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M A G A Z I N E F O R H Q J F C B R U N S S U M - D E C E M B E
R 2 0 17 - J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 8
•EFP BATTLEGROUPS TRAINING IN SILVER ARROW AND IRON WOLF
•NATO BALTIC AIR POLICING AND MARITIME GROUPS IN 2017
•NORWEGIAN ARMED FORCES
JFC BRUNSSUM:
READY!THE HEADQUARTERS IS CERTIFIED TO LEAD NEXT YEAR’S NRF
T H I S M O N T H ’ S F O C U S : H I G H L I G H T S 2 017
JFC BRUNSSUM
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Gëzuar Krishlindjet Vitin e Ri! • Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een
Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! • Chestita Koleda i Shtastliva Nova Godina! •
Sretan Bozic • Gutes neues Jahr • Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year! • Veselé Vánoce a št’astný Nový rok! • Glædelig Jul og godt
nytår! • Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année! • Fröhliche Weihnachten und
ein glückliches Neues Jahr! • Kala Christougenna Ki’eftihismenos O
Kenourios Chronos! • Kellemes karácsonyi ünnepeket és Boldog
újévet! • Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo! • Priecigus
Ziemassvetkus un laimigu Jauno gadu! • Wesolych Swiat i
Szczesliwego Nowego Roku! • Boas Festas e um feliz Ano Novo! •
Craciun fericit si un An Nou fericit! • Vesele Vianoce a stastny
novy rok! • Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo! • Noeliniz Ve Yeni
Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun! • Gleðileg jól og Hamingjusamur Nýtt Ár! •
Vesel božic in srecno novo leto! • Gëzuar Krishlindjet Vitin e Ri!
• Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! • Chestita Koleda i
Shtastliva Nova Godina! • Sretan Bozic • Gutes neues Jahr • Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year! • Veselé Vánoce a št’astný Nový
rok! • Glædelig Jul og godt nytår! • Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année! •
Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein glückliches Neues Jahr! • Kala
Christougenna Ki’eftihismenos O Kenourios Chronos! • Kellemes
karácsonyi ünnepeket és Boldog újévet! • Buon Natale e Felice Anno
Nuovo! • Priecigus Ziemassvetkus un laimigu Jauno gadu! • Wesolych
Swiat i Szczesliwego Nowego Roku! • Boas Festas e um feliz Ano
Novo! • Craciun fericit si un An Nou fericit! • Vesele Vianoce a
stastny novy leto! •
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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M A G A Z I N E F O R H Q J F C B R U N S S U M
2. COMMANDER’SADDRESS
4. HIGHLIGHTS 2017
8. EXERCISE SILVER ARROW
10. EXERCISE IRON WOLF II
12. THE YEAR IN THE MARITIME DOMAIN FOR NATO
14. BALTIC AIR POLICING IN 2017
16. NORWEGIAN ARMED FORCES
18. COMMANDER VISITS THE BALTIC COUNTRIES
20. REMEMBRANCE
22. INTERNATIONAL CHRISTMAS CRAFT MARKET
25. DUTCH NATURAL GAS DISCOVERY
27. VISITS AND ACTIVITIES
28. #WEAREJFCBS
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PHOTO CREDITS:Lithuanian Armed Forces, British Army, Norwegian
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Haugli (Norwegian Armed forces), Sebastian Grünberg (German Armed
Forces), Dana J.Butler, Bera Bartosz (Polish Armed Forces), Frank
Crebas, Pablo Blanco, Christian Timming, Bart Rosselle, Christian
Valverde (NATO Maritime Command), eFP Battlegroups in Latvia,
Lithuania and Estonia, Spc. Brandon Best (US Army Europe), Egdanis
Torres Sierra (Resolute Support Mission)
ABOUT THE COVERKadaga (Latvia), October 2017 — A Spanish soldier
of the enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup leads a ‘Pizarro’
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used during exercise Silver Arrow 17. (Photo: Eriks Kukutis,
Latvian Armed Forces)
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Gëzuar Krishlindjet Vitin e Ri! • Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een
Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! • Chestita Koleda i Shtastliva Nova Godina! •
Sretan Bozic • Gutes neues Jahr • Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year! • Veselé Vánoce a št’astný Nový rok! • Glædelig Jul og godt
nytår! • Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année! • Fröhliche Weihnachten und
ein glückliches Neues Jahr! • Kala Christougenna Ki’eftihismenos O
Kenourios Chronos! • Kellemes karácsonyi ünnepeket és Boldog
újévet! • Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo! • Priecigus
Ziemassvetkus un laimigu Jauno gadu! • Wesolych Swiat i
Szczesliwego Nowego Roku! • Boas Festas e um feliz Ano Novo! •
Craciun fericit si un An Nou fericit! • Vesele Vianoce a stastny
novy rok! • Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo! • Noeliniz Ve Yeni
Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun! • Gleðileg jól og Hamingjusamur Nýtt Ár! •
Vesel božic in srecno novo leto! • Gëzuar Krishlindjet Vitin e Ri!
• Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! • Chestita Koleda i
Shtastliva Nova Godina! • Sretan Bozic • Gutes neues Jahr • Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year! • Veselé Vánoce a št’astný Nový
rok! • Glædelig Jul og godt nytår! • Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année! •
Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein glückliches Neues Jahr! • Kala
Christougenna Ki’eftihismenos O Kenourios Chronos! • Kellemes
karácsonyi ünnepeket és Boldog újévet! • Buon Natale e Felice Anno
Nuovo! • Priecigus Ziemassvetkus un laimigu Jauno gadu! • Wesolych
Swiat i Szczesliwego Nowego Roku! • Boas Festas e um feliz Ano
Novo! • Craciun fericit si un An Nou fericit! • Vesele Vianoce a
stastny novy leto! •
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
CONTENTS DEC. 2017 / JAN. 2018
www.jfcbs.nato.int
Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum@jfcbs
JFC Brunssum (@NATO_JFCBS)
Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum(jfcbrunssum)
NATO JFC Brunssum
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My dear soldiers, sailors, airmen, mariners and civilian
personnel … #WeAreNATO.
As 2017 comes to a close and the holiday season approaches, I
believe it is a good time to reflect upon the many accomplishments
of JFC Brunssum over the past year and look forward to the many
challenges we will face together in 2018. This HQ has continued to
impress me with its diligence, innovation and professionalism and I
am certain that 2018 will continue to be another fruitful year. I
am proud to be in Command of this Joint HQ, which will remain on
the forefront of NATO operations and adaptation efforts, dai-ly
contributing to the cohesion of the Alliance.
Our security situation is as complex as ever. The character of
warfighting has changed. Symmetric threats combined with asymmetric
elements provide a challenge within a challenge. The cyber threat
conti-nues to grow, terrorism and hybrid activi-ties that
increasingly involve the civil ian population have caused
warfighting to be-come more and more blurred. Traditional
adversaries pose an ever more complex en-vironment which requires
flexibility and fo-cus, so that we do not get diverted from our
main effort. We truly must plan and prepare across 360 degrees of
our Alliance, adapting our structure, plans and forces for
tomor-row’s challenge.
Some things remain the same. NATO and JFC Brunssum remain
committed to our three core tasks of Collective Defense, Crisis Man
agement and Cooperative Security. In 2017 we showed this
com-mitment with accomplishments across the breadth of our missions
and activities. I would like to give you a short “year in re-view”
of the many things that JFC Brunssum has done to lead the NATO
alliance to ever “more together!”
We started the year in January com-pleting the project of former
years when we welcomed NATO Force Integration Unit Slovakia as the
last of our 8 NFIUs, com-pleting multiple years of work to ensure
logistical preparedness for forward deploy-ments. Then we jumped
into preparing and
planning for Exercise TRIDENT JAVELIN, a year-long process
culminating in our cer-tification to lead the enhanced NATO
Res-ponse Force in 2018.
In February we began the implementa-tion well ahead of timeline
of the most visi-ble sign of deterrence on our Eastern flank seen
since the Cold War, when the enhan-ced Forward Presence Battlegroup
led by Germany arrived in Lithuania. Less than 7 months since the
Warsaw Summit envisi-oned the deployment of 4 combined-arms
Battlegroups to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland with forces
on the ground con-tributing to deterrence across the Alliance..
