sign in sign up
<<
Home , Campbell Barracks, Danish Defence, Egon Ramms, NATO headquarters, Ton van Loon, V Corps (United States)

HEADQUARTERS ALLIED FORCE COMMAND

2010 EDITION 01

SERVING HQ FC HEIDEBERG, , HEIDELBERG, The Observer 2010 ED.01 1 Editorial

Dear readers, with the families and the depend- The Observer This edition will hit the streets ants of the already deployed and right after the Summer Leave yet to deploy staff. We have some Serving the , civilians and family members of HQ FC HD Period. In the timeframe since of their activities documented in January, when we had published this edition of the OBSERVER. Lt. Gen. John W. Morgan III the last edition of the OBSERVER, Lt. Col. Thomas Dippel many things had happened that Next to that, share with us what DEU A, Public Affairs Officer affected all main elements of our else happened in the headquar- Editor NATO headquarters here in Hei- ters. HptFw Peter Knöringer delberg. Multimedia Technician To foster the visibility of the Published three times each year, The Observer is an authorized, During a change-of-command Headquarters in the media, we unofficial publication. ceremony in May, Lieutenant have additionally implemented Its aim is to inform headquarters Roland Kather from Ger- a page on FACEBOOK, com- personnel and their family members. Opinions expressed in this publication many handed over command to plementary to our more formal are those of the authors and do not his successor, Lieutenant General internet homepage (www.. reflect official policy. John W. Morgan III from the Unit- int/fchd). The FACEBOOK page Suggestions for articles, comments and ed States of America. In July, as will provide further information contributions are welcome and should be directed to the editor. part of the new Peace Establish- to interested audience in a dif- The editor reserves the right to edit ment of our Headquarters Allied ferent format, compared to our submissions. Force Command Heidelberg, the homepage. Everybody is encour- Public Affairs Office staff welcomed the first repre- aged to have a look at both the Postfach 102620 D-69016 Heidelberg sentative from , the 21st internet homepage as well as the (Bldg 8, Campbell Barracks) NATO nation sending personnel FACEBOOK page - give us your Phone: 06221.398.5316 Fax: 06221.398.5774 to this headquarters. comments/feedback for both of Email: [email protected] them. Printed by: In the light of the continuing ISAF ABT Print und Medien GmbH engagement of about a quarter of Bruchsaler Straße 5 69469 Weinheim our headquarters staff, the second Thomas Dippel Phone: 0 62 01/18 90-0 personnel rotation for HQ ISAF Lieutenant Colonel www.abt-medien.de finalized its pre-deployment train- HQ FC Heidelberg Visit our web site at www.nato.int/fchd ing in June, while the Family Sup- Public Affairs office port Centre undertook activities [email protected] Contents Commander´s Message...... 3 Visiting the River Valley...... 15 Command Sergeant Major´s Message...... 4 Exercise Loyal Journey...... 16 Change of Command ...... 6 Family Support Center...... 18 Flag Raising Ceremony for Hungary...... 9 Sports Day...... 19 WWT 2010...... 10 MRT/E Stavanger...... 21 BI-LCC CCC-10...... 12 Visits...... 23 Farewell for COS MG van Loon...... 14 Facebook...... 24

