HEADQUARTERS ALLIED RAPID REAC- TION CORPS : www . arrc . nato . int
Realism Key to ARRC Training Success
By SSG . Michael Sword ( USA )
During the last 15 years , servicemen and women of many militaries throughout Europe and the world have learned the art of war fighting in the streets , mountains , cities and deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan during Operation Iraqi Freedom and the NATO International Security Assistance Force mission , respectively . Those lessons learned in combat returned to dictate training to the next generation of war fighters and has led to some of the most battle-tested military formations in decades .
Before Iraq and Afghanistan , it was full-spectrum training and force-on-force warfare , with no significant emphasis on the counterinsurgency that would be fought in the future . Since the end of the ISAF mission , the world continues to change , threats evolve and the scope of full- spectrum military operations continues to widen . In light of this , NATO ’ s method of training has never ceased to adapt .
During the course of 2016 , there were 12 NATO exercises scheduled , not including allied national exercises , to prepare the 28 nations of NATO for whatever threat may come next . In October , the servicemen and women of Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps , based at Imjin Barracks in the UK , trained for their role as the Land Component Command ( LCC ) in the NATO Response Force in 2017 during Exercise
Trident Juncture 16 . Juncture spanned four countries , incorporating several real and simulated units covering air , land and sea , giving the ARRC the opportunity to push themselves and their capabilities and eventually certify them as the LCC .
An exercise of this size requires an immense amount of planning , not just for logistical considerations , but also for making it as realistic as possible to truly test the units involved . Members of the ARRC and the Joint Warfare Centre in Stavanger , Norway , have been working throughout the year to ensure that the ARRC would get put through their paces and pushed to their limits .
“ NATO ’ s long-term rotation program
Lieutenant General Darryl A . Williams ( LANDCOM Commander ) Briefed in ARRC Facilities . Photos by UK WO2 Dan Harmer and UK Sgt . Mike O ’ Neill
LAND POWER7