Also in February I took the first of two trips to Afghanistan to
personally take stock of the status of the Resolute Support Mission
and gain insight into the challenging situa-tion for inclusion in
our Periodic Mission Re-views on behalf of the mission. I was able
to meet with Afghan leaders such as President Ghani, CEO Abdullah,
Nation al Security Ad-visor Atmar and Defense Min ister Bahrami. I
engaged with RSM Commander Gen Nichol-son and his staff and fully
understand the changing security environment. My appre-ciation for
NATO’s conditions-based appro-ach and the need for a comprehensive
effort across all instruments of national power was reinforced by
ground-truth data that showed improvements in all four areas of the
Afghan Roadmap, particularly in improvement of Afghan National
Defense Force leadership and offensive capabilities. We are truly
sho-wing the insurgents that they cannot win and must meet us at
the negotiating table or face irrelevance!
In March JFCBS hosted Iceland and Norway’s senior leaders to
NATO and im-mediately thereafter I led a delegation from Brunssum
to Oslo and Reykjavik to meet with their Chiefs of Defense to
finalise NATO’s newest planning for the “high North.” Also in March
we celebrated a bitter sweet goodbye to our DCOM, Gen Ale-jandre,
as we bid him farewell to become the new Chief of Defense for
Spain. Less than two months later we welcomed in LTG Campins, who
picked up as my right-hand
man. The following months saw fruitful efforts
building relationships across the alliance. We hosted the NRF
Commanders’ Con-ference with our brothers and sisters from JFC
Naples. We held Key Leader Training Events for hundreds of military
leaders and staffs preparing for deployment to Afghanistan.
On the last day of May we celebrated a milestone event much
closer to home, as I stood alongside Brunssum Mayor Luc Winants to
welcome King Wil-lem-Alexander, NATO Deputy Secretary Ms. Rose
Gottemoeller and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Curtis
Sca-parrotti as they joined us to celebrate the 50th anniversary of
NATO in Brunssum. We spent an unforgettable day surrounded by the
wonderful community of Limburg with ceremony and family fun as
together we sha-red the memor able celebration of our unity,
solidarity and friendship.
June saw the welcome ceremony for the final eFP Battlegroup, led
by Canada, in Latvia. We also welcomed the certifi-cation as “Fully
Operational” the Multi- National Corps-North east HQ. This
mile-stone event solidified the persistent rela-tionship between
JFC Brunssum, a NATO Command Structure entity with its stand-ing
Corps HQ, a NATO Force Structure unit. The growth of this essential
chain of command for the effectiveness of the Battle groups across
the Baltics and Poland contin ues to prove its worth.
We held the 4th Northern Head-quarters Conference in Szekes
fehervar, Hungary to bring together leaders from across
Implementation Area-North. We hosted the eFP Commanders’
Conference, Bi-JFC Vision Conference, bringing toge-ther
stakeholders with the common goal of bolstering NATO’s deterrence
and defence posture.
July was perhaps my proudest moment to lead this HQ, as I was
honoured to accept the Atlantic Council Freedom Award on behalf of
our four Battlegroups and eFP Chain of Command as they recognised
our
COMMANDER’SADDRESSWhat a year … and more to come!
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contribution to “defend and advance the cause of freedom.”
Standing alongside Dr Zbigniew Brzezinski’s son and accepting the
same award offered to such visionary leaders as John McCain,
Hillary Clinton, Guido Westerwelle, Lech Walesa, Václav Havel, and
even former SACEUR Admiral James Stavridis I was delighted to
represent all the men and women from JFCBS, MNC-NE and across the
Battlegroups.
In August we concluded our implemen-tation of the eFP
battlegroups and formally moved into the deterrence phase when the
Battlegroup in Latvia achieved final certifi-cation. This kicked of
our current efforts to use our lessons learned from their
deploy-ment and continued training and exercising as a catalyst for
progress across the Alliance.
In September we bid farewell to our beloved Chief of Staff, Lt
Gen Adamczak, reminding us that over 30% of our staff has changed
out in 2017 alone! It also remind-ed us of the value of our people
and social relationships we have made through the many clubs and
organisations in the area. Whether it is spouses’ club coffees,
national day celebrations, memorials to those who have gone before
us, or just an enjoyable outing with friends (in my case, to the
golf course…although very rarely!) all of us have taken the time
along the way to invest in deep relationships and meaningful
cultural experiences. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of
shared experiences and the familiarity it brings. The life-long
bonds across borders and distance forged here during your time at
JFC Brunssum will for-ever enrich the lives of all who have served
here.
October and November saw our focus shift solely to NRF
certification as we provided High Command inputs for BRIL-LIANT
LEDGER, SWORD, MARINER and ARROW to ensure the integration and
cap-ability of all NRF components. We then closed November with a
successful execu-tion of TRIDENT JAVELIN and a tour of our eFP
Battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania where I passed
SACEUR’s vision for 2018 and beyond and laid out my five
Lines of Effort to be followed to ensure the improved deterrence
capabilities of each unit.
Finally, in December we capped off the year by hosting the
Bi-JFC Vision Conferen-ce where we coordinated with JFC Naples to
take over the 2018 standby responsibility.
What a year…and more to come! 2018 promises to be another
challen-ging year, and I would be remiss if I did not spend a few
words to remind us of some of the challenges that lie ahead.
Shortly I will be issuing my Commander’s Directive for 2018 which
will complement the newly approved Brunssum Operational Approach.
As I have prepared it I cannot help but notice that 100% of my
goals for JFCBS in 2017 were either resoundingly achieved or
significantly advanced. In 2018 our goals will be equally ambitious
and I expect equal results. They will revolve around con-tinued
readiness as standby NRF Joint HQ, con tinued support to the RS
Mission and con tinued improvement of our eFP Battle-groups along
the 5 Lines of Effort. We will continue to invest in relationship
building across the Implementation Area, across ser-vices and
across nationalities. We will con-tinue to adapt and improve our
processes and cap abilities both as a Joint Headquar-ters and
contributing the NATO Command Structure Adaptation efforts at
SHAPE. There is much more to come in 2018, but just like always, we
will complete all of our
efforts “more together”!Now, as we approach the Holiday
season,
I would take the time to encourage you to enjoy a well-deserved
respite with friends and family. Before we enter another high-paced
year, I entreat you to spend qual ity time focused on family and
refreshment during the holidays. Europe offers a myriad of
travelling opportunities and beauti-ful experiences to be had! This
is the time to spend quality time together and put the cares of
service aside for a time so that you may return resilient and
prepared for what-ever challenge may face you, whether it be
deployment, exercise or simply the daily grind. Our families are so
important, and I appreciate the increasing presence of spouses and
children at the many social events throughout the year and
especially now as we celebrate our many different cul-tural
traditions during this festive season. They have brought a greater
sense of fam-ily and cohesion to the wider Brunssum family and I
hope you will spend a joyful time with them during the holiday
break.
In closing, I personally want to salute your fantastic efforts
this past year and I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas,
nice Holiday Season and a joyful New Year!
General Salvatore FarinaAllied JFC Brunssum Commander
General Salvatore Farina takes a look back to 2017 with all
JFCBS achievements and tells us what challenges are
ahead for 2018.
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HIGHLIGHTS 2017
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HIGHLIGHTS 2017
The year about to end has been memorable for JFC Brunssum: on
the forefront of NATO operations and adaptation efforts, the
Headquarters in 2017 showed its commitment to our three
core tasks of Collective Defense, Crisis Management and
Cooperative Security.
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Latvia –
F rom 16 to 29 October, more than 3,500 troops from Al-bania,
USA, Estonia, Italy, Canada, Latvia, UK, Poland, Slovenia, Spain
and Germany took part in the multinational military exercise
‘SILVER ARROW 2017’ in Latvia, at the Ādaži Training Area and in
the Ape, Gulbene and Alūksne regions. Around 200 National Guard and
30 reserve soldiers took part in the exercise to enhance and
refresh their military knowledge and skills.
The main goal of the exercise was to en-hance the
interoperability between Nation-al Armed Forces and Allied troops,
and to conduct integrated joint planning, defence operation
training and combat support ele-ment training.