2 www.nato.int/fchd Commander’s Message It has been a pleasure and a great stan with capable, well-trained staff honor to have been appointed teams. And once again, this sum- Commander of Allied Force Com- mer, we have sent a new rotation to mand Heidelberg. I have been in for six months – our second, command for only 3 months, yet of ultimately four deployment rota- I already recognize the outstand- tions that will culminate in early ing work that this headquarters 2012. In 2010 we also deployed Although our headquarters performs on a daily basis, and look Joint Logistics Support Group transformed to a deployable, joint forward to the numerous challenges (JLSG) personnel to . To command, we retained much of the that lie ahead. I would like to take achieve that mission, I will person- “land centric” responsibilities of our this opportunity to present my ally ensure that FCHD has a well- former Land Component Command command priorities and share some resourced training plan for our ISAF structure. Essentially, it is this head- initial thoughts and observations. deployers and that the commitment quarters’ responsibility to act as the However, before all, I would like to their families, through the Familiy “Land Advocate” within the NATO to recognize the outstanding job Center, is relentless. Command Structure, to provide done by my predecessor, Lieutenant Even if the quiet professionalism advice and expertise to our higher General Kather, and all the remain- of FCHD personnel has been noted headquarters as well as the Gradu- ing members of the headquarters in by the highest NATO command, it ated Readiness Force (Land) transforming the Allied Land Com- should not prevent us from trying headquarters of the NATO Force ponent Command to a “Force Com- to improve ourselves or share our Structure. My fourth priority will be mand” capable of providing two experiences with other headquar- to ensure all land-related matters, DJSEs, while simultaneously provid- ters. That’s why my second priority particularly doctrine, receive their ing the core staff of ISAF headquar- will be to put in place practices to due attention within NATO. In the ters since 2010. Our headquarters collect, analyze and share all the end, the objective is to ensure that has always enjoyed a strong reputa- Lessons Identifi ed and the Les- the NATO Command Structure has tion within NATO as a competent, sons Learned from our operational all the necessary assets, to include ready organization, and will con- deployments and NATO Response standard doctrine and practices, to tinue to do so, due in large part to Force (NRF) preparation. From that accomplish all possible missions. the ongoing efforts of the men and perspective, 2011 will be particu- Lastly, many of our frameworks women of the command. larly demanding with on-going ISAF tasks remain, such as Military My fi ve priorities are: deployment and NRF preparation Outreach and Cooperation. Given • Deployment of staff capability to for the 2012 cycle. Make no mis- our other commitments, perform- ISAF for the next 24 months and take, the objective is not only to do ing these duties poses a signifi cant continued support of other NATO things better but also save resourc- challenge and we will do so within operations. es, time and above all life! our means and capabilities. My last • Aggressive lessons identifi ed and Nothing is more important than hu- priority will then be to ensure that lessons learned practices. man resources especially in the con- they are perfectly conducted even • Implementation of the new Peace- text of implementing the new Peace- if we have to prioritize them due to time Establishment. time Establishment. With 23 NATO our limited resources. • Furthering the concept of “Land nations and 3 Partner for Peace Finally, we must not forget our Advocacy” in the NATO Com- nations contributing to its manning, beloved families who are so im- mand and Force Structures. Allied Force Command Heidelberg portant in supporting us in our • Framework tasks assigned to this is a real multinational headquarters demanding job. I hope to see many Headquarters. with all the inherent benefi ts and of them during the next Family Fest I would like to expand quickly on challenges. Hence, we will keep on 14 September and to enjoy with each of them. striving for full manning support of all of you the fascinating cultural While our Alliance, as well as our nations. I have already had the diversity of the Headquarters. our member nations, is focused on opportunity to advocate for this issue The year ahead poses many chal- enhancing the deployability of the with senior Allied Land Force Com- lenges for our headquarters. I have NATO Command Structure, FC Hei- manders during the last Allied Chiefs every confi dence in our ability to delberg is simultaneously committed of Army Staff Talks (ACAST) and I meet these challenges. I look for- to supporting International Security will continue to seize each and every ward to working together with all of Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghani- opportunity to recall it. you in the coming months.

The Observer 2010 ED.01 3 Command Sergeant Major’s Message “Time Flies….”

By the time this latest edition of forward to this challenge how- the Observer is published, I will ever never in my wildest dreams be back in . It is with would I have expected how mixed feelings that I am prepar- much of a difference there actu- ing to leave Heidelberg for what ally was. In the Offi cer Ranks will be the last posting of my of the NATO nations, regard- career. The past two years have less of the rank, the roles and provided the unique challenge responsibilities of a staff offi cer of being the Command Sergeant is relatively the same, including Major at Force Command Heidel- the actual rank structure. On the berg. other hand, for the NCOs and the Senior NCO’s in particular, The past two years have seen the disparity is far reaching, and this Headquarters transform saddens me for many reasons. from the former “G structure” to A simple glimpse of the NATO HQFCHD Command Sergeant Major a more functional fully deploy- Army Grades/Rank Chart of- Camil Samson (CAN) able DJSE structure. In addition fers a large explanation for this. to transforming to a new struc- There appears to be holes in the ture orientated to a standby NRF NCO’s Corps in some countries, role, the Headquarters also had while some other countries do to prepare for the four succes- not even have a full scale NCO sive deployments to ISAF over Corps. Furthermore, even those the next 24 months. The profes- countries that do have a full sionalism, dedication and can-do NCO Corps structure in place, attitude that the personnel of the the manner in which NCO’s are Headquarters showed, ensured employed and the lack of respon- that not only was the transforma- sibility afforded to them, results tion successful, personnel deploy- in what I feel, is not allowing the ing on rotation were trained to NCO’s to not only reach their the best standard possible. These full potential but to benefi t from changes and challenges were it. However, all hope is not lost. overcome with huge efforts and It is very encouraging to see all sacrifi ces by all personnel in the efforts are being made by the HQ, and well done is due to all. Command Senior Enlisted Leaders (CSEL) at the higher level within Refl ecting back prior to my ar- NATO, including JFC, ACO and rival in Heidelberg, I knew then ACT, to help develop a stronger that coming to the Alliance with NCO Corps throughout the Al- more than 20 countries, not every liance. Efforts include various country would have the same NCO Professional Development NCO structure and NCO Corps programs which will soon be development program. I looked online, as well as seminars and

