The 17th conference of Doctrine & Procedures Working Group was hosted by the Multinational Corps Northeast (MNC NE) in Baltic Barracks on 10 and 11 January 2012.
The Doctrine & Procedures Working Group (DPWG) convenes cyclically in order to discuss developments in land doctrine, standardization and interoperability issues prior lifting it up to the higher level, in this case the Land Operations Working Group. It is a fine forum for discussions and exchanging experiences among all nine Graduated Response Land Corps of the NATO Force Structure together with the NATO Command Structure representatives. National representatives are invited to take part and contribute to the working group as well.
‘The Bi-Force Command Corps Commanders Conference: that is where we get guidance and directions from, and then we turn it into concepts,’ the chairman of DPWG Colonel Griffith, US Army, explains where the new ideas for doctrine development come from. ‘A good example is the recently developed Counter Insurgency Doctrine for the tactical level’, he adds. Colonel Griffith also explains that the DPWG is all about facilitating the development of effective NATO doctrine. The suggestions of the DPWG are forwarded to the Land Operations Working Group run by Allied Command Transformation which develops doctrine for NATO land forces, whereas the corps simultaneously present the effects of their work within the DPWG to their Framework Nations.
During the meeting in Szczecin, one of the major topics was the Joint Task Force Headquarters going in line with the new strategic concept that the Graduated Response Land Corps are going to contribute to. In more detail, it was about discussing the conceptual framework for operating that Headquarters, the standards and specific tasks to be managed as well as the unique structures each of the corps should devise. All discussions have been conducted in the context of the ongoing NATO Command Structure reform, the Comprehensive Approach strategic concept as well as the greater reliance laid in the future on the Graduated Response Land Corps. ‘The interface between the NATO Force Structure and NATO Command Structure which this working group represents becomes even more important,’ Colonel Griffith stressed.
Colonel Griffith also admitted that organising the DPWG meeting at the Headquarters Multinational Corps Northeast was really favourable. ‘It is a great opportunity for everyone to see the location of each of the corps but it is also a great opportunity for the corps to have an opportunity to explain where they are at,’he said. ‘I can carry forward the MNC NE desire and willingness to support the process of doctrine development; that is a great commitment from this Corps,’ he said.
Photo by SGT Maksymilian Halec, POL A
