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NewsletterNewsletter HeadquartersHeadquarters AlliedAllied ForceForce CommandCommand HeidelbergHeidelberg Nr. 01 March 2012 Commander’s Corner Allied Force Command Heidelberg finishes support to ISAF mission The year ahead is a period of great change within the Alliance, as the NATO Command Structure transforms to become leaner and more efficient. It will also be a challenging time for our headquarters, as we perform critical framework tasks, begin to transition Land Competency ex- pertise to the new Land Command Izmir, and maintain a force package on NATO Response Force ( NRF) Standby. We have realigned the HQ according to func- tional staff directorates, posturing Force Com- mand Heidelberg to fully achieve the Command priorities and all assigned missions. Maj. Gen. Richard Rossmanith will be the Chief of Staff Transition, and Maj. Gen. Hubert De Vos will be Chief of Staff Operations. There will be four As- sistant Chiefs of Staff ( ACOS ) : Brig. Gen. Reconnaissance team conducted crisis Olivier Rittiman, ACOS Transition; Brig. Gen. Wojciech Grabowski, ACOS Training and Exer- response exercise cises; Brig. Gen. Leo Beulen, ACOS Operations; and Brig. Gen. Salvatore Albore, ACOS Support. All FCHD personnel will work in a team or group within one of these functional areas. Realignment will enhance our ability to begin a methodical “ l eft seat, right seat ” transition of Land Competency expertise in the summer. This is a complex task, one that requires the active participation of all FCHD personnel within their respective fields. While we focus on the transition process, we must also plan and execute several critical framework tasks. In mid-March we will co-chair the Bi-Force Command Corps Commanders Conference in Lille, France. We will also co-chair the Allied Chiefs of Army Staff Talks and Land Commanders Conference in Tirana, Albania, in May. These forums demonstrate the Force Com- CONTENTS : mands ’ vital role as Allied Command Opera- tions ’ focal point for NATO Force Structure land Allied Force Command Heidelberg finishes support to ISAF mission …. 1 HQs and Alliance land forces. Finally, in September we will conduct a Com- Reconnaissance team conducted crisis response exercise ……….……. 2 bat Readiness Evaluation ( CREVAL) of the PAO articles ………………………………………………………..……….……. 3 Allied Rapid Reaction Corps ( ARRC) HQ to Training Events / calendar ……………………………………….……….……. 4 validate its High Readiness Force ( Land ) HQ capability. This will be a significant HQ effort, Family Support Center Events ……………………………………………..…. 5 and will require the formation of a robust team of Family Support Center Corner ……………………………………………..…. 6 qualified, professional experts. The ARRC CRE- VAL will also be one of the first opportunities for Local Traveler Corner …………...…………………………………………..…. 7 transition of a major land expertise program to Point of interest / German regulations …………..…………………………... 8 Land Command Izmir. The months ahead will be busy, and I look forward to working with each of NATO Spouse Club Corner .…………………………………….…………….. 9 you, and thank you for your continuing dedication NATO Spouse Club Calendar .………………...……………………………. 10 and service. Allied Force Command Heidelberg finishes support to ISAF mission January served as a historical month officer with the unit ’ s human resource for service members of Allied Force office. Command Heidelberg as they com- Supreme Headquarters Allied Pow- pleted a two-year rotation in support of ers Europe ( S HAPE ) issued the mis- International Security Assistance Forces sion in mid-summer 2009 and Heidel- — Afghanistan Headquarters. berg began the mission in January 2010. “ O ur team did really great, providing Prior to the mission, service members added value to the headquarters and conducted national pre-deployment delivering what was expected, a highly- training as well as international exer- capable team, ” said Maj. Gen. Richard cises over a six-month time frame and Rossmanith who served as the Interna- continued with this training over the past tional Security Assistance Force Deputy two years ensuring the headquarters Lt. Gen. John W. Morgan III greets service Chief of Staff for Stability. “ T he battle is personnel were battle ready. members as they redeploy from support to fought by the troops on the ground who Force Command Heidelberg ( FC HQ International Security Assistance Force need the right guidance and support. HD ) service members were the first - Afghanistan on Jan. 26, 2012. We provided that. We created the right NATO unit to lead the ISAF mission from framework for our troops so they could August 2003 to February 2004. The do their job.” Headquarters personnel took over the Throughout the past two years, the mission again from July 2007 to August headquarters