4 www.nato.int/fchd conferences at different levels. themselves, I do not look at this experience here with NATO has The future looks bright for all as promotion in the traditional been nothing but great. I wish NCO’s of the Alliance. sense of the word. While becom- all of you success in your future ing an officer will certainly result assignments, whether it be con- As some of you may have heard, in a change of orientation and tinuing at FC Heidelberg, going upon my return to Canada, I new set of challenges, I see this on deployment, or returning back will be promoted to Captain and change more as an opportunity to your home nation. It was a essentially, leaving the NCO’s to return back geographically to pleasure to meet every one of Corps. I have served the past 33 Canada and allow me to stage you. And as the past has proven years within a very strong and myself and my family for a well and the future is yet to be seen, much respected NCO Corps of deserved retirement in about two no goodbyes will be said, only the Canadian Forces (CF), with years from now. see you later. the past 13 years alone as a Chief Warrant Officer, the highest rank My few last words to you would Camil Samson in the NCO Corps of the CF. be this. I urge you all to take Command Sergeant Major Commissioning from a CWO to advantage of the multinational a Captain is an option that the nature of this Headquarters and CF offers certain personnel who all that it has to offer. The op- have served in high level and portunity to learn from so many demanding positions. While I nations and share your experi- have the utmost respect for the ences with so many is unique Officer Corps and the officers and rare. I can attest that my

The Observer 2010 ED.01 5 Allied Force Command Heidelberg Change-of-Command

On 5 May 2010, Lt. Gen. John W. Morgan III (USA) assumed command of Headquarters Allied Force Command Heidelberg (HQ FC Heidelberg) from Lt. Gen. Roland Kather (Germany) during a ceremony held at Campbell Barracks, Heidelberg.

Gen. Egon Ramms, Commander about 450 military personnel and of Allied Joint Force Command International Civilians from 20 , was the reviewing and NATO nations and 3 Partnership presiding officer for the ceremony. for Peace (PfP) nations. Currently, the Headquarters actively sup- HQ FC Heidelberg is a multi- ports the ISAF mission in Afghan- national NATO Headquarters istan by the deployment of about with an established strength of a hundred of its military and civil

6 www.nato.int/fchd personnel in direct support of the While transferring the authority sibility being passed between ISAF HQ in Kabul – a significant of command, CWO Camil Sam- . effort lasting until 2012. son, the unit’s Command Sergeant During the ceremony, the USA Major (CSM), as highest ranking Upon completion of the transfer 529th Military Police ’s non commissioned officer in the of command, Lt. Gen. John W. Battery rendered the tra- HQ presented the colours (flag of Morgan III then took the po- ditional “gunnery” honours from the HQ) to the commanders for a dium and addressed the gathered their canons to the commanders passing of command responsibil- troops of his HQ and the distin- on the field, Gen. Egon Ramms, ity. The passing-on of the colours guished guests – for the first time Lt. Gen. Roland Kather and Lt. from the CSM to the outgoing as Commander Allied Force Com- Gen. John W. Morgan III. Follow- commander, the outgoing com- mand Heidelberg. ing the salute battery’s honours to mander presented his final re- them, General Egon Ramms, the sponsibilities of the command to In his speech, Lt.Gen. John W. reviewing officer of the ceremo- his higher HQ’s commander. The Morgan III confirmed that NATO’s ny, and both the outgoing and higher HQ’s Commander General operations in were incoming commanders inspected Ramms then handed over the the number one priority and this the soldiers. command responsibility to the command’s number one job for incoming and now commander of the upcoming two years. The After the speeches of Lt. Gen. the HQ. command would continue to Roland Kather as outgoing com- build, train and deploy the best mander and Gen. Egon Ramms This tradition extends back to the teams of tough, intelligent and as commander of the higher HQ, early ages of military protocols. dedicated soldiers in support of the authority of command was The transfer of the command’s this mission. transferred. colours is an emotional and re- spectful demonstration of respon-

The Observer 2010 ED.01 7 The commander was looking forward to working with all his staff to build on the already great reputation of this command and to enhance the expeditionary ca- pabilities of NATO. The men and women of the HQ, twenty NATO and three partner nations were symbolic of an enduring Alliance that has defended freedom and democracy for over sixty years. Lt.Gen. John W. Morgan III com- pleted his remarks by thanking everybody for the warm welcome he had received in Heidelberg, thus making this day a memora- ble one for his family and him- self.

Lt. Gen. John W. Morgan III previously served as the Chief of Staff, U.S. European Command, . Lt. Gen. Roland Kather will become the next German Military Representative to the Military Committee NATO and to the Military Committee in . Lt. Gen. Roland Kather, the outgoing Commander, talking to one of the regional journalists about his term as Commander HQ FC Heidelberg.