The National Armed Forces integrated MOBILISATION EXERCISE 2017
into SILVER ARROW 2017 — mobilisation no-tices were sent out for
specific support to the exercise, for example, to move military
vehicles or to ensure road maintenance. The exercise also coincided
with another drill — army reserve training.
The Canadian-led NATO enhanced For-ward Presence (eFP) Battle
Group Latvia
joined SILVER ARROW 2017. Self-propel-led artillery systems
M109A5Oe Type A ho-witzers, recently bought by Latvia from
Aus-tria, were also revealed during the exercise.
“NATO eFP battle group soldiers, with their vehicles and
equipment, trained shoul-der to shoulder with the Land Forces
Mecha-nised Infantry Brigade. The primary aim was to boost
interoperability as, typically, there is a lot of
cross-fertilisation tak ing place during joint training and
exercises. Participating nations efficiently tackled tactical
challenges by cooperating closely, confirming that com-mand
teamwork is good and that common military protocols work well. We
think SIL-VER ARROW 2017 was a success,” stressed
EXERCISE SILVER ARROW
LAN
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eFP
Story by Major Mairita Senkevicina, PA Department of the
Ministry of Defence of Latvia Photos by Latvian Armed Forces
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Brigadier General Ivo Mogiļnijs, Chief of Staff of the National
Armed Forces Joint Headquarters.
“There is no doubt that NATO eFP Battle Group Latvia has managed
to successfully integrate into Land Forces Mechanised Infantry
Brigade. This military exercise is held annually, yet the main task
this year was to complete the merging of NATO eFP Battle Group
Latvia and Land Forces Me-chanised Infantry Brigade, which began
almost 6 months ago. I am happy with the result and successful
completion of the integration process,” underlined Colonel Ilmārs
Atis Lejiņš, Commander of Land Forces Mechanised Infantry
Brigade.
“Undeniably, as became apparent during the combined training,
the ability of the Na-tional Armed Forces to protect Latvia has
grown significantly. Moreover, NATO eFP Battle Group Latvia,
together with other NATO eFP Battle Groups in Estonia, Lithua-nia
and Poland, can be an important additi-on in case of crisis. This
training is yet more proof of Land Forces Mechanised Infantry
Brigade’s role in making the decisive blow, no matter who the
opponent is. We are like a skilful and fierce fighter. And now,
when our allies are here to support us, we have become even
stronger. We are united, just as our motto says: together we are a
force,” said Colonel Lejiņš.
SILVER ARROW 2017 is a military exer-cise hosted by Land Forces
Mechanised Infantry Brigade.
Military exercise SILVER ARROW began as series of national
military manoeuvres, however, in 2014 numerous Allied and part-ner
countries joined the exercise and it be-came multinational.
EXERCISE SILVER ARROWNational Armed Forces and Allied troops
show unity
and ability to work closely together during Silver Arrow
military exercise in Latvia
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Lithuania –
Preparation for IRON WOLF II had developed through se-veral
steps aimed at optimi-zing co-operation and com-munication,
combining Lithuanian capabilities with those of the Multi-Nation al
Battle Group, in order to form a cohesive NATO-stronghold in the
Baltics. Exercises WILD WOLF and ENGINEER THUNDER marked 2 major
steps towards the certification of combat readiness.
Operations and tacticsLights are dimmed within the Battle
Group’s command post. Tactical information is displayed on
monitors. Multinational command post personnel work intensively on
tactical maps. Cryptographic channels of communication are used.
Continuous assessment of the situation is followed by precise
orders. During computer aided exercise (CAX) WILD WOLF, the Battle
Group’s staff is confronted with an enemy whose movements and
actions are realistically simulated though electronic means. The
exercise’s aim: to train command post capabilities. Effective
communication procedures and command structures are
decisive elements for success in battle.
Combination of capabilitiesA Lithuanian community occupied by
(sim-ulated) hostile forces. In the training sce-nario the enemy
has unexpectedly crossed Lithuania’s state border. The Battle
Group’s combined forces from Belgium, Germany, Luxemburg, the
Netherlands and Norway, together with their Lithuanian comrades,
have contained the first wave of attack. The enemy was ‘fixed’ and
fortified its posi tion with obstacles ranging from fences to mine
fields. While Lithuanian mechanised infan-try conducts covering
fire, the Battle Group’s engineers demolish fences, cut tracks
into
EXERCISE IRON WOLF II
LAN
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eFP
Story by eFP Battlegroup Lithuania Media-Service Photos by eFP
Battlegroup Lithuania, German Armed Forces, Norwegian Armed
forces
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the minefield and bridge antitanktrenches. Together they force
their way into the set-tlement and finally drive the enemy out.
During Exercise ENGINEER THUNDER, Lithuanian infantry and
multinational en-gineers formed a dynamic fightingalliance.
Keep NATO territory freeIRON WOLF II finally proves the value of
preliminary training. The scenario’s first phase shows a delay
operation. An appro-aching enemy is hindered from advancing into
Lithuanian territory. The hostile for-ces’ foray is slowed down by
surprise at-tacks from wellcamouflaged positions, weakening the
enemy and finally bringing
them to a standstill. The second phase then sees counter-attack
operations as collec-tive defense, naturally, includes the task to
drive hostile forces out of NATO-territory.
Through heavy terrain …So far the heavy terrain that defines
Lithua-nia’s landscape has bolstered enemy defen-sive actions. Now
the Battle Groups mixed assets, ranging from armored infantry to
“Leopard II” main-battle-tanks (MBTs), provided by the Dutch,
Germans and Nor-wegians also prove to be effective in counter
attack. This combination of capabilities and skill finally forces
the enemy to retreat.
… to approvalIRON WOLF II has led to the Battle Group’s
combatreadiness certification. It gives evi-dence of the effective
multinational cooperation between eFP Battle Group Lithuania and
the Lithuanian IRON WOLF Brigade. “We stand together and we defend
side by side,” states Lieutenant Colonel Thorsten Gensler, the
German Battle Group Com-mander. “With further exercises we are now
going to consolidate our common capabi-lities as we will continue
to foster multi-national comradeship.”
EXERCISE IRON WOLF II
Exercise IRON WOLF II has recently marked the culmination of
enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Lithuania’s second
rotation. Excellent co-operation with Lithuania’s armed forces
has led to battle-readiness-certification. These manoeuvres had
been
prepared for through intensive previous training.
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017 was a busy year for NATO land forces, mainly due to the
multinational deployment of the “enhanced Forward Pres-
ence” to the eastern flank of the Alli-ance. NATO’s Air
Component is con-stantly engaged in the Air Policing mission and
numerous exercises ai-ming to further advance their inter
operability with the other compo-nents. Because of its very nature,
the maritime domain is seldom visible. So here is a short summary
of the continuous effort of our colleagues in “dark blue,”
comprising NATO’s maritime component.
Standing NATO Groups:NATO has 2 maritime immediate reac-tion
forces: the Standing NATO Maritime
Groups (SNMGs): comprised of SNMG1 and SNMG2, and the Standing
NATO Mine Countermeasures Groups (SNMCMG): comprised of SNMCMG1 and
SNMCMG2.
Throughout the year these 4 groups sail around Europe conducting
operations, exercises and contributing to NATO’s readi-ness in the
maritime domain. Over the last 12 months, ships belonging to all 4
groups visited 82 ports in 31 countries (including 8 outside NATO).
They also participated in 20 major naval exercises and 12
historical ordnance disposal (HOD) operations in the Baltic Sea and
the Mediterranean.
The Standing NATO Maritime Groups are a multinational,
integrated maritime force made up of vessels from various allied
countries. These vessels, including their air assets, are
permanently available to NATO to perform different tasks, ranging
from
participation in exercises, to intervention on operational
missions. These groups provide NATO with a continuous maritime
capa-bility for operations and other activities in peacetime and in
periods of crisis/conflict. They also help to establish the
Alliance pre-sence, demonstrate solidarity, conduct rou-tine
diplomatic visits to different countries, support NATO
transformation, and provide a variety of military maritime
capabilities to ongoing missions.
