The International Military Staff (IMS)

Six functional areas The IMS supports the Military Committee, with about The Military Committee oversees of the IMS 400 dedicated military and civilian personnel working several operations and missions in an international capacity for the common interest including the: Plans and Policy of the Alliance, rather than on behalf of their country Responsible for strategic level plans of origin. Under the direction of the Director, Dutch ➤ International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan and policies, and defence/force Lt.-Gen. Jo Godderij, the staff prepare assessments, (ISAF). NATO now is operating throughout Afghanistan with about 43,000 military personnel there under planning, including working with evaluations and reports on all issues that form the nations to determine national military its command. ISAF has responsibility for, among basis of discussion and decisions in the MC. NATO’s Military levels of ambition regarding force other things, the provision of security, Provincial goals and contributions to NATO. Reconstruction Teams, and training the Afghan National The IMS is also responsible for planning, assessing Army. Operations and recommending policy on military matters Committee Closely tracks current operations, for consideration by the Military Committee, ➤ Kosovo Force (KFOR). Since June 1999 NATO has led Operation Active Endeavour is NATO’s maritime a peacekeeping operation in Kosovo. Initially composed surveillance and escort operation in the fight against staffs operational planning, follows and for ensuring their policies and decisions are terrorism. Based in the Mediterranean Sea, the force, of 50,000 following the March 1999 air campaign, the NATO exercises and training, and implemented as directed. This staff is the essential which is provided by several nations, including for force now numbers about 16,000. focused on operations, responsible for issues involving NATO link between the decision-making bodies of the a time by Russia and Ukraine, has hailed more than air defence. 90,000 vessels. Alliance, the two Strategic Commanders, national ➤ Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR (OAE), the Alliance’s only military delegations from NATO and Partner current Article 5 mission, with almost 700 personnel capabilities, and cooperation Cooperation and Regional Security countries working in Brussels, and the civilian conducting naval patrols, hailings and, boardings in the Main military contact with the Mediterranean Sea to counter terrorist activity. 23 Partners in the Euro-Atlantic International Staff that support the Secretary General and the North Atlantic Council. Partnership Council (EAPC), the ➤ Training Mission - Iraq (NTM-I) with more than 100 NATO-Russia Council (NRC), the NATO- personnel assisting in the training of security forces Ukraine Commission (NUC), the 7 and the coordination of training and equipment offers. nations in the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD), the 4 of the Istanbul Cooperation ➤ NATO also provides logistical support to the African Initiative (ICI), and with other non- Union Mission (AMISOM) member, non-Partner countries with whom NATO has relations or contact. ➤ More than 100 NATO military personnel in Sarajevo, Skopje, Tirana and Belgrade also assist with defence Logistics and Resources and security reform. All matters concerning logistics, 1206-08 NATO PRINTING & GRAPHICS STUDIO 1206-08 NATO armaments, research and

development, medical, civil emergency (ISAF Photo) planning, and management of Alliance Zabul PRT personnel and 101st Airborne Division soldiers military financial resources and speak with village elders from Bowlan Kalay and prepare to personnel. hand out humanitarian aid supplies, April 2008.

Intelligence International Military Staff Provides strategic intelligence support, including gathering, assessing and distributing intelligence received from member countries and NATO commands.