8 www.nato.int/fchd Flag Raising Ceremony for Hungary

On 5 July 2010, the Hungarian National Flag was raised for the first National Flag was raised at Allied time in front of the HQ Building. Force Command Heidelberg, thus increasing the number of NATO na- The Republic of Hungary is the first tions sending personnel to Head- “further” nation sending staff to the quarters Allied Force Command HQ under the HQ’s new mission as Heidelberg to 21. a provider of trained and ready “De- ployable Joint Staff Elements” (DJSE) A formal flag-raising ceremony was to the Allied Joint Force Commands carried out at HQ FC Heidelberg to (JFC) Brunssum and Lisbon. welcome the Republic of Hungary, the latest NATO nation commit- Headquarters Allied Force Com- ting personnel to this HQ. Under mand Heidelberg is a multinational the eyes of BG Claudio Vercellotti, NATO Headquarters with an estab- Director of Joint Logistics Support lished strength of about 450 military Group 2 and acting Commander at personnel and International Civilians that time, and the first staff member from now 21 NATO nations and 3 from Hungary, the Hungarian (PfP) nations.

The Observer 2010 ED.01 9 WINTER WARFARE TRAINING 2010

Füssen provides beautiful backdrop for team building event

By OR-5 Sherry Schmidtpeter, PAO

Traditionally, Headquarters Allied conditions, including how to rec- throughout, enhancing not only Force Command Heidelberg (HQ ognize and treat hypothermia, the team building, but allowing fam- FC Heidelberg) holds a signifi cant use of an avalanche beacon, and ily members to network and meet key team building event in the how to search for someone who other family members. This was form of Winter Warfare Training. has been caught in an avalanche. extremely important this year Normally held in the beginning Participants were able to practice with the upcoming two years of of February, this year’s event was the techniques of searching in a deployments to ISAF. held in mid January in order to practical exercise by searching for accommodate all members of the a beacon, hidden by the instruc- The planning, preparation and HQ. With the deployment of the tors. execution of this event which fi rst of four six month rotations started months prior in Sep- to HQ ISAF in Kabul to depart The second aim of the train- tember, was completed by the at the end of January, the event ing is the team building aspect. Forward Support Element (FSE). was conducted earlier to ensure The format and execution of From the arrival on the fi rst day the deploying members and their the exercise provided a relaxed with the training during the day, families would also have the op- atmosphere where all members, and subsequent Icebreaker that portunity to participate. military and civilian could interact evening, to the torch walk around socially with colleagues, foster- a local lake on the last evening, The aim of the Winter Warfare ing team spirit and cooperation. HSG did an excellent job once Training/Exercise is two fold. Once the military training was again. The fi rst aim is to provide mem- completed, members participated bers of HQ FC Heidelberg, both in Alpine events, such as down- Held in the beautiful area of Füs- military and civilian the oppor- hill skiing and cross country ski- sen, South Germany, near the tunity to familiarize themselves ing of their choosing. Of course, Germany-Austrian border, the with the conditions of an austere a key element to the success of location provided excellent con- environment, in particular, an the annual Winter Warfare Train- ditions for both the military train- environment. This training ing is the inclusion of depend- ing aspect and the team building focused on basic survival tech- ants. Dependants are invited to aspect of the exercise. niques, and how to cope in arctic attend this event and participate

10 www.nato.int/fchd The Observer 2010 ED.01 11 BI-LCC Corps Commanders Conference I-10 2-4 February 2010

Written by LTC Dippel, PAO From 2 to 4 February 2010, Allied Land Component Command Headquarters Heidelberg (ALCC HQ HD) conducted the Bi-Land Component Command Corps Commanders Conference (Bi-LCC CCC) in Strasbourg, .

The Bi-LCC CCC is a semi-annual Lothar Domröse. This time, the in Stavanger, as well as the Acting conference aimed at foster- hosts were able to welcome 20 Commanding General of the V ing informal links between the Commanders or their representa- (US) Corps, BG Ryan. Land Component Commands in tives not only from all the Land the NATO Command Structure HQs of the NATO Force Struc- Topics under discussion in this (Heidelberg and Madrid) and the ture, but also from the NATO high-profi le group focused on 9 HQs within the NATO Force Commands in Brunssum and Na- NATO’s ongoing transforma- Structure. The NATO Force Struc- ples, NATO’s Centre tion and the current status of the ture – supplementing the NATO Command Structure – encom- passes national and multinational forces and their associated opera- tional HQs, placed under the Al- liance’s disposal on a permanent or temporary basis under speci- fi ed readiness criteria.

The conferences are co-chaired by the NATO Land Command- ers from Heidelberg and Ma- drid, Lieutenant General Roland Kather and Lieutenant General Cayetano Miró Valls. The Stras- bourg Conference was hosted by the Commanding General of the , Lieutenant General Farewell LT.Gen Cayetano Miró Valls COM FC HQ MD

