventional number of Military Department No. 2002. The Council of Ministers, on October 28, 1961 decided that on the basis of the Military High School to establish the "Military Academy of the

People's Republic of Albania The People's Socialist Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika Popullore Socialiste e Shqipërisë, links=no) was the Marxist–Leninist one party state that existed in Albania from 1946 to 1992 (the official name of the country was the People's R ...

" with a three year educational program accredited by the

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

. By a special decision of the Council of Ministers, on 5 January 1963, the Military Academy was renamed to the "Mehmet Shehu Military Academy", honoring the 50th birthday of the then-Prime Minister

Mehmet Shehu Mehmet Ismail Shehu (January 10, 1913 – December 18, 1981) was an Albanian communist politician who served as the 23rd Prime Minister of Albania from 1954 to 1981. As an acknowledged military tactician, without whose leadership the communist p ...

. Years later, in December 1992, the institution was renamed the General Staff Academy. The Academy was in 1994 renamed to the Defense Academy of Albania. In 1998 the Defense Academy was accepted as a full member of the council of military academies of

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...

. In 2004, the Defense Academy was renamed the

Spiro Moisiu Spiro Theodori Moisiu, born as Spiro Koxhobashi (5 May 1900 – 12 April 1981), was the Major general of the Albanian National Liberation Army during World War II. He was the father of the former President of Albania, Alfred Moisiu. Early life ...

Defense Academy. In early 2012, the Academy was renamed the Academy of the Armed Forces. It consisted of 2 Faculties: * the Faculty of Security and Defense (remnants of the former Spiro Moisiu Defense Academy) * the Center for Foreign Languages and the Faculty of General Education (remnants of the former Skanderbeg Military Academy)

Leaders

The leaders of this unique institution over the years have been: * Major General Thoma Xhixho (1958-1961) * Major General Spiro Shalesi (1961-1964) * Major General Ernest Jakova (1964-1967) * Colonel Koli Mborja (1968-1970) * Lieutenant General Vaskë Gjino (1970-1974) * Colonel Mendu Tetova (1974-1975) * Major General Vehbi Hoxha (1975-1977) * Prof. Spiro Adhami (1977-1981) * Major General Kostaq Karoli (1982-1991) * Colonel Halim Abazi (1991-1993) * Brigadier General Ali Koçeku (1994-1997) * Major General Ruzhdi Gjatoja (1998-2000) * Colonel Flamur Skrapalliu (2000-2001) * Colonel Selim Shiroka (2001-2003) * Colonel Dhori Spirollari (2003-2005) * Rear Admiral Kudret Çela (2005-2008) * Colonel Nexhbedin Shehu (2009-2010) * Colonel Kristaq Xharo (May 2010-July 2011) * Colonel Perikli Koliçi (August 2011-September 2012) * Colonel Agim Sula (September 2012-September 2014) * Colonel Idriz Hazhiaj (October 2014-November 2015) * Colonel Ruzhdi Kuçi (January 2016-December 2017)

References

{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1945 Military units and formations of Albania Universities in Albania 1945 establishments in Albania Military academies of Albania

History

Leaders

See also

References