Operation Sea Guardian:Operation Sea Guardian is a standing
Maritime Security Operation with 3 main tasks: Maritime Situational
Awareness, Counter-Terrorism and Regional Capacity Building. As a
standing operation it is con-tinually active through a network of
ships and maritime operations centres, provid-
Story by Lt. Cdr. Piotr Wojtas, JFC Brunssum PAOPhotos by
MARCOM
2017 IN THE MARITIME DOMAIN FOR NATO
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2017 IN THE MARITIME DOMAIN FOR NATO A short summary of the
continuous effort of our colleagues in “dark blue,” comprising
NATO’s maritime component.
ing information about Maritime Situational Awareness. This
baseline is augmented by Focused Operations (FOs) that concentrate
on specific areas of interest.
FOs have various types of assets dedi-cated to them (under NATO
operational control) for developing and maintaining an accurate
picture of daily activity in va-rious parts of the Mediterranean
Sea. This information builds ‘Maritime Situational Awareness’,
which is shared across the Al-liance and can be used to help
identify pos-sible security concerns, while at the same time
increasing cooperation, flexibility and strength through unified
effort.
Submarine Escape Exercise — Dynamic Monarch:Once every 3 years
NATO conducts an exer-cise designed to demonstrate
multinational
submarine rescue cooperation and interoper-ability. Centred
around the International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office
(ISMERLO), which is an international hub for information and
coordination on subma-rine rescue, the exercise promotes the
sharing of ‘Submarine Escape and Rescue’–related knowledge amongst
worldwide partners.
This year, Exercise DYNAMIC MO-NARCH was conducted off the coast
of Turkey. It was a multi-national and multi-layer exercise that
included 9 NATO Allies participating with either assets or
person-nel, running multiple scenarios focused on both support to
escaping submariners and the rescue of submariners trapped in a
submarine at depth. In total, the exercise included approximately
1,000 personnel, 3 submarines, 4 submarine rescue ships with US
submarine rescue chambers and NATO
Submarine Rescue System onboard. Addi-tionally, 4 patrol boats,
4 aircraft (helicop-ters, Maritime Patrol Aircraft and a C-130),
diving and medical teams, and a Submarine Parachute Assistance
Group took part.
The maritime component has also sup-ported the eFP deployment
this year by es-corting civilian vessels that are transporting
military equipment across the Baltic Sea. The Commander of JFC
Brunssum is currently promoting his vision on the Alliance’s
enhan-ced Forward Presence, which he described as a ‘catalyst for
(wider NATO) progress’. Ac-cording to this plan, the land-based eFP
bat-tlegroups will integrate their deterrence and defence efforts
with both air and maritime assets to fully enable their joint
military ca-pabilities. We are therefore looking forward, in
expectation that 2018 will be even more demanding for the maritime
domain.
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Story by Allied Air Command PAOPhotos by B.Bartosz, B.Rosselle,
C.Timmig, P.Blanco, F.Crébas, J.Butler
W hen the Baltic States joined NATO in the spring of 2004, the
airspace over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania became Al-lied
airspace. Since the three Baltic States do not have the necessary
air capabilities to conduct peacetime Air Policing, an agreement
was establis-hed to ensure the same standard of airspace security
within SACEUR’s area of responsibility. This special case of Air
Policing was termed Bal-tic Air Policing, and since 2004 NATO
Allies have continuously taken turns in providing fighter jets to
safeguard
the airspace in the Baltic region. The jets take off from the
Lithuanian Air Force Base at Šiauliai in the north west of the
country.
In 2014, in response to the Russian illegal annexation of
Crimea, the Allies decided to introduce Assurance Measures with the
goal to demonstrate the collective resolve and defensive nature of
the Alliance and deter Russia from aggression or the threat of
aggression against NATO Allies. Under these Assurance Measures, a
second base for enhanced Air Policing was opened at Ämari, Estonia,
and has since seen the con-tinuous deployment of a second
augmen-
ting detachment of Allied fighter aircraft.So far, 17 NATO
nations have partici-
pated in the Baltic Air Policing mission, which is a standing
peacetime mission and as such an important confidencebuilding
measure to demonstrate Alliance solidarity and resolve to both
current members and Partners and future potential members.
NATO takes its responsibility to ensure safety and integrity of
its airspace very seriously. When an aircraft approaches NATO’s
airspace without prior coordination or planning, both commercial
and military air traffic could be placed in danger. In such cases,
NATO’s Combined Air Opera-tions Centres (CAOCs) launch alert
aircraft
AIR BALTIC AIR POLICING IN 2017
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NATO fighter jets have been safeguarding Baltic skies all
throughout the year
within minutes to fly up to visually identify the unclear
situation and assist as required. All scrambles are conducted with
NATO-assigned aircraft.
NATO’s 24/7 Air Policing mission over the territory of European
Allies rests under the oversight and guidance of Allied Air Command
while the mission is executed by the two CAOC at Uedem, Germany,
and Torrejon, Spain. The CAOCs monitor the whole operation and
report to Allied Air Command where all information about
in-tercepts is registered in the Air Policing and Reporting
section.
Baltic Air Policing in 2017
Lead Nation at Šiauliai, LTU
Augmenting Nation at Ämari, EST
January to April Netherlands, F-16 jets Germany, Eurofighter
jets
May to August Poland, F-16 jets Spain, F-18 jets
September to December United States, F-15 jets Belgium, F-16
jets
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Story by Colonel Rune Haugdal, JFC Brunssum Norwegian Senior
National RepresentativePhotos by Norwegian Ministry of Defence, eFP
Battlegroup Lithuania, Lithuanian Armed Forces
T he Norwegian Armed Forces provide for Norway’s national
security, and are divided into five branches: the Army, the Navy,
the Air Force, the Home Guard and the Cyber Defence and a number of
joint departments.
The formal Commander-in-Chief is King Harald V; and the Chief of
Defence is Ad-miral Haakon Bruun-Hansen who is also the top
military advisor for the Ministry of Defence. The Norwegian Joint
Headquar-ters (NJHQ), is located in North Norway, is responsible
for planning and commanding the Armed Forces operations NJHQ was a
participant in the recent exercise Trident Javelin 2017.
Budget and PersonnelThe defence budget for 2017 amounts to a
total of 4,85 billion EURO. This constitutes
the largest per capita defence budget among European NATO allies
and is among the 10 largest defence budgets in Europe.
The Armed Forces have about 16,500 employees; 11,500 of them are
military and 5,000 are civilians. Norway is the first European and
first NATO country to make military service compulsory for both
gen-ders. We have annually 7000 conscripts, and of those 16 %
females.
ArmyThe Army’s role is to operate on land and control territory
and people, if necessary with force. During international
operations the army’s units have proved their relevance in every
area from armed conflicts to huma-nitarian emergencies. The
backbone of the Army is the Brigade North providing mo-dern warfare
combined arms capabilities.
Air ForceThe Royal Norwegian Air Force utilises mo-dern warfare
capacities, but are into a re-placement process with fighters and
MPAs. The F-16 will be replaced by 52 F-35, and the three first F35
have arrived in Norway, and a new era in Norwegian F-35 history has
begun. The MPA P-3 Orion will soon be replaced by P-8 Poseidon
aircraft. The Air
Force also has a strong focus towards inter-national operations
but collective defence is absolutely a priority.
NavyThe Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN) cele-brated its 200th
anniversary last year. Main naval units include the frigates,
submari-nes, corvettes and MCMVs. The Norwegian Coast Guard is
organised within the RNoN to ensure synergies with respect to
educa-tion, manning and maintenance.
Home GuardThe Home Guard’s task is to protect the lo-cal
population and the essential functions of society. This includes
helping to main-tain Norwegian sovereignty, national crisis
management, the reception of allied rein-forcements and
contributing to the safety and security of society. Home Guard
ope-rations are often integrated with the land, naval and air
force.
Cyber Defence ForceThe Cyber Defence Force was established as
its own branch on 18 September 2012 responsible for military
communications and defensive and offensive cyberwarfare in Norway.
The Cyber Defence runs, secu-
NORWEGIAN ARMED FORCES
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res and defends the Armed Forces’ compu-ter systems, networks
and high-technology platforms from attacks in and from cyber
domain. The Cyber Defence also provides other military departments
with sensor and radar data.
