years Multinational Corps Northeast Baltic Amber MAGAZINE / 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION Table of Contents #4 Congratulatory letters Marta Karpińska #19 It is all about good relationships Marta Karpińska Interview with the Mayor of #6 The Corps stands for NATO Szczecin, Piotr Krzystek Interview with the Commander of Multinational Corps Northeast, Renata Nizińska Lieutenant General Sławomir #21 Challenges make life meaningful Wojciechowski, PhD MAJ Donatas Palavenis MAJ Mark Burke #22 United then and now #9 Why do we exercise? #26 From 1999 to 2019 #10 Through the eyes of The Corps’ timeline former Commanders CPT Claudia Seidenschwanz #14 Making a difference The Corps in Afghanistan The Baltic Amber IMPRINT MAGAZINE September 2019 The Baltic Amber is the authorized magazine of HQ MNC NE which shall be a fruitful source of information on Corps-related PUBLICATION MANAGEMENT Editorial Director Photographer issues for members of the Headquarters, assigned formations Public Affairs Office LTC Boris Schnelle, DEU A CPL Angelika Suchomski, DEU A as well as international visitors and other individuals. Headquarters Adam Łapszyński, POL CIV The name “Baltic Amber” is derived from the fossil Multinational Corps Northeast Editor in Chief resin amber that can be found on the beaches of the Marta Karpińska, POL CIV Contributors Baltic Sea. It is well known in Poland, the host country ul. W. Łukasińskiego 33 CPT Claudia Seidenschwanz, DEU AF MAJ Alexander Strauss, DEU AF of Headquarters Multinational Corps Northeast. 71-215 Szczecin, Poland MAJ Zbigniew Garbacz, POL A e-mail: [email protected] Graphic Designer & Photo Editor Opinions expressed in the Baltic Amber are those of the writers website: www.mncne.pl Karol Sito, POL CIV Special thanks to and do not necessarily reflect official HQ MNC NE or NATO policy. tel. +48 (91) 444 5900 CPL Heiko Mueller, DEU A Joanna Łucka (POL) and fax. +48 (91) 444 5909 Veit Rauen (DEU) from MNC NE Linguistic Services and our Authors 3 More than 20 years of harmonic and, above all, effective cooperation within Multinational Corps Northeast show the commitment and professionalism of the soldiers from Poland, Denmark, Germany and the Participating States. The Corps plays a crucial role in ensuring security not only on the Alliance’s eastern flank but also across the whole Europe. People of this part of our globe can feel safe as the Corps maintains a constant state of readiness as well MINISTRIES OF NATIONAL DEFENCE MINISTRIES NATIONAL OF as comprehensive situational awareness. Multinational Corps Northeast is an example of cooperation which demonstrates the numerous beneficial effects of NATO membership. The Polish Armed Forces had a long way ahead to achieve full interoperability when Poland joined the North Atlantic Alliance. Thanks to day-to-day service, our soldiers were able to integrate with foreign troops, gain an understanding of their procedures and duties, learn their logistics systems and their equipment. It is this valuable knowledge and experience that the Polish soldiers drew on at the very early stage of our NATO membership. The Corps’ soldiers could also demonstrate their skills on the mission in Afghanistan. Today, soldiers from NATO Member States which have joined the Corps rely on this expertise. I would like to extend my gratitude to all those whose contribution has been vital to the success of Multinational Corps Northeast. Your actions and commitment have brought about remarkable effects. The Polish Armed Forces are proud to participate in such a significant and much-needed initiative which strengthens our security. Mariusz Błaszczak Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Poland 4 Baltic Amber MAGAZINE / 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION On September 18th 1999, Denmark, Poland, The year 2019 marks the 20th anniversary of and Germany brought into service Multinational our trilateral establishment of Headquarters Corps Northeast in Szczecin. Multinational Corps Northeast. Since then, Multinational Corps Northeast Looking back at the last twenty years the has earned a high reputation in NATO and Headquarters has been through a remarkable particularly among the participating, now built-up and transformation. The foundation of twenty-five NATO Member States and partner the Headquarters was laid already in 1994 with nations. a desire to integrate Poland in the existing The high level of allied participation in this Danish-German cooperation. This was done command is an expression of our close ties at a time where we tried to shape a new within the Alliance and our commitment to our Europe based on international rules and common security. And it reflects the particular treaties accepted by all parties. The NATO- significance that this Headquarter has earned, Russia Founding Act was signed in 1997 and especially since 2014. our archives reveal that we even worked on Today, Multinational Corps Northeast is an engaging Russia in our defence cooperation, important and indispensable