12 www.nato.int/fchd Group Photo

NATO’s New Strategic Concept, son Kammerzell, Lieutenant Gen- The next Bi-LCC CCC in the sec- and the future of land expertise eral Roland Kather bid farewell ond half of the year will then be and advocacy in a transformed to his long-standing Co-Chair, conducted by Heidelberg’s sister NATO. A series of Guest Speak- Lieutenant General Cayetano Command from Madrid, then with ers – including from NATO HQ Miró-Valls, who is about to retire Heidelberg as Co-Chair. in Brussels and ISAF HQ – pro- in March 2010 after more than 40 vided up-to-date background years in service. information, as a basis for lively discussions during the entire con- ference. The conference also pro- vided an opportunity to debate future delineation of responsibili- ties in a changed NATO structure. The conference’s social highlight was a reception at the historical city hall of Strasbourg, hosted by the Deputy Mayor of Stras- bourg, Mr. Robert Herrmann. In his speech, he emphasized the city’s continuous dedication to the European integration process, and expressed his delight that this multinational forum had chosen the city as the conference venue. At a traditional dinner at the Mai- Town Hall Reception

The Observer 2010 ED.01 13 “From the bottom of my heart:

Thank you!”

Farewell Ceremony for the Chief of Staff ALCC HQ HD, Major General (NLD) Ton van Loon

HEIDELBERG - On February 25, Lieutenant General (DEU) Roland Kather, Commander ALCC HQ HD, Germany, and the staff bid farewell to the HQ’s Chief of Staff, Major General (NLD) Ton von Loon.

Major General Ton van Loon was throughout your tenure.” On mental in making the certifi ca- appointed as Chief of Staff ALCC March 1, 2010 the ALCC HQ HD tion of the Deployable Joint Staff HQ HD on August 24, 2007. will implement a new interim Element (DJSE) 2 happen and working structure and thus trans- played a key role in the certifi ca- In his speech Kather commended forming into a Headquarters Al- tion of the Headquarters for NRF van Loon as “a man of great lied Force Command Heidelberg 13”, Kather said. He added that operational experience” who (HQ FC HD). the outcome of the restructuring brought with him “a wealth of was for real already: “Our fi rst fi rst-hand experience, a whole With regards to the future struc- DJSE has deployed to Afghani- network, precious on-the-ground ture as a Headquarters Allied stan.” knowledge that this Headquarters Force Command, van Loon did would profi t from enormously “pioneer work” and was “instru- Van Loon underlined the impor- tance of the transformation and the work the HQ had undertaken in the past. This has not so much been a physical transformation but a cultural change. “That is your achievement”, he addressed the soldiers. He ended his speech with the words: “Always re- member that we are here for the soldiers.”

After a short break back in the , Ton van Loon was promoted to Lieutenant General in April 2010 and took over com- mand of the I DEU/NLD Corps in Münster, Germany.

14 www.nato.int/fchd Visiting the River Rhine Valley A Day-Trip to German History for the Families of deployed and non-deployed HQ Personnel

By LTC Dippel, PAO

On 8 May 2010, the Wine Club of tion, three-quarters are planted end of the Franco-Prussian war the headquarters, in co-operation with Riesling, but Chardonnay, (1870/1871). The fi rst stone was with the Family Support Centre, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Pinot noir laid on September 16, 1877, by conducted a one-day trip with and Dornfelder are also grown. emperor Wilhelm I and the total spouses and families of both After considerable structural work cost of the work is estimated at deployed and non-deployed HQ Eberbach serves, inter alia, as one million gold marks. personnel to the “Upper Middle a venue of international impor- Rhine Valley”, a declared UNESCO tance for cultural events, displays Since the tour was organized by World Heritage Site. and as a fi lm location, as for the wine club, part of the trip instance for the interior scenes itinerary was also an organized The trip would provide an insight in the movie “The Name of the visit including a “wein probe” to into the nature and the cultural Rose” (1985). With effect from 1 the Weingut Koegler, one of the landscape along this part of the January 1998, the Land of most important vineyards in the Rhine and the unique variety and transferred the entire Monastery area, located at Eltville. beauty found in the Loreley Val- complex into the ownership of a ley landscape. publicly owned charitable foun- To properly conclude the day, dation, “Stiftung Kloster Eber- the group had a delicious dinner Around 30 participants left Camp- bach”. Before moving on, the at the Weingut Koegler Restau- bell Barracks by bus at 08.30 hrs, participants at the tour took the rant, located in the same building heading for the fi rst destination opportunity to have a tasty lunch, in which in 1467 a man named of the tour, the former Cistercian based on “spargel” (asparagus), “Gutenberg” (Johannes Gens- Monastery Eberbach in the Rhein- at the “Kloster Eberbach Restau- fl eisch the real name), the inven- gau. rant”. tor of movable letters printing, printed one of the fi rst books The visit at the Monastery, guided Moving on, a KD ferry was wait- ever which were no longer hand- by Mrs Roncarati, lasted about ing at Rüdesheim for a unique written. one hour and gave the feeling to river cruise along the Rhine. Around 23.00 hrs, the group travel along the centuries. After 2 hours, having reached arrived well back in Campbell St.Goarshausen, the group pro- Barracks, with the feeling to The vineyards of Eberbach Mon- ceeded to the famous Niederwald- have spent a very nice day and astery were, at 300 hectares, the Denkmal. the clear will to get involved in largest in medieval . Most further events organized by the of them are now the property The monument was built to Wine Club, also in co-operation of the state of Hesse. Of the 200 commemorate the foundation with the Family Support Centre. hectares which are under cultiva- of the German Empire after the