Special ForcesNorwegian Special Forces (NORSOF) con-sists of the
Norwegian Special Operations Command (NORSOCOM) and two sub units;
the Norwegian Special Operations Commando (NORSOC) and the
Norwe-gian Navy Special Operations Commando (NORNAVSOC). In
addition the RNoAF Special Operations Air Squadron is de-dicated to
support NORSOFs missions. NORSOF is relevant across the full range
of military operations and is on standby for national crisis
response in support of the Norwegian police and on high readiness
for operations abroad. NORSOF core activities are special
reconnaissance, direct action and military assistance. NORSOF main
de-ployments have been to Afghanistan and the Middle-East.
Cold Weather OperationsCold Weather Operations are an important
part of Norwegian Armed Forces operati-
ons, and Norway is a long and rugged coun-try, with great
opportunities for winter training and education. Years of training
and operating in harsh, arctic winter con-ditions have given the
Norwegian Armed Forces great expertise and knowledge on winter
operations. The Centre of Excel-lence for Cold Weather Operations
(COE-CWO) has been prepared to accommodate a variety of
requirements – from individual training to unit level training,
certification, courses, seminars, literature or advice. The Centre
conducts its own research in sup-port of the Alliance’s
transformation effort, and is prepared to support Concept
Deve-lopment and Experimentation (CDE) initi-atives from our allies
or partners.
TrainingTraining and exercises with Allied and Part-ners are key
elements in our armed forces activities. And in 2018, Norway will
host NATO’s high-visibility exercise Trident Juncture. Tens of
thousands of soldiers are expected to participate in the major
exerci-se. This will be a major, high-visibility exer-cise in the
Alliance’s northernmost area. As NATO’s military action in
Afghanistan winds down, it is important for the Alliance to keep up
its military cooperation, and
continue integrating the skills and the ex-perience it gained
during many years of in-ternational operations With 35,000 troops
from around 30 nations, exercise Trident Juncture 2018 in Norway
will be an impor-tant milestone for NATO. Renewed focus on the
alliance’s core, collective defence, will be key and with
large-scale exercises we can demonstrate our capacity and uphold
our credibility.
International Operations International Operations have been a
cen-tral part of the Norwegian Armed Forces’ operations – from the
brigades in Germany in the late 1940s, to complex and advanced
military operations in Afghanistan in the 2000s. Today, several
hundred people from the Norwegian Armed Forces work all over the
globe on behalf of the UN, multinatio-nal coalitions and NATO.
Personnel from the Norwegian Armed Forces participate in several
international operations in the Mid-dle East, MINUSMA in Mali, the
UNMISS mission in South Sudan, MFO in Egypt and military
contribution to the international coalition established to counter
ISIL in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition Norway is participating
in the enhanced Forward Pre-sence in Lithuania.
NORWEGIAN ARMED FORCES Norway’s National Security Providers
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Enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroups are nested un-der, and
work on a daily basis with, the national brigades of the respective
countries in which they are based. In reality, all these
battlegroups are considered by their host nation to be additional
battalions adjoined to the existing defense struc-ture. When
visiting the 3 Baltic States the JFCBS commander met with both the
national brigade and the eFP Bat-tlegroup commanders, who shared
their impressions of the current state of the deployment and the
way ahead for 2018.
From 01 January 2018, JFCBS will be on permanent standby for the
NATO Response Force (NRF18), whilst eFP will remain one of its
primary efforts as part of a broader capability picture. From the
operational perspective, the integration of NATO’s high readiness
forces with national assets is one of the keys to fulfil their
mission.
NATO Force Integration Units (NFIUs) located in all 3 countries
played a vital role in the preparation and the deployment of
eFP
troops this year. In his meetings with NFIU Commanders, General
Farina stressed the role that these units play in ensuring a
seamless transition of troops into the nati-ons, on a rotational
basis. New countries are volunteering and substituting troops for
those which are not planning to extend their mission, so the effort
to integrate new-comers is equally important for troops from
outside and for those already settled in the eFP realm. During his
visit to all 3 countries, General Farina also met the soldiers
within the battlegroups and thanked them for their service.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, General Farina also met
with the highest military representatives of all 3 countries: Chief
of Defence–General Jonas Vytau-tas Žukas and the Chief of the Joint
Staff– Major General Vitalijus Vaikšnoras in Lithuania; Chief of
Defense–Lieutenant General Leonĩds Kalninš in Latvia and the Deputy
Commander of Estonian Defense Forces–Brigadier General Indrek Sirel
in Estonia. The Estonian Chief of Defence visi-ted Commander JFCBS
later the same week in Brunssum (this story can be found on the
next page). The main theme of the mee-
tings was Commander JFCBS expressing his appreciation to the
host nations for their ef-forts in modernisation, the improvement
of their capabilities and their outstand ing sup-port given to eFP
battlegroups, as part of their efforts to guarantee both security
and defense in the region.
Throughout his visit, General Farina presented his operational
vision of the Al-liance’s enhanced Forward Presence, des-cribed as
a ‘catalyst for progress.’ The Com-mander wants to use these
deployments, not only as a blueprint for possible future
de-ployments within NATO, but as an opportu-nity to find better
solutions for interoperabi-lity between all the nations. Addi
tionally, the battlegroups — being the land component of NATO’s
deterrence and defence posture in the east — should expand their
integration with both air and maritime assets in order to create
joint effects. The Commander also emphasised 5 lines of effort that
JFC Bruns-sum would pursue to achieve this, including Capability
and Requirement Devel opment, Cross Domain Collaboration and
Contribu-tion, Training and Exercise Synchronisa-tion, Integrated
Defence Planning, and Joint Situational Awareness.
COMMANDER JFC BRUNSSUM VISITS THE BALTIC STATES
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Story and Photos by Lt. Cdr. Piotr Wojtas, JFC Brunssum PAO
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COMMANDER JFC BRUNSSUM VISITS THE BALTIC STATES
During his visit in Brunssum on November 24, Estonian Chief of
Defence–General Riho Terras presented JFCBS Commander with the
Distin-guished Service Medal. During the ceremony, the Estonian
ChoD said: “In Estonia we celebra-te our Armed Forces Day, and one
of traditions is to recognise contributions from outside of our
structure. I thank you, General Farina, for your personal
leadership that steered this headquar-ters onto your current
direction, and I thank you and the whole HQ, for your great
effort.” Gene-ral Terras added, “There is also a saying in
Es-tonia: If I know who stands behind me, I’m not afraid to look
ahead, and I present you with this medal for your contribution to
strengthening Estonian national defence.”
The visit of Estonian delegation to Joint Force Command Brunssum
occurred just af-ter General Farina’s enhanced Forward Pre-sence
visit to three Baltic States (see the pre-vious page). The subject
of eFP was broadly discussed and the Commander JFC Brunssum
reiterated his appreciation for the military ca-pacity and
capability of Estonian Defense For-ces to support the eFP
deployment.
The discussions in Brunssum revolved around current processes,
procedures and plans for the nearest future that concern
stra-tegic-level command and Estonian Defence
Forces. Since JFC Brunssum will soon take over the lead of NATO
Response Force 2018 (NRF18), Estonia’s contribution to various NATO
structures and next year’s schedule of exercises were broadly
discussed.
The Distinguished Service Decoration of the Estonian Defence
Forces was established by the Chief of the Defence Forces Won the
oc-casion of the 80th anniversary of the Estonian National Defence
Forces and to give recogni-tion to military accomplishments and
services in the field of national defence. The Defence Forces
Decoration may be awarded to the Es-tonian citizens, members of the
Defence Forces and civilians, as well as to foreign citizens. The
Defence Forces’ Decoration denotes recogni-tion for help and award
for outstanding merits, as well as inspiration for further
aspirations.
The Defence Forces’ Decoration is made of silver. The symbols of
the badge commemorate the struggle for independence of the Estonian
state and the people, especially stressing the role of the national
military forces during the formation of the independent state. The
form of the cross is a reference to Christianity, cha-racteristic
to the Estonians’ world outlook, and to the firm belief in their
ideas. The Defence Forces’ Decoration is awarded by the Chief of
the Defence Forces.
From 20–23 November 2017, the Commander of JFC Brunssum visited
3 enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroups in Lithuania, Latvia and
Estonia, also meeting with the
commanders of the entities cooperating with NATO’s
deployment.
