Armed Forces Academy

Akademia e Forcave të Armatosura
Type	Military Academy
Established	May 10, 1958 (1958-05-10)
Rector	Ruzhdi Kuçi
Students	Officers of theAlbanian Armed Forces
Location	Tirana , Albania
Website	www.tradoc.mil.al

TheArmed Forces Academy (AFA) (Albanian:Akademia e Forcave të Armatosura) is amilitaryeducation institution which trains military officers (for the army, navy and air force) inAlbania.^[1][2][3][4]

The Academy of the Armed Forces was established decision of the government on 10 May 1958, in the Rrapit i Treshit District ofTirana, initially with the name Military High School.^[3] The school bore the conventional number of Military Department No. 2002.^[3] The Council of Ministers, on October 28, 1961 decided that on the basis of the Military High School to establish the "Military Academy of thePeople's Republic of Albania" with a three year educational program accredited by theMinistry of Education.^[3]

By a special decision of the Council of Ministers, on 5 January 1963, the Military Academy was renamed to the "Mehmet Shehu Military Academy",^[3] honoring the 50th birthday of the then-Prime MinisterMehmet Shehu.^[5] Years later, in December 1992, the institution was renamed the General Staff Academy.^[3] The Academy was in 1994 renamed to the Defense Academy of Albania.^[3] In 1998 the Defense Academy was accepted as a full member of the council of military academies ofNATO.^[3] In 2004, the Defense Academy was renamed theSpiro Moisiu Defense Academy. In early 2012, the Academy was renamed the Academy of the Armed Forces. It consisted of 2 Faculties:^[3]

• 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 formerSkanderbeg Military Academy)

The leaders of this unique institution over the years have been:^[3]

• Major GeneralThoma 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)

• List of universities in Albania
• Quality Assurance Agency of Higher Education
• List of colleges and universities
• List of colleges and universities by country

• Educational institutions established in 1945
• Military units and formations of Albania
• Universities in Albania
• 1945 establishments in Albania
• Military academies of Albania
• Military units and formations established in 1958

• CS1 Albanian-language sources (sq)
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Pages using infobox mapframe with missing coordinates
• Articles using infobox university
• Articles containing Albanian-language text
• Albania articles missing geocoordinate data
• All articles needing coordinates
• Articles missing coordinates without coordinates on Wikidata