The Observer 2010 ED.01 15 Exercise Loyal Journey enhances interoperability

By OR-5 Sherry Schmidtpeter, PAO

A key to the DJSE concept is the • operate forward as part of a staff and critical advisors was ability to work with a JFC Main seamless JHQ; a key component of the train- Headquarters as part of a “seam- • provide situational awareness, ing. Many hours were dedicated less HQ” and battle staff training theatre engagement, joint staff in preparation of the exercise, is an important event in develop- coordination, planning and and as the start date of the exer- ing this ability. analysis to JFC; cise neared, everything appeared • establish and maintain key to be in place and ready to go. Held concurrently at Joint Force operational and logistical func- No one could have predicted the Command Lisbon and Allied tions as part of a JFC HQ; unexpected eruption and, conse- Force Command Heidelberg from • receive, process and action quently, the fallout of ash from 19 to 23 April 10, Exercise LOYAL operational level information the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in JOURNEY was the fi rst oppor- and link strategic and tactical which resulted in airlines tunity for Deployable Joint Staff events; cancelling thousands of fl ights Element One (DJSE 1) Heidelberg • participate in key JFC battle as European airspace was shut to train as a Forward Element. rhythm events and provide down and would continue to input as required. be so, even after the start of the Over the past year, a permanent exercise. DJSE training area in Heidelberg Although the exercise duration was completed, and Exercise lasted only fi ve days, the plan- Exercise participants from Lisbon LOYAL JOURNEY also became ning and preparation started were not deterred and managed the fi rst exercise to utilize this much sooner. Personnel from to make alternate travel arrange- new training area as part of a Heidelberg travelled to Lisbon ments and arrived at the exercise joint headquarters. With the for a week in mid March for the only 24 hours later than origi- exercise having been modeled MEL/MIL scripting workshop, and nally planned. With the arrival from a NRF-15 scenario based later, Key Leaders Training took of the Lisbon personnel, which in Cerasia, it was designed to place in April prior to the kick off included the Deputy Commander enhance the interoperability of Exercise LOYAL JOURNEY. JFC, Lieutenant General Manuel between JFC Lisbon and DJSE1. Mestre, who acted as the COM Specifi c training objectives of the The integration of the Joint Com- NIMFOR, the exercise met all exercise were: mander along with his personal training objectives.

16 www.nato.int/fchd Ethnic cleansing, famine, drought, piracy, including refugees on an enormous scale in the midst of a border dispute between countries in the area of operations, this be- ing the backdrop of the exercise, provided a fi ctional but realistic scenario for exercise partici- pants. Throughout the week, as

the exercise progressed, lessons were learned, training objectives were met, and most importantly, personnel from JFC Lisbon and DJSE1 had the opportunity to work together enhancing the relationship between headquar- ters. With the completion of this critical DJSE training event, DJSE1 will now shift its focus towards preparing for deployment to ISAF in 2011.

The Observer 2010 ED.01 17 Family Support Centre Activities

DEPENDANT INFORMATION BRIEFING FOR ISAF ROTATION

On 8 June 2010, the Family Sup- psychotherapist for family care refl ect on their own situation. port Centre hosted an Informa- focusing on children and adoles- Dr. Wendl was able to create a tion Briefi ng for all soldiers and cents. Her extensive knowledge relaxed atmosphere where peo- their dependant families of ISAF and broad experience provided ple were not afraid to share their Rotations 1A and 1B. The brief- insight on how to prepare your experiences or to ask questions. ing focused on family matters children for the upcoming de- with regards to deployment and ployments and redeployment. The knowledge and experi- on distant relationships. ence of these two speakers was The second key note speaker evident throughout their pres- Held in the Family Support Cen- from the Catholic University of entations and the question and tre, located at Building 31M, in Eichstätt, Dr Peter Wendl, is a answer period. Attendees were Campbell Barracks, soldiers, civil- licensed Theologist for Singles, able to gain valuable information ians and their families, partners Couples as well as a Family and tools to use in the upcoming and friends, had the opportunity Therapist who has conducted deployments and redeployments. to take advantage to listen to key seminars for more than 500 cou- This Information Briefi ng also note speakers on how to best ples, speaking on the subject of gave the attendees the opportu- prepare for the time before, dur- distance relationships as well as nity to meet other spouses and ing, and after deployment. on temporary separations during families affected by the upcom- deployments. His lively and ing deployment and to spend The fi rst keynote speaker Mrs. practical lecture has been very time creating new friendships and Anja Hagen, a licensed Psycholo- inspiring and he managed to bonds that will be benefi cial to gist with her own private practice pull in the audience to the point those who will remain behind. in Heidelberg, is a specialized where they were initiated to

