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 63,400 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 and a new initiative to train the Afghan National Operations and recommending policy on military matters Security Forces, known as the NATO Training Mission - Committee Closely tracks current operations, for consideration by the Military Committee, Afghanistan(NTM-A) which was agreed to by nations at Operation Active Endeavour is NATO’s maritime surveillance and escort operation in the fight against staffs operational planning, follows and for ensuring their policies and decisions are the Strasbourg/Kehl Summit in Spring 2009, and which terrorism. Based in the , the force, NATO exercises and training, and implemented as directed. This staff is the essential is currently under development. which is provided by several nations, including for a time by Russia and Ukraine, has hailed more than focused on operations, responsible for issues involving NATO link between the decision-making bodies of the ➤ Kosovo Force (KFOR). Since June 1999 NATO has led 100,000 vessels. air defence. Alliance, the two Strategic Commanders, national a peacekeeping operation in Kosovo. Initially composed military delegations from NATO and Partner of 50,000 following the March 1999 air campaign, the capabilities, cooperation, Cooperation and Regional Security countries working in , and the civilian force now numbers about 13,500. Main military contact with the ➤ Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR (OAE), the Alliance’s only 21 Partners in the Euro-Atlantic that support the Secretary General and transformation current Article 5 mission, with almost 885 personnel Partnership Council (EAPC), and the . conducting naval patrols, hailings and boardings in the the NATO-Russia Council (NRC), Mediterranean Sea to counter terrorist activity. the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC), the NATO-Georgia Commission (NGC), ➤ Operation OCEAN SHIELD (OOS), the Alliance’s the 7 nations in the Mediterranean maritime operation to counter piracy. 5 ships are Dialogue (MD), the 4 of the Istanbul engaged Cooperation Initiative (ICI), and with ➤ Training Mission – (NTM-I) with more than 220 other non-member, non-Partner personnel assisting in the training of security forces countries with whom NATO has and the coordination of training and equipment offers. relations or contact. ➤ NATO also provides logistical support to the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMISOM). Logistics and Resources ➤ About 100 NATO military personnel in Sarajevo, Skopje,

All matters concerning logistics, (ISAF Photo) Tirana and Belgrade also assist with defence and armaments, research and Zabul PRT personnel and 101st Airborne Division soldiers development, medical, civil emergency speak with village elders from Bowlan Kalay and prepare to security reform. planning, and management of Alliance hand out humanitarian aid supplies. PRINTING & GRAPHICS STUDIO 1221-09 NATO military financial resources and personnel.

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 For more information contact: Control the Public Affairs Office, International Military Staff, NATO HQ, 1110 Brussels – Gives advice on communications Afghan children from the village of Sayad Pacha in e-mail : dims.deppia@hq..int and information systems, standards, southern Afghanistan, use a water pump funded by the products, and analysis. military’s civil-military cooperation section. www.nato.int Italian The Military Committee (MC) , 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 28 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 28 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 , 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 The Committee’s principal role is to provide direction and Staff. committees the MC advice on military policy and strategy. It is responsible for The Role of the Chairman 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 NATO’s operations and missions. standpoint. 28 views need to converge into chiefs of defence, normally for a three-year term. He represents 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 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 Gen. Charles-Henri Delcour, Belgian Chief of Defence (right) in and efficiencies. He is assisted by the Deputy Chairman, U.S. conversation with Lt. General Jaroslav Kolkus, Czech Republic This is a continuous process for every activity, be Military Representative (centre), with Lt.Gen Jean Marie it an operational plan, a conceptual paper or a Two-way arrows show continuous circle Lt.-Gen. Walter E. Gaskin, Marine Corps. Jockin, Belgian Military Representative (left), at the beginning of consultation and guidance. of the May Chiefs of Defence Sessions at NATO HQ. policy proposal.