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ESTONIAN DEFENCE FORCES DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL FOR THE
COMMANDER JFC BRUNSSUM
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Stories by Captain Linda Schrader, JFC Brunssum PAOPhotos by
Adj. Leo Roos, JFC Brunssum PAO
Brunssum, 11 November 2017In conjunction with The Foundation of
the Brunssum War Cemetery, the British contingent of JFC Brunssum
joined the local Dutch community to pay respect to those who have
died in conflict.
The British War cemetery in Brunssum contains 328 graves and, as
such, is one of the biggest British War Cemeteries in the Province
of Limburg. This is the 99th successive year in which these brave
ser-vicemen, who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could enjoy
peace, have been honored.
Sittard, 12 November 2017Once again the Sittard War Graves
Com-mittee organised a hugely successful remembrance ceremony
starting at St Peter’s Church in the town center before moving to
the Commonwealth War Ceme-tery, Ophoven.
This occasion marked the 71st comme-moration in Sittard since
the end of WWII and the 50th year that the Sittard War Graves
Committee, the Mayor and com-munity of Sittard have come together
with members of JFC Brunssum to pay respect to the fallen.
Haelen, 16 November 2017In a touching ceremony the annual
inter-national service of remembrance took place at the Monument of
Tolerance in front of the Leudal Museum in Haelen, Limburg.
The monument of Tolerance was un-veiled on the 8th March 2001 to
commemo-rate allied service pers onnel who had fallen during the
war years 19401945; specifical-ly the 687 military from 11
different nations (Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech
Republic, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands, the United
King-dom and United States of America), who lost their lives in the
Leudal area. In the centre of the monument a CD-Rom is dis-played
detailing all information but a visit to the museum will enlighten
further.
REMEMBERING THE FALLEN
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Brunssum
Sittard
Haelen
They shall grow not old as we that are left grow oldAge shall
not weary them nor the years condemnAt the going down of the sun
and in the morning We will remember them. – Laurence Binyon
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REMEMBERING THE FALLENIn November representatives from JFC
Brunssum participated in the
Remembrance ceremonies across the Netherlands as a sign of
respect for those who gave their lives during any war.
History of the PoppyThe poppy as a symbol of remembrance was
inspired by the First World War poem “In Flanders’ Fields,” written
by a Canadian medical officer, Colonel John McCrae. Since then the
Poppy Appeal has been a key annual event for many of the
Commonwealth nations. The Flanders Poppy was first described as the
“Flower of Remembrance” by
Colonel McCrae, who had previously served in the Boer War. At
the second battle of Ypres in 1915, during a lull in battle, he
wrote the following:
In Flanders FieldsIn Flanders’ fields the poppies blow Between
the crosses, row on row, That mark our place: and in the sky The
larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns
below.
We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset
glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders’ fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe; To you from failing hands we
throw The torch; be yours to hold it high, If ye break faith with
us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders’
Fields.
In May 1918 Colonel McCrae was brought, as a stretcher case, to
a hospital on the coast of France. One evening he was wheeled to
his balcony to look towards the cliffs of Dover. The verses were
obviously in his mind, for he told his doctor: “Tell them this, If
ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep.”
That same night, Colonel McCrae died. At 11:00 on November 11th,
the last shot of the war was fired.
For many years Armistice Day was observed on the 11th November,
but this has now been replaced by a service on Remembrance Sunday,
held on the second Sunday in November.
Influenced by the efforts of an American lady — Miss Moina
Michael, who in 1918 first wore a poppy in remembrance — the French
Secretary, Madame Guerin, had a practical idea. She visited various
parts of the world to suggest that poppies be sold to help
ex-servicemen and their dependents.
As a result, the first ever Poppy Day was held in Britain on
November 11th 1921. The poppies were obtained from a French
organisation, which used the profits to help children affected by
the war.
Around the same time, Field Marshal Earl Haig had become the
President of the newly formed British Legion and took up the cause
of giving practical help to ex-servicemen, war-widows and
dependents.
To this aim, in 1922, five disabled ex-servicemen started making
poppies in a room over a South London shop. The Royal British
Legion’s work continues today in modern premises in Surrey, where
50 disabled ex-servicemen are employed in the manufacture of 30
million poppies, wreaths and remembrance crosses. Today much of the
funds raised go to supporting veterans of more recent
conflicts.
Bleuet de FranceIn 1918, the end of the First World War left
behind more than 20 million wounded and disabled unable to work
anymore. During this post-war period, all the country’s efforts are
mobilized for an economic, human and material reconstruction. At
the same time,
associations and solidarity initiatives started to develop: This
is the context where the Bleuet de France is born.
TheCornflowerassymbolofanewstartforthewounded soldiersThe
history of the Bleuet de France begins in 1925, in the National
Institution of Invalides where two nurses, Charlotte Malleterre
(daughter of the commander of the Hôtel des Invalides) and Suzanne
Leenhardt, organized (for the war wounded) workshops where
cornflower badges were made from tissue paper.
These were sold to the public, and the money collected
provided the men a small income. The cornflowers gradually
became a symbol of the rehabilitation of soldiers.
Therefore, it was decided, on the occasion of the 11th November
1934, to sell for the first time the cornflower made by the
veterans to the public all over Paris: 128,000 flowers were
sold!
This success was followed by national recognition, as in 1935
France decided to have an official sale of the Bleuet de France
every November 11th and May 8th (decided in 1957 after the Second
World War).
TheCornflowerastheofficialsymboloftheRemembranceWhy this choice?
Several hypotheses…– As legacy of the trenches and the name given
by the elders
“Poilus” to the novice soldiers in blue uniforms: “cornflower” –
The flower continued to grow on the fields of battle despite
the chaos. – In tribute to the blue, first color, of the French
flag.
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Story by Caroline Sawbridge, JFC Brunssum International Club
Photo’sbyAdj.LeoRoos,JFCBrunssumPAO
All for one and one for all.” That could have been the motto for
the men and women who gathered together on Tuesday 28 Novem-ber.
All had worked tirelessly in the days leading up to this event,
baking and mak-ing a myriad of items for the annual JFC Brunssum
International Club Christmas Crafts Market. Stalls were creaking
under the weight of their wonderful creations. Everything from fine
macramé jewellery to moose-milk was on offer. Items hand-crafted
and reflecting the traditions and culture of the different nations
taking part.
Doors opened at 10am and visitors from all walks of NATO and
local life poured in. The atmosphere was as sparkly as the
decorations. The ‘Crafty Café’ of-
fered an astounding range of hot and cold pastries, soups,
drinks and cakes, again reflecting the na tions and regions of the
International Club members. Lunch could be enjoyed while watching
the brilliant Tri-border Brass Band, who had people tapping and
singing along to a suitably eclectic playlist.
Some stalls ran raffles. Some offered samples of the food or
drink on sale. Within moments of its appearance: “have you tried
the chocolate liquor?!”, rippled through the crowd (it sold out in
minutes). But all there had one goal in mind: working toge-ther to
raise as much money as possible for the 13 charities chosen by Club
Members this year. Hus-bands, wives, senior officers, friends and
family — all united to support each other’s causes. It is the very
essence of the International Club and proves, once again, that
working together works.
UPDATE: Funds raised at the Crafts Market are still being
counted but run in to the thousands.
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTMAS CRAFT MARKET
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Mitzi Larsen is chairperson for the JFCB International club this
year. Before taking on this role, Mitzi was a member of the club.
As part of Scandinavian Delegation, she worked on the club board,
together with the team of board members and other volunteers, to
make the club year as eventful as possible. We met to talk at one
of the two big events in the International Club calendar, the
Charity Craft Market.
It’sreallygoodtomeetyou,Mitzi.Can you tell me a bit about the
history of the International Club?The International Club was
established in 1970, so we turn 48 in January. It was then, and
still remains, an international group of members, spouses and
partners who hold NATO identification cards. We have members from
19 different nations at the moment, from far and wide in the local
community.
Why was the Club set up?It was a way of connecting people from
different nations to engender friendship, support, and an
under-standing of different cultures. Beyond that, we also raise
money for charities from across those nations. The chari-ties are
chosen by our members. Last year, we raised an amazing €12,000. It
makes me very proud to be part of that, and to be part of such an
amazing team of board and club members.
