In order to adequately prepare for the Crystal Eagle exercise, the personnel of Multinational Corps Northeast participated in the Little Eagle II exercise, conducted from 23rd to 27th June 2008 at the Baltic Barracks, home of the Multinational Corps Northeast.
The main focus of this exercise codenamed Little Eagle II was placed on the MNC NE personnel. They were trained on similar positions they would perform during the Crystal Eagle exercise to enhance their preparedness. Moreover, Little Eagle II was based on the scenario already created for the needs of Crystal Eagle.
During this training several elements of exercise organisation were created. Testing and training included among others HICON (Higher Control) directing the exercise, Combined Joint Operations Centre or Scenario Management Centre, which decided upon the tempo of the exercise; it could either increase or decrease the amount of incidents or injects to be faced by the training audience. Enemy fire on an allied base, a trap-mine explosion or an ambush were typical situations that were trained. The so-called LOCON (Lower Control) played the role of those elements that were not physically present in the exercise, for example units subordinate to brigades or different service branches, such as artillery or engineers making the exercise more realistic. Apart from Logistic or Intelligence Cells, an important role was played by the Evaluation Centre, which assessed the exercise and its course contributing to better performance of the MNC NE personnel during the Crystal Eagle.
It may be concluded that Little Eagle II was a final test before the Crystal Eagle exercise. In the autumn the HQ MNC NE personnel, soldiers from 1st Estonian Brigade, 37th German Brigade, 1st Latvian Brigade and 7th Polish Brigade as well as representatives of different national forces commands and other NATO Corps, altogether about 1400 soldiers from 14 countries, are going to meet at the Army War-fighting Simulation Centre in Wildflecken to exercise planning, preparing, executing, commanding and assessing of Peace Support Operations.
