Exercising MJO +:
THE OPCEN
By MAJ Phillip Mudakha ( USA ), LANDCOM
LANDCOM was able to evaluate its ability to command and control three Army Corps in a NATO Article 5 environment in NATO ’ s largest exercise of the year last November . The exercise was a complex multi-domain , command post , computer-assisted event that enabled the headquarters ( HQ ) to execute close coordination with Joint Force Command Brunssum , AIR- COM , and MARCOM . This article takes a brief look at the components of LAND- COM ’ s success : OPS Center structure , Battle Rhythm , Products , and battle drills .
The OPCEN
The Operations Center ( OPCEN ) serves as the central nervous system of the headquarters . It receives inputs from Higher Headquarters , Single Service Commands , and Corps ; distributing this information throughout the NATO Force Structure . Day to Day the OPCEN functions with a core group of twelve experts ; facilitating the exchange of information , providing situational awareness of NATO exercises , missions and operations and , supporting the HQ Battle Rhythm . During conflict , it surges to accommodate the scale of operations to be performed . For the duration of the exercise , the OPCEN was manned by 81 Alliance members from across NATO . The surge capability presented a major challenge to integrate new team members into the OPCEN Battle Rhythm in such a short period of time .
Battle Rhythm
The Battle Rhythm is a routine of fixed meetings , working groups and decision boards that are planned in a way to achieve maximum efficiency of effort during an operation . In order to ensure the right information is available at the right time , it must be synchronized with higher Headquarters . For the execution , a seven day Battle Rhythm was developed and implemented . Upon initial performance , it was apparent that the number of meetings was overwhelming for the personnel supporting it . In order to mitigate this situation the staff adjusted the Battle Rhythm to effectively distribute information . Additional , functional area meetings were developed to capture the critical information in support of other events . In some cases , emails with the meeting outputs were distributed to the community of interest . Despite this demanding schedule , the addition or minimization of Battle Rhythm meetings should be considered in the future design of the Crisis Battle Rhythm .
The Meeting
The meeting is the core component of the battle rhythm . It serves many purposes and has an infinite number of formats . The battle rhythm is dependent on the effective conduct of each meeting . Each meeting was structured using a set time , power point presentations , and a brief discussion to share information . In most meetings this arrangement was sufficient for up-channeling information and receiving guidance . However , when in-depth discussion was required , the members of the meeting required the latest data to properly prepare . To provide the latest information , the LANDCOM Exercise website was utilized to facilitate information sharing . It provided each individual meeting a forum
6 LAND POWER