ZOO Zoo, Dr. Klaus Wünnemann, on The end of the Zoo visit was what the Heidelberg Zoo had to rounded up by fellowship time Saturday, 19 June offer, the families started on their with delicious coffee and cake 2010 was a very “expedition”. The Zoo kindly where all participants had the special day for the offered a guided tour in English opportunity to mingle and enjoy dependant families and German by two specialized a wonderful and exciting escape of our deployed rangers who did an personnel. outstanding job guid- ing all participants By invitation of the Lord Mayor throughout an exciting of Heidelberg, Dr. Würzner, the and adventurous tour. Family Support Centre organ- Among visiting many ized a family day trip to the interesting animals, Heidelberg Zoo. The Lord Mayor two highlights defi nite- offi cially welcomed all 65 partici- ly were Ujan, the pants followed by a thank you whistling monkey and speech by our Commander, Lieu- the famous several tenant-General Morgan III. After a decades old giant short introduction by Director of tortoise.

18 www.nato.int/fchd SPORTS DAY 2010 & FAMILY SUPPORT CENTRE MID TERM EVENT By OR-5 Sherry Schmidtpeter, PAO

On 09 Jun 10, Headquarters bined with a mid-term event for barbeque and also ensured that Allied Force Command Heidel- the dependants of the deployed water and other beverages were berg (HQ FC Heidelberg), held personnel. Personnel of HQ provided to the participants in it’s annual Sports Day at Patton FC Heidelberg spent the morn- the sporting events. At the begin- Barracks. However this year, it ing and early afternoon playing ning of the day, it was evident it was expanded to a joint event to various sports, including soccer, would be one of the hotter days include a Family Support Centre volleyball, horseshoes and tug that Heidelberg had seen, and it (FSC) ISAF Mid-Term Event for of war competition. Dependants was imperative that steps were dependants. were invited in the afternoon to taken to ensure no one was over- a barbeque, including games, an come by dehydration. In the past, the sports day con- infl atable play castle and face sisted of a day of various sports painting for the kids. Major General Richard Rossma- for members of the HQ, both nith, Chief of Staff of Deploy- military and civilian. This year The Forward Support Element able Joint Staff Element 1 (DJSE however, with the deployment (FSE) was responsible for the 1), kicked off the sports day at of approximately one quarter of preparation of the different 0930 hrs with words of encour- the staff as part of the fi rst per- events and the set-up of the area, agement and well wishes for all sonnel rotation to HQ ISAF in while the Food and Services the participants. As the morning Kabul, the sports day was com- Branch was responsible for the and early afternoon passed, the

The Observer 2010 ED.01 19 various teams worked hard at goal of Esprit de Corps and fun hat and medal for participating playing their respective sports. was never forgotten. in the events that had been ar- When on a break in between ranged for them. games of their particular sport, At the end of the sports com- participants took advantage to petition, With the completion of the watch the other sports teams in Grabowski was on hand to awards ceremony for both the action. Of course, the last sport present the awards to the top sports participants and the de- activity was the coveted Tug of three teams in each competi- pendants, it was time for the War competition. This battle of tion. While NCSA seemed to barbeque. FSE Food and Serv- strength attracted a large crowd dominate the overall sports day, ices Branch had worked hard of spectators, cheering on their winning several places, all par- to provide delicious food and respective branches for bragging ticipants no matter where they refreshing drinks for everyone. rights of winning the competition. placed, were winners. After the The barbeque served as a great The competitions were fi erce and presentation of the sports awards, closing to overall great day. while all those who participated BG Grabowski presented the worked hard to win, the main dependent children with a t-shirt,

20 www.nato.int/fchd HQ FC Heidelberg personnel from the second ISAF rotation 2010 passes fi nal milestone in its ISAF pre-deployment training By LTC Dippel, PAO

In the timeframe 12-25 June 2010, the second staff rotation from Headquarters Allied Force Com- mand Heidelberg (HQ FC Hei- delberg) proved its mission-read- iness by successfully participating in the ISAF Training Event 10-01 at the (JWC) at Stavanger/. In doing so, the second staff rotation also passed the last training mile stone prior to actual deployment.

