Numerous logistic issues related to transportation and movement of troops were thoroughly discussed during an annual exercise Baltic Effort, which assumed a form of so-called "Stuper", meaning Study Period. The event took place from 30 March to 1 April 2009 in Baltic Barracks.
Logistic efforts
This 3-day exercise was organised by the Headquarters G-4 Division with the Movement and Transportation Branch in lead. It might be stated that it was a truly multinational exercise, which allowed for real exchange of experiences and approaches since about 40 participants of Baltic Effort came from 9 nations altogether. Among them, there were members of G-4 Division who on daily basis deal with logistics as well as representatives of other Headquarters Divisions and Command Support Brigade, not to mention guests from the outside. There were representatives of, for example, several NATO commands and agencies, like Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Joint Forces Command Brunssum or Allied Movement Coordination Centre. There were also Czech, German and Polish national authorities present who deal with transportation and movement. Additionally, a status of observers had representatives of the 1st German-Netherlands Corps from whom the Corps personnel will take over the responsibilities in ISAF.
As Chief of the Headquarters’ Movement and Transportation Branch Lieutenant Colonel Jarosław Kopaczka said, the aim of the exercise was to share information about deployment and re-deployment of troops and equipment as a step in preparations for the mission in Afghanistan scheduled for 2010. The exercise participants discussed binding procedures referring to transportation and movement in NATO and beyond. "It was not only about sharing experiences but also about establishing and developing personal relations", added Lieutenant Colonel Kopaczka.
Logistics from different angles
During the first day of the exercise the Multinational Corps Northeast (MNC NE) together with its tasks, structure, mission in Afghanistan including logistic issues were presented to the participants. Since Poland as the host and lead nation is responsible for the overall deployment of the Headquarters’ personnel, members of, among others, the Pomeranian Military District elaborated on their tasks and procedures. Moreover, members of the International Airport in Goleniów introduced their own experiences referring to sending military contingents to different parts of the world.
NATO perspective in regards to deployment and re-deployment of troops was mostly discussed on the second day of Baltic Effort. Several NATO commands and agencies cooperating with NATO presented their structures, procedures and experiences relating to transportation and movement of troops and equipment. An interesting briefing was delivered by Lieutenant Colonel Harm Hendriks, Chief of the Allied Movement Coordination Centre in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, who talked about the most current situation within the JTMS cell in ISAF, which is in charge of transportation and movement. "The Centre coordinates all strategic airlifts into Afghanistan for all nations that participate in this operation. Right now there are 41 nations involved and if they want to fly cargo or passengers into Afghanistan they need to have an approved arrival time at the Afghan airfields and that is what we coordinate for them", said Lieutenant Colonel Hendriks. He portrayed the way the Centre works, the procedures they follow and what the soldiers can expect. As he pointed out, the most difficult in his job is to deconflict all national plans. “Every nation that wants to go to Afghanistan has its own national plan and to deconflict all these national plans is the biggest challenge because there are actually two big airfields to have all these strategic aircraft handled – in Kabul and Kandahar”, he explained.
The last day of the exercise was devoted to sharing national experiences from the Czech, German and Polish perspective referring to different missions, not necessarily the one in Afghanistan.
Lieutenant Colonel Kopaczka described the exercise as a success since all goals have been met. The exercise participants not only shared first-hand information with the others but they also established and maintained personal links that might be very useful in the mission preparation process in the future.
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