CHANGE OF COMMAND ANAKONDA 18 CPX COMMAND SUPPORT BRIGADE MULTINATIONAL DIVISION NORTH EAST CERTIFICATION OF MULTINATIONAL DIVISION NORTH EAST, ELBLĄG 06 DECEMBER 2018, SOURCE: POL MOD GENERAL TOWARDS REGIONAL MULTINATIONAL WOJCIECHOWSKI LAND COMPONENT BACKSTAGE DIVISION NORTH EAST IN COMMAND COMMAND MY “ANAKONDA” SUPPORTERS FULLY OPERATIONAL THE BALTIC AMBER IMPRINT The Baltic Amber is the authorized magazine of HQ MNC NE which shall be a fruitful source of information on Corps-related issues for members PUBLICATION MANAGEMENT Editorial Director Contributors of the Headquarters, assigned formations as well Public Affairs Office LTC Boris Schnelle, DEU A MAJ Alexander Strauss, DEU AF as international visitors and other individuals. Headquarters CPT Claudia Seidenschwanz, DEU AF The name “Baltic Amber” is derived from the fossil Multinational Corps Northeast Editor in Chief Adam Łapszyński, POL CIV resin amber that can be found on the beaches of the Marta Karpińska, POL CIV LANDCOM PAO Baltic Sea. It is well known in Poland, the host country ul. W. Łukasińskiego 33 MND-NE PAO of Headquarters Multinational Corps Northeast. 71-215 Szczecin, Poland Graphic Designer & Photo Editor Ministry of National e-mail: [email protected] Karol Sito, POL CIV Defence of Poland Opinions expressed in the Baltic Amber are those of the website: www.mncne.pl writers and do not necessarily reflect official HQ MNC tel. +48 (91) 444 5900 Photographer Special thanks to NE or NATO policy. The printing house is in no way fax. +48 (91) 444 5909 CPL Angelika Suchomski, DEU A MNC NE Linguistic Services connected to or endorsed by HQ MNC NE or NATO. 3 Baltic Amber MAGAZINE GENERAL WOJCIECHOWSKI IN COMMAND While being aware of the weight of responsibility placed upon him, Lieutenant General Sławomir Wojciechowski of the Polish Armed Forces gets a sense of going back to the very roots of his military career. “High tactics is absolutely the most demanding area for a soldier. It is also closest to a soldier.” — says the General on the threshold of his new assignment. Starting 12 September 2018, he assumed command of Multinational Corps Northeast. General Wojciechowski’s large military dossier Already operating at the highest level of incorporates strategic, operational and tactical readiness, HQ MNC NE is geared to widening perspectives. Reaching back to his previous its scope of responsibility to a full 360 degrees assignment, the General was the Operational within the Baltic region. When discussing Commander of the Polish Armed Forces. Over an expected development path, General the course of more than 30 years in uniform, Wojciechowski says: “We have a Corps he commanded the 17th Polish Mechanized role and an LCC function to perform at the Brigade and served as Deputy Chief in the same time.” Combining the two is a new Operational Planning Directorate of the General type of requirement. “It is a challenge at Staff of the Polish Armed Forces – to name every level: personnel, structure, equipment, but a few of the positions he held. General Command Post concept. It starts with an Wojciechowski is an officer experienced in innovative and comprehensive way of real combat as he was deployed on missions thinking.” — continues the Commander. both in Iraq and in Afghanistan. Moving to Szczecin, he took over from Lieutenant General The system braced by HQ MNC NE has been Manfred Hofmann of the German Armed functioning for several months and covers the Forces, who had been holding the position area stretching from the northernmost shores since August 2015. According to agreements of Estonia down to the mountain ranges of dating back to the foundation of the Corps, Poland, encompassing also Latvia and Lithuania. the post of the commander rotates between “We must strengthen the linkage between Polish and German generals every three years. our subordinates and ourselves.” — General Wojciechowski points out — “These relations General Wojciechowski stepped in almost are one of our main efforts. As new as it may exactly one year after Headquarters seem to some, it is not only about us.” In line Multinational Corps Northeast (HQ MNC NE) with these words, the Commander completed was certified as a fully capable high-readiness a Battlefield Circulation of the enhanced unit within the NATO Force Structure. Yet it Forward Presence troops across the Baltic would be wrong to assume that now is the States and Poland two months into his tenure. time of preserving past achievements. Quite The eFP Battle Groups have been integrated the opposite – as General Wojciechowski puts into their host nations’ brigades and attached to it briefly:“Being certified is not enough. We the chain of command that runs up to Szczecin. have to reach higher.” Long-term development Back at the home base, General Wojciechowski targets are set and the Commander has emphasizes that the need of having these bonds had them prioritized