The ISAF Training Event (TE) 10-01, also known as “Mission Rehearsal Training/Evaluation (MRT/E), brought together for the fi rst time all personnel from the different NATO and National HQ as well as Individual Augmen- tees (IA), earmarked to deploy three main contributors alone was therefore to meet the pre- to ISAF as part of the next rota- provided 240 of the approximate- deployment training requirements tion in order to man the two ly 375 training audience. developed from inside-theatre. ISAF headquarters, HQ ISAF at The operational tempo in theatre Kabul and the HQ ISAF Joint The overall aim of the ISAF TE is very high and staff deploying Command (IJC) at Kabul Inter- 10-01 was to ensure the person- to ISAF will have signifi cantly less national Airport. Staff from HQ nel provided by HQ FC Heidel- time to adapt to the local envi- FC Heidelberg will deploy to HQ berg, RRC-FR and US ronment and the pulse of the HQ ISAF, while personnel from the personnel and IA are trained than in other missions. US V. Corps and the Rapid Reac- and ready to work within the tion Corps - France (RRC-FR) will ISAF headquarters in Kabul. The The TE 10-01 was tailored to mainly deploy to HQ IJC. These character of the ISAF TE 10-01 meet the current operational

The Observer 2010 ED.01 21 themes of COM ISAF. The injects is like in Kabul, since they have The training and evaluation of (“vignettes’) driving the event been there – in most cases even NATO and national personnel were derived from or just slightly right now. The HQ’s that had deploying to ISAF headquarters amended versions of real-life carried out internal mission pre- is two-staged, with the fi rst stage theatre events in order to trigger deployment training programmes carried out internally by the staff-processes as they really exist in the months before (mainly HQ various contributing NATO and in the ISAF headquarters. The FC Heidelberg, US V Corps and National HQ’s, followed by the training audience basically expe- RRC-FR), achieved the higher second and fi nal stage at NATO’s rienced about 1-2 weeks of real- training results for themselves JWC in Stavanger, where all the type staff work in their respective since they were able to focus on personnel from the different HQ. interoperability, where others had contributors as well as individual to start from step one. augmentees are fully integrated From its character, the ISAF TE is and trained to act as cohesive neither to be regarded testing nor LTG John W Morgan III, Com- ISAF headquarters staffs. certifi cation. The key to its suc- mander Allied Force Command cess is that indeed real staff work Heidelberg, visited the ISAF TE The second staff rotation from procedures and battle rhythm 10-01 on 22 June in order to re- HQ FC Heidelberg is defi nitely outputs of the ISAF headquarters ceive fi rst hand information from ready – awaiting its deployment are mirrored in to the TE – in the JWC about the concept and to HQ ISAF which is scheduled order to provide a realistic train- set-up of this ISAF TE and the for the second half of this July. ing environment for the train- overall performance of the Hei- ing audience to further develop delberg personnel during the TE. their profi ciency in theatre. To As the HQ is also one of the ISAF accomplish this, the contribu- main contributors running an ex- tion of Subject Matter Experts tensive internal pre-deployment (SME) from the headquarters in training programme prior to the Kabul, also acting as mentors in ISAF TE, he was also looking for their respective functional areas opportunities to further enhance within the HQ during the TE, was and improve the quality of the considered crucial for the success training for Heidelberg staff as a Editor’s remark: All photos by of the TE. They know how life whole. JWC Public Affairs Offi ce

22 www.nato.int/fchd Visit of the Baltic Defense College

On 6 April 2010, students and directing staff offi cers from the “Joint Command and General Staff Course” 2009/2010 of the Baltic Defence College visited Headquarters Allied Force Command Heidel- berg (HQ FC Heidelberg). The group was led by Col Kristian Ekroll, the Head of the Operations Department of the college. The Baltic Defence College itself is situated in Tartu, and provides high standard military training ac- cording to NATO standards and the needs of the Baltic States.

Chief-of-Staff Joint Force Command Lisbon visits

On 4 June 2010, Rear Admiral Pires da Cunha, the Chief-of- Staff (COS) of Joint Force Command (JFC) Lisbon, visited Headquarters Allied Force Command Heidelberg (HQ FC Heidelberg) to gain fi rst-hand information and impressions about the Headquarters, especially the Deployable Joint Staff Element (DJSE) training facility at Heidelberg. Another purpose of the visit was to review and discuss shared lessons identifi ed and lessons learned from the joint battle staff training carried out by both headquarters in mid-April.

Visit of the Royal College Army Course

On 31 May 2010, students and directing staff offi cers from the Army General Staff Course of the Royal Danish Defence College visited Headquarters Allied Force Command Heidelberg. The group was led by Major General Carsten Svensson, Commander of the Royal Danish Defence College (RDDC). The RDDC is the Danish armed forces´ powerhouse for education, training and research-gener- ated consultancy. The College offers a wide variety of courses and consultancy activities that cannot be found elsewhere in . Most of their activities are aimed at the commands and institutions of the Danish armed forces in order to enhance the ability of the Danish armed forces to carry out international and national missions. The College is located at Svanmoellen Barracks, , Denmark.

The Observer 2010 ED.01 23 Facebook for HQ FC Heidelberg

Modern public electronic commu- nications offer NATO additional means of spreading its message in order to meet its objective.

Therefore, complementary to the offi cial Internet homepage of HQ FC Heidelberg (at http://www. nato.int/fchd), the HQ imple- mented a “Facebook” page by the end of June 2010.

Everybody is encouraged to use this platform to communicate and give his opinion.

www.facebook.com/pages/Headquarters-Allied-Force- Command-Heidelberg/121673964529185