What has been happening recently?As well as planning and
preparing a whole raft of events throughout the year, we have been
reviewing ways to improve communication and get more members even
more involved. We have
a new, clearer logo and soon we’ll have a really simple,
collaborative website, which will hopefully help people plan. There
is always something to be part of with the International Club!
What events are coming up?Today (28 November) it is our Crafts
Market! I look forward to this every year because our members work
really hard to produce the most wonderful gifts and food, typical
of their nations. Every month we have ‘Coffee & Culture’
mornings, hosted by different nations. The effort that goes in
those is remarkable. We just had a full-blown USA/Canadian
Thanksgiving… there was so much food!
The next big event is our Charity Night on 13th April. This year
we have the theme ‘1950s.’ As well as dinner, live music, and lots
of dancing, we’ll have a raffle and lots of fun together raising
money for our charities. It’s perhaps worth me saying now: If
anyone is able to donate a raffle prize, we would love to hear from
them!
HowcanIfindoutmore?While our new website is being final-ised,
the best way is to find out more is to email us at
[email protected].
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTMAS CRAFT MARKETNations unite to fundraise
for charity. The traditional Christmas
craft market is also an opportunity to know more about the JFC
Brunssum International Club through an interview with
the club Chairperson, Mitzi Larsen.
INTERVIEW WITH THE JFC BRUNSSUM INTERNATIONAL CLUB
CHAIRPERSONInterview and photos byJFC Brunssum PAO
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ANIMAL HOTEL ABDISSENBOSCHThe address where your pets feel at
home
Vogelzankweg 230 • NL-6374 AH Landgraaf • Tel +31 (0)45 531 72
17www.dierenhotelabdissenbosch.nl (also in English)
The moment to say thank you has arrived. We wish you and your
pets, happiness, love, but mostly peace in this magical
season of the year, and a happy/beastly 2018!
DAYCARE
New cat-place where your cat can move freely.Roomy outside
place, playgrounds, central heated.
Grooming salon, also D-I-Y washsalon for pets.
Opening hours: Mo-Sa 08.00-12.00 and 16.00-19.00Sundays and
holidays closed for bringing in or picking-up.
Reserve on time due to the holiday season.
41YEARS
Audi Zentrum AachenJacobs Automobile GmbH & Co. KGLandstraße
48 + 50 · 52511 GeilenkirchenFon (02451) 98 700 · Fax (02451) 6 67
[email protected] · www.jacobs-gruppe.de
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Gerd CaronSales consultantF (02451) 9870-25
Pascal SchürenSales consultantF (02451) 9870-594
Sebastian GhislainSales consultantF (02451) 9870-26
Karl-Heinz PurrioLocation manager AudiF (02451) 9870-38
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DUTCH NATURAL GAS DISCOVERYHow this resource impacted on
Limburg’s mining industry and NATO
HO
ST N
ATI
ON
Story By Ed Frieser
T his year the headquarters celebrated its fiftieth an-niversary
being in the city of Brunssum. Prior to the headquarters’
inauguration in 1967, a drastic change in the Dutch energy
situation took place. This change af-fected the mining industry in
Sou-th-Limburg. Ultimately it made the transfer of our headquarters
from Fontainebleau to Brunssum possible to take its new seat in the
former Sta-te Mine Hendrik.
Natural gas discovery Already in 1959, the ‘Nederlandse Aardolie
Maat-schappij’ (NAM) or Dutch Crude Oil Company, a joint venture of
Esso and Shell, announced the discovery of an immense natural gas
field in the Dutch northern Province of Groningen. A minus-cule
announcement in the Dutch newspapers of Wednesday 5 august 1959 of
not more than four lines revealed the discovery of natural gas near
the village of Slochteren. But soon it became clear that it was an
incredible massive gas field. A gas field with a surface of some
900 square kilometres, containing some 2800 billion cubic meters of
na-tural gas. Safely captured in sandstone under very high pressure
(300 Bar) covered by a thick layer of salt at a depth of some 3000
meters. At that time the third biggest natural gas field in the
world with natural gas contained in one big gas field and not like
many other gas fields in the world scattered in a cluster of many
smaller gas fields.
Dutch energy consumptionTo understand its impact, we must bring
energy consumption of households vice versa the vast content of the
Groningen gas field into perspec-tive. An average household in the
Netherlands uses approximately some 2000 cubic meters of energy
equivalents per annum. In other words, if the Netherlands would use
all this gas solely for the domestic household market it would take
some 1400 million years before all this natural gas would have been
used. The Dutch Government ex-pected nuclear power to take over
within a couple of decades and assessed that natural gas had to be
used and sold as fast as possible. It was decided that industry
would, as much as possible, switch from the use of oil to natural
gas with the additio-nal advantage that it would be less polluting.
Some 50% of all this natural gas had to be exported and sold abroad
in Europe. With the income out of gas exports the imports of energy
from abroad could then easily be financed. Furthermore, all
house-holds in the Netherlands had to switch to the use of natural
gas for heating and cooking. Except for those living in very remote
areas. The Dutch as-sessment though had to be reconsidered. But
still today 99% of all households are connected to the gas
distribution system.
Infrastructure changeA massive operation started in the
Netherlands in the nineteen-sixties to modify all burners of gas
cooking and heating appliances to make them suitable for the use of
natural gas. Natu-ral gas had a higher caloric value than gas
that
was produced out of coal. Gas production facili-ties and a vast
network of trunk lines linked to a regional network had to be built
throughout the Netherlands, to supply the local gas networks. That
was realised by a company called N.V. Ne-derlandse Gasunie, a joint
venture of Esso, Shell, DSM Aardgas b.v. and the Ministry of
Economic Affairs. Within ten years the entire Dutch energy market
as well as a part of Europe had switched from coal to natural
gas.
Gas ProductionAt the NAM production centre in Slochteren over
300 wells are controlled by only a handful of peo-ple who initially
produced some 1 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year but
within a few years increased to 80 billion cubic meters of na-tural
gas annually. Today that production figure has been reduced to some
30 billion cubic metres per year due to the use of other sources
and the many earthquakes in Groningen. It provided the Dutch
Government up to now wi th more than 210 billion Euros.
Approximately 80% of the total natural gas revenues. Only a handful
of people produce more energy equiva-lents per hour than what
15,000 miners in those days could produce in one year. At Gasunie
in Groningen a newly built central command post monitors and
operates the entire gas transpor-tation system throughout the
Netherlands and looks after the export to Belgium, Germany, France
and Italy. Belgium for an extended period relied even 100% on Dutch
natural gas. Today also Great Britain imports natural gas from the
Netherlands.
The Limburg economyMeanwhile the South-Limburg coal production
with associated industries like coal gas- and electricity
production facilities in Limburg had to compete with the much
cheaper and easier to transport natural gas and cheaper coal
abroad. The Dutch Government for some time even had to subsidise
the mining industry in Limburg. This was economically not
sustainable. And not surprisingly, the Dutch Government choose to
make the switch from coal to gas. The flourishing mining industry
in Limburg however was once the major energy supplier for Dutch
society. But the coal production could impossibly keep up with the
pace of growth in energy consumption. Hence the Dutch Government
decided to give up the coal mining industry in South-Limburg. An
enormous amount of mining infrastructure be-came unneeded. Much of
this infrastructure had to be demolished, but some buildings
remained and could be used for other purposes. France’s
decision not to participate anymore in the NATO integrated
Military Command Structure in 1966 coincided with the Dutch energy
developments. The Dutch Government opted for the transfer of HQ
AFCENT to Brunssum in Limburg. Con-sequently, they offered State
Mine Hendrik to NATO. It would help South-Limburg to contri-bute to
its economy and lessen the agony of its economic disaster. In 2007
it was studied that SouthLimburg clearly benefits from our
head-quarters and its community. Some 100 million Euro’s goes
directly into the Limburg economy each year.