since day one. fostered to a greater degree captures the mood in the Baltic area, especially since HQ MNC NE “Our regional role is a fact. We are not is the highest headquarters of the NATO Force applying for it. We were given it. Obviously, Structure in the field and also perceived as such. it is a huge responsibility, which goes with a certain amount of pressure. Importantly, “There is an expectation coming out of it goes with results as well. Our main the region to have a representative and foreseen outcome is a wholly Regional coordinator.” — expands the General — Land Component Command. We are “It includes reviewing our Standard Operating not talking about parts or elements.” Procedures and foundational acts. At the Corps level, it is turning towards real warfighting 4 LTG SŁAWOMIR WOJCIECHOWSKI, COM MNC NE with a terrain-oriented tactical approach. And “It does not really matter which system again, it brings us back to the huge challenge a coach would personally prefer to play of how to sustain our principal role while or which is his favourite. A coach is performing other functions simultaneously.” there to come up with a system which will make his team play to their very At the same time, the Commander places his best. Only then a match is won.” focus on cooperation with other elements and developing multi-domain awareness. In the first As for him personally, being drawn closer place, it is about creating a more noticeable from the strategic and operational level to connection with the Headquarters’ host the tactical sphere again feels like coming nation by bringing the Polish Armed Forces to full circle. “Things should be happening much the table. Out of a number of benefits which quicker here.” — says the General — “I am might come along with it, the deeper insight back to a whole different type of decision- into activities in the air comes to the fore. making process.” Where there is room for “It will help us to deliver our own capacities.” strategic deliberations, one has to act timely, — emphasizes General Wojciechowski — speak straight out, remain crystal clear in their “Today, air operations largely determine how expectations and command as this is what the forces on the ground are conducted.” a military leader does. General Wojciechowski has it practised and thought out. When push Looking inside the Headquarters, the comes to shove, it is on him and nobody else. General strives for similar objectives. With “In the end, I am the one to make the final 26 nations and thus 26 different military decision and take the final responsibility which cultures aboard, establishing a unified comes with it.” — concludes the Commander. benchmark is where the work begins. Finding himself at the top of this structure, General ARTICLE BY MARTA KARPINSKA, POL CIV; Wojciechowski brings football as a metaphor: PHOTOS BY CPL ANGELIKA SUCHOMSKI, DEU A 5 Baltic Amber MAGAZINE CHANGE OF COMMAND, 12 SEPTEMBER 2018 6 CHANGE OF COMMAND, 12 SEPTEMBER 2018 7 Baltic Amber MAGAZINE TOWARDS REGIONAL LAND COMPONENT COMMAND It was the main training effort of the past year. From the very beginning, “Anakonda 18” (AN18) was intended as the setting to coordinate the majority of Headquarters Multinational Corps Northeast’s (HQ MNC NE’s) operational requirements. Starting in late November, HQ MNC NE joined the exercise once it entered its Command Post Exercise (CPX) phase and took on the role of Land Component Command in the joint defensive operation. For some years now, “Anakonda” has been The aforementioned were the 1st U.S. Infantry featured prominently in the NATO exercise Division, 12th Polish Mechanized Division, programme. This periodic Polish-run training 1st German Airborne Brigade, Polish Corps is designed to enhance readiness and and, last but not least, Multinational Division interoperability between the Polish Armed North-East. For the Division Headquarters Forces, NATO troops and a number of partners established in Elbląg, north-eastern Poland, across the Baltic region. With over 12 000 AN 18 has been a crucial exercise to pass the participants from 10 Allied states, this year’s Combat Readiness Evaluation (CREVAL) and edition has stressed their joint capabilities gain Full Operational Capability. Once certified, to execute full-spectrum military operations it completes the chain of command that goes in an increasingly complex and multifaceted from the four enhanced Forward Presence environment. The “Anakonda 18” scenario (eFP) Battle Groups up to HQ MNC NE. reflected all the main challenges which would have to be faced after invoking Article 5 and As emphasized by General Novalis, HQ was centred on the territories of Poland and MNC NE used the exercise as a platform to the three Baltic States, which make up the mentor the Division and ensure that they are bulk of HQ MNC NE’s Area of Operations. a high-readiness unit within the NATO Force Structure.