NATO Consultation, Command and Control Gives advice on communications For more information contact: and information systems, standards, the Public Information Office, International Military Staff, NATO HQ, 1110 Brussels - Belgium products, and analysis. Afghan children from the village of Sayad Pacha in e-mail : [email protected] southern Afghanistan, use a water pump funded by the military’s civil-military cooperation section. www.nato.int Italian Admiral The Military Committee (MC) Giampaolo Di Paola, How military decisions are arrived at in NATO current chairman of NATO’s highest military authority is composed of the chiefs of the Military Committee, Six steps to agreed military advice defence of all 26 member countries. They meet at least three times is the most senior North Atlantic Council authority of the When NATO political authorities are considering a year as a group. On a day-to-day basis, their work is carried out Alliance. Defence Planning Committee military action, such as the ISAF operation in by permanent military representatives, mainly of three-star rank, at Nominated by NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group Afghanistan, a critical part of the information NATO HQ in Brussels. They meet one to four times a week in formal Chiefs of Defence, he [Secretary General] chairs all the meetings needed to make informed decisions that all and informal sessions to discuss, deliberate and act on matters of of the Committee and nations can agree to, comes from its military takes political decisions and gives political military importance, working in the best interests of the Alliance, at acts in an international authorities. The North Atlantic Council receives guidance the same time representing national perspectives and positions. capacity. NATO’s chiefs of regular briefings and reports, and at each key 6 defence meet at least stage the Military Committee is called on to give The MC provides the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s highest political three times a year, advice, and to provide direction to NATO Military and on a day-to-day Authorities. 1 authority, with consensus-based military advice - that is, advice basis work through agreed to by all chiefs of defence. It works closely with the two permanent military Political Committees Military Committee Step 1. The North Atlantic Council tasks the Strategic Commanders1 to bring plans, issues and recommendations representatives in [Chairman] NATO HQ in Brussels. forward for political consideration. In turn, it gives clear military Military Committee to produce military advice that provide political advice and policy can be agreed by all 26 NATO chiefs of defence. direction to the Strategic Commanders based on MC and North guidance provides consensus-based military advice and translates political Atlantic Council decisions. Step 2. The International Military Staff, in support guidance into military direction of the Military Committee, translates the political 3 The MC represents a tremendous amount of specialised knowledge guidance into military direction and tasks one or and experience that informs Alliance-wide military policies, strategies both Strategic Commands for their best military and plans, and is a key part of the NATO decision-making process. advice on how to organise and conduct what has been asked for, including an assessment of the Working Groups 1 The overall planning and direction for all NATO operations rests with the Supreme Allied personnel and financial resources required. Commander Europe (SACEUR), who works from Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) headquarters in Mons, Belgium. Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), national military delegations working from Norfolk, U.S., is responsible for enhancing NATO military capabilities, developing Step 3. The input from the Strategic work with IMS to troubleshoot concepts, policies, and joint NATO training. International Staff International Command(s) is provided to the Military Committee issues Military Staff 4 5 (i.e. to the nations) for consideration, usually with the executive agent an initial assessment by the International Military supporting Council and its the executive agent of Staff. committees the MC The Committee’s principal role is to provide direction and The Role of the Chairman advice on military policy and strategy. It is responsible for recommending to NATO’s political authorities those measures Step 4. The Military Representatives provide political-military coordination considered necessary for the common defence of the NATO their response and advice from a national The Chairman of the Military Committee is elected by the NATO area and for the implementation of decisions regarding standpoint. 26 views need to converge into chiefs of defence, normally for a three-year term. He represents NATO’s operations and missions. consensus advice that can be passed to the North their consensus-based views as the principal military adviser to the Atlantic Council. 2 Secretary General, the North Atlantic Council and other senior NATO Strategic Commanders organisations. He guides the Committee’s agenda and deliberations, Step 5. Consensus is rarely immediately [SACEUR & SACT] listening to views and working to reconcile divergent national achieved on complex undertakings, and working groups meet regularly to troubleshoot and work positions or policy differences to fashion advice that all can agree to. give their best military advice to Each nation has an equal voice in the discussion and decisions, as through issues. Staff from national military the MC and the NAC delegations work under an IMS chairman and with all member nations provide the personnel and the financial resources subject matter experts. needed to conduct its operations and other activities. Step 6. The final agreed product, plus the initial As the Alliance’s top officer and most senior military spokesperson, advice from the Strategic Command(s), is then Operations Transformation Italian Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, the current Chairman, regularly sent to the North Atlantic Council to inform their visits operations and allied and partner countries to explain NATO’s deliberations, consultations and decision-making. role and military work, and to maximize NATO military capabilities and efficiencies. He is assisted by the Deputy Chairman, U.S. When the Military Committee is joined by Partnership for This is a continuous process for every activity, be Lt.-Gen. Karl Eikenberry. Peace’s colleagues as many as 49 senior officer work it an operational plan, a conceptual paper or a Two-way arrows show continuous circle together to tackle defence and security issues common to all. policy proposal. of consultation and guidance.