Headquarters in also in the framework of Multinational Corps the NATO Force Structure and is characterised Northeast. by its prominent role in protecting NATO’s The security enviroment today is in many ways northeastern flank. different than it was twenty years ago. Russia did On behalf of the German government, not become engaged in our cooperation despite I would like to congratulate you all on the persisiting efforts on our side. However, today 20th anniversary of the Corps and on its many 25 nations are represented at Multinantional achievements over two decades of service. Corps Northeast and the Corps is an important Thank you for your daily work and your element in NATO’s defence and reassurance of dedicated commitment. the North-eastern region oft he Alliance. I highly appreciate our close trilateral All the best for your and the Corps’ future! cooperation in the framework of The Multinational Corps Northeast in Szczecin and the Headquarters’ professional and dedicated Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer contribution to our common defence and Federal Minister of Defence security. of the Federal Republic of Germany Trine Bramsen Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Denmark 5 Today our role goes beyond the term “corps” – first and foremost when we “ talk about the territorial scope of our responsibility. Furthermore, we do already have subordinate units. wenty years seem to be enough time to internal circumstances. The security challenges look at the Corps and its transformation within NATO have changed since 1999. The Tfrom the distance. Corps has seen eight commanders, ten deputy commanders and eight chiefs of staff, not to “20th anniversary” – the wording itself does mention the hundreds of soldiers deployed to not say much about the events that have Szczecin. Big changes do not happen overnight happened in the Corps within this timeframe. and you need more than one person to make Established two decades ago, it joined the NATO them happen. Force Structure five years later and has been a high readiness unit since 2017. The development A lot of these changes have been effected. of the Corps – at least at the very beginning – did not seem as obvious as nowadays. Some Indeed. Today the Corps stands for NATO. We might say that the Headquarters was created are the hub for land operations of the Alliance only as a symbol, in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. This is a bottom-up initiative of Denmark, Germany and what the people in this part of Europe, which Poland. Others, though, might say that those we are responsible for, expect from us. They who placed the Corps in Szczecin exhibited need a clear point of reference. We want to foresight as, later on, this unit proved to be establish ourselves as a hub to a greater extent crucial for the Alliance in this region. Yet, it than ever before. In case of any crisis, we are is circumstances that dictate the evolution here to react. The troops, of course, will be sent of organizations such as ours. Things which by the armed forces of the Allies. But it is only are happening now seemed impossible ten within the NATO structure that they can be years ago. This is the outcome of external and effectively commanded – and this is our task. If NATO participated in a defence operation 6 Baltic Amber MAGAZINE / 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION THE CORPS STANDS FOR NATO By Marta Karpińska (POL CIV) Interview with the Commander of Multinational Corps Northeast, Lieutenant General Sławomir Wojciechowski, PhD on the eastern flank, we would be the first to awareness of the area we are based in and assume responsibility for the operations of the which we are responsible for, stretching all the “spearhead” or other land forces stationed in way from Estonia to Poland. Last but not least, it Today our role goes beyond the term Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania or Poland. Today our is the relationships which have been established role goes beyond the term “corps” – first and with our partners and subordinate units in the “corps” – first and foremost when we foremost when we talk about the territorial region. talk about the territorial scope of our scope of our responsibility. Furthermore, we responsibility. Furthermore, we do do already have subordinate units such as This is the Corps today, 20 years later. What already have subordinate units. multinational divisions and brigades in the Baltic next? region. The 20th anniversary is a turning point of And this, in turn, constitutes part of a bigger the Corps’ development and not just another concept which NATO coined the enhanced date in the calendar. I am interested in what Forward Presence. is waiting for us in the future. If you think that, after 20 years, we in the Corps only All of the involved parties contribute with stick to the achievements of the past, you are great effort to this credible presence of Allied wrong. The transformation is not finished yet, troops on the eastern flank.