personnel filled more than 2008. During this time, approximately 350 duty slots with a goal of creating 200 soldiers and civilians deployed in conditions so that Afghans can regain support of the Standing Headquarters of Disclosure : stability in their country. The headquar- ISAF in order to fill core battle staff posi- ters personnel ’ s deployments ranged tions in support of ongoing military op- from three to sixteen months with erations. Rossmanith being deployed the longest. There will remain a small contingent Serving the military, civilians and family members Other general officers deployed dur- of headquarters personnel in Afghani- of Headquarters Allied Force Command Heidel- berg ing this tenure included Belgian Maj. stan in support of the ISAF mission. Gen. Hubert De Vos, serving as Deputy “ C ongratulations on a job well- Lt. Gen. John W. Morgan III, Commander Chief of Staff, Resources, Dutch Brig. done ” , said Allied Force Command Lt. Col. Götz Haffke Gen. Leo Beulen and French Brig. Gen. Heidelberg Commander Lt. Gen. John Lt. Col. Randy Martin Olivier Rittimann who alternatively Morgan III. “ You have a lot to be proud Editors served as Chief of Combined Joint- of. ” Operations for one year each. Maj. Cyrille Zimmer Assistant Editor While these officers served for their countries and the common good of the Article by Cpt. Tamara Gonzales Maj. Peter Mientus region, so did many others. The United Photo by Staff Sgt. Dwight Chaney Media Analyst States, Germany, Canada, the Czech Capt. Tamara Gonzales Republic, Spain, France, the United Assistant Editor Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, It- Adj. Aurélie Auzas aly, Belgium and Poland contributed to Layout and Design the headquarters role in the ISAF mis- sion during this time. Additionally, ser- This is an authorized, unofficial publication. Its aim is to inform headquarters personnel and their vice members from Greece, Romania, families. Opinions expressed in this publication Turkey, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, are those of the authors and do not reflect official Slovakia and Bulgaria also deployed. policy. Furthermore, personnel from other Suggestions for articles, comments and contribu- NATO headquarters volunteered includ- tions are welcome and should be directed to the ing Joint Force Command – Lisbon, editor. The editor reserves the right to edit sub- FC-Madrid and JFC-Naples. missions. This mix of nationalities shows a Public Affairs Office commitment to peace and stability by Postfach 102620 the NATO member nations that contrib- Service members from Headquarters Allied D-69016 Heidelberg (Bldg. 8, Campbell Barracks) uted to the ISAF mission during the Force Command Heidelberg welcome the Phone: 06221-398-5316 headquarters deployment. second group of Rotation 2B to return from Fax: 06221-398-5349 “ O ur headquarters had to be more HQ International Security Assistance Force - Email: [email protected]. flexible, supporting four deployment cy- Afghanistan. cles including deployments and rede- Visit our website at www.nato.int/fchd ployments, ” said Belgium Commandant Like us at Facebook: Headquarters Allied Force Filip De Craemer serving as a liaison Command Heidelberg 01 Reconnaissance team conducted crisis response exercise and explored NATO’s future Deployability Concept A 15-person Operational Liaison or natural disaster), bilaterally or Reconnaissance Team (OLRT) led by through NATO, under a usually com- NATO’s Allied Force Command Heidel- plex mandate, in order to understand berg (HQ FC Heidelberg) conducted a that environment, assess what is crisis response exercise from 27 Janu- needed there and establish relation- ary to 1 February 2012 at the Joint War- ships to determine the success of a fu- fare Centre (JWC) in order to prepare ture operation or relief effort. In SFJT for the NATO Response Force (NRF) 12 the OLRT deployment takes place exercise STEADFAST JOIST 12 (SFJT under the United Nations (UN) man- 12), which will take place in May this date. year. In Stavanger, the JWC has set up an Under the command of Dutch Briga- environment for the reconnaissance dier General Leo Beulen, the exercise team so that they can collect data on aimed to help develop an effective Op- everything “in theatre” and function as erational Plan (OPLAN) for the standing the “eyes and ears” of the Joint Force Joint Force HQ and conduct a detailed Commander before his deployment. A study of the mission and tasks NRF creation of the JWC Scenario Section, forces might undertake during SFJT 12 the exercise scenario, Cerasia, has in the fictitious theatre of operations been available to train the NRF since based on the Cerasia scenario. 2008. In order to train different skills for The simulated OLRT deployment to different missions, the JWC validates a tion for the OLRT