Closure of the minesHence, it was an unpleasant message that
Minis-ter of Economic Affairs, late Joop den Uyl, had to convey to
the Limburg community in Heerlen on 17 December 1965. At the end of
the 1950s beginning 60’s, more than 55,000 people were employed in
the mines. At the peak of the mining industry in 1960, 70% of the
population of the Limburg mining region was directly or indirectly
dependent on the mines. When the last mine closed its doors in
1976, 45,000 people had lost their jobs. In addition, another
30,000 indirectly linked jobs with supply industries, particularly
in building and the metal sector, were lost. The newly unemployed
had difficulty finding other work. Their training and education was
usually inadequate or completely related to the mining industry. In
1977, Limburg’s unemployment figure was therefore twice as high as
in the rest of the Netherlands.
Present situationThis year it has been more than 50 years that
Lim-burg saw its mining industry disappear. A vast reconstruction
and infrastructure programme in the seventies and eighties named
from “Black to Green” was made possible through the “Lim-burg
Perspectieven Nota,” a reconstruction fund that was provided by the
Central Government and made possible because of the enormous
na-tural gas revenues. Today the remnants of the former mining
industry are hardly visible. NATO has been in Brunssum for 50 years
and our inter-national community and the headquarters have
contributed to the Limburg economy to overcome the dramatic events
of the Limburg mine closure. Hence another reason to celebrate and
comme-morate this with the local population. To speak with former
Minister of Defence Jeannine Hen-nis-Plasschaert: “JFC Brunssum has
contributed remarkably to the well-being of all of us. And I am
convinced that this will remain in the future.”
25
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your family in the safest environment. 3) Quality cars have
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VISITS AND ACTIVITIESOctober – November 2017
Tashkent, Uzbekistan – Military partnerships have been
particularly important to NATO since the fall of the Berlin Wall in
1989. Indeed, the cooperative security effort has been one of
NATO’s three core tasks since the NATO Lisbon Summit in 2010.
As part of the military outreach activities that NATO conducts,
a team of 4 experts from Joint Force Command Brunssum Head-quarters
were in the Academy of the Armed Forces of the Republic of
Uzbekistan in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from the 23rd to the 26th of
October 2017 in order to brief and discuss on operating
procedures.
The delegation, consisting of Commander Kenarov, Major Cin-que,
Captain Rakower and Sergeant First Class Turner, conducted a series
of briefings, discussions and syndicate work oriented on NATO
information operations and psychological operations for the benefit
of 20 senior officers at the academy.
31 October 2017Commander JFCBS visits MNC NE
Szczecin, Poland – Commander JFC Brunssum, General Salva-tore
Farina, paid his first official visit to Headquarters Multinational
Corps North-East (MNC-NE), in Poland, 30 / 31 October.
He met with the commander, Lieutenant General Manfred Hof-mann,
and his staff in order to discuss current challenges, future
activities and the status of ongoing MNC-NE tasks. A range of
to-pics were discussed importantly including: NATO’s command and
control relationships with non-NATO units in the region; and the
integration of enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroups with
both Host Nation and non-NATO Forces.
The MNC-NE Joint Operations Centre presented a brief on the
current laydown of NATO and Non-NATO Forces, their ongoing tasks
and operations, as well as an intelligence update. During the visit
COM JFC Brunssum also presented the “Commanders Coin” to 4 members
of MNC-NE for outstanding service.
Tbilisi, Georgia – JFC Brunssum sent a Mobile Training Team
(MTT) to Tbilisi, Georgia, 29 October to 04 November. This Military
Out-reach and Engagement activity was planned prepared and executed
by the JFC Brunssum Military Partnership Branch, in cooperation
with the Georgian Armed Forces General Staff, as part of the
Part-nership Cooperation Menu agreed between NATO and Georgia for
2017.
The MTT comprised three Subject Matter Experts who conduc-ted a
number of interactive lectures explaining the NATO Opera-tions
Planning Process to a training audience of 15 students from the
Georgian Armed Forces General Staff. The curriculum delibera-tely
included time allocated to syndicate work where the ideas and
concepts taught could be fully explored with the aim of maximising
comprehension.
29 October 2017JFCBS Expert Team Visit to Tashkent,
Uzbekistan
7 November 2017JFCBS Mobile Training Team visits Georgia
27
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CO
MM
UN
ITY
#WEAREJFCBSNAME: BOGDANA ANDANOVA RANK: SERGEANT (OR-5)NATION:
BULGARIASERVICE: ARMYOFFICE: BASE SUPPORT COORD. CELL
When did you arrive in Brunssum and what is your job at the
Headquarters?I arrived in the Netherlands in September 2016 and I
have been posted as a Staff Assistant (Coordination) within Base
Support Coordination Cell. Our team serves a Single Point of
Contact and helpdesk within the Base Support Branch. We provide
service support and manage equipment requests from both the
individuals and organisations of JFC HQ and its elements.
Tell us about your military careerI started military service 10
years ago in 1st Reconnaissance Regiment. It was a time full of
challenges. During my service in the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment I
fulfilled two deployments in Kosovo. In 2012 I had the oppor tunity
to complete several international courses. Next chapter in my
career started
when I graduated from The 7th Army Noncommissioned Officer
Academy, Grafenwoehr. After the graduation from the NCO Academy I
became a staff sergeant. For the last 4 years I’ve served in the S3
section in ISTAR battalion, 61st Mechanized Brigade in Bulgaria
and, from there, I was assigned to JFC Brunssum.
Tell us about your job and what kind of challenges you have to
face.Working in an international environment becomes an everyday
challenge. Serv-ing in peace sentinel organisation such as NATO
represents an undisputed challenge for each one of us. Here in the
Base Support Coordination Cell we have our challenges on a daily
basis and we are dealing with them in a successful manner as a
team.
One of the biggest challenges for our team is the annual
Deployment Readiness Test. DOM BSG BSM BSCC
conducts a Deployment Readiness Test to provide assurance to HQ
Command Group that all deployable personnel are trained, prepared
and equipped to deploy. We are responsible for all requests through
the Customer Requisition (CUSTREQ) system. I am responsible for the
administration of the system, new users’ accounts and for
submitting approval for requested work orders.
Is your family here with you?No, I do not have my family here
with me, but the friends I’ve made here compensate this.
What are your hobbies?I have a wide variety of interests as
reading books, playing softball and spinning classes. Photography
is something that I really like as well.
www.nato.int/wearenato/
Commander
Deputy Commander
Chief of Staff
StaffAdvisory
Group
DeputyChief of StaffOperations
DeputyChief of Staff
Plans
DeputyChief of Staff
Support
J8Budgeting
Director ofManagement
Base Support Group
Protocol Business Information
Management
HeadquartersAllied Joint Force CommandBrunssum
Base Support Group (BSG): The Base Support Group is respon-sible
to the Director of Management (DOM) for: providing material,
warehousing, and property management. Coordinating Host Nation
Liaison, facility engineering and maintenance, transportation, TDY
travel, health and environmental safety and fire prevention in
support of the HQ and supported elements as directed by SHAPE and
in accordance with HN support agreement.
28
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New at Haus Hamacher: we cook grandma’s specialties!
Enjoy your coffee with cake or one of our ice specialties in our
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We are open all year, 7 days a week. The Hamacher-Wollenweber
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We wish you a Merry ChristmasGëzuar Krishlindjet Vitin e Ri! •
Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! • Chestita Koleda i
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Christmas and a Happy New Year! • Veselé Vánoce a št’astný Nový
rok! • Glædelig Jul og godt nytår! • Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année! •
Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein glückliches Neues Jahr! • Kala
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karácsonyi ünnepeket és Boldog újévet! • Buon Natale e Felice Anno
Nuovo! • Priecigus Ziemassvetkus un laimigu Jauno gadu! • Wesolych
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e Ri! • Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! • Chestita
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• Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! • Veselé Vánoce a št’astný
Nový rok! • Glædelig Jul og godt nytår! • Joyeux Noël et Bonne
Année! • Fröhliche Weihnachten und ein glückliches Neues Jahr! •
Kala Christougenna Ki’eftihismenos O Kenourios Chronos! • Kellemes
karácsonyi ünnepeket és Boldog újévet! • Buon Natale e Felice Anno
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Swiat i Szczesliwego Nowego Roku! • Boas Festas e um feliz Ano
Novo! • Craciun fericit si un An Nou fericit! • Vesele Vianoce a
stastny novy leto! •
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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