ROAD TO EXERCISE
TRIDENT JAVELIN
By Lt . Col . Hans Jakobi ( GER ), LANDCOM
This November , LANDCOM will participate in NATO ’ s largest exercise for 2017 . Exercise TRIDENT JAVELIN is a command post , computer-assisted exercise happening primarily at NATOs Joint Warfare Centre in Stavanger , Norway . The exercise is unique because it will exercise LANDCOM ’ s ability to command and control a Major Joint Operation ‘ plus ’ ( MJO +) operation , which is three or more Army Corps , in a NATO Article 5 environment ( Collective Defence ). Joint Force Command Brunssum , LANDCOM and MARCOM are designated as the primary training audiences , with SHAPE and AIRCOM designated as seconday training audiences . This will be the first time in almost 20 years that a MJO + operation will have been exercised .
The preparation for exercise initially started under the lead of Allied Command Transformation ( ACT ) in the spring of 2016 . ACT is NATO ’ s strategic headquarters located in Norfolk , Virginia , and is responsible for transforming NATO ’ s military structure , capabilities and doctrine .
Since that time , a core team with members from all participating Headquarters has been continuously working on the development and training objectives for TRIDENT JAVELIN .
LANDCOM individual training
In the months leading up to TRIDENT JAVELIN , LANDCOM personnel will have participated in a number of education and training opportunities in order to prepare themselves and the command for their role in the exercise . Over the last year , personnel have been trained in their crisis and conflict roles with Battle Staff Training together with Joint Force Command Brunssum . Additionally , LANDCOM conducted off-site training over more than 10 months in order to bring all critical personnel up to a common high level of knowledge and skills .
With the rate of summer personnel turnover in the headquarters , LANDCOM executed an aggressive approach to rapidly train newly arrived personnel in these tasks in order to achieve a common level of understanding prior to November . The learning curve for new personnel is always a challenge for any headquarters , and multiple training iterations over the summer helped mitigate those challenges . Summer of 2017 saw the need for the command to focus next on collective training in order to build the team and prepare for the exercise .
Exercise DACIAN GUARDIAN
In June , a small contingent of LANDCOM personnel deployed to Multinational Division South East ( MND-SE ) in Bucharest , Romania , in support of Exercise DACIAN GUARDIAN . During the exercise , the LANDCOM team served as the higher headquarters for MND-SE and was able to both assist them by serving in a higher HQ function , and conduct a similar command and control function that LANDCOM will be fulfilling during Exercise TRIDENT JAVELIN . The exercise provided LANDCOM with the ability to identify best practices and lessons learned that are then carried forward throughout the summer and into November . “ These types of opportunities help both higher and lower command , and I think this is definitely something we should sustain in the future as we continue to improve our ability to both serve as land advocates for
6 LAND POWER