MAGAZINE
SPRING 2021
ENHANCING FORWARD-PRESENCE COMBAT READINESS
By U . S . Army First Lieutenant Baxter HODGE , Assistant S4 , eFP Battle Group Poland / 2nd Squadron , 2nd Cavalry Regiment
NATO eFP Battle Groups : Unique Challenges and Opportunities
Unlike any other standing NATO military formation , enhanced Forward Presence Battle Groups ( eFPs ) must overcome a unique set of challenges that are inherent to their multinational task organization in order to achieve full potential on the battlefield . Although all NATO members share some commonalities that assist in their ability to rapidly integrate into a unified fighting force , differences still exist between the allied forces in equipment , doctrine , and training . Despite these challenges , Battle Group Poland continues to build notable combat readiness in interoperability and integration between the multinational partners . In a recent interview , Lieutenant Colonel Jeffery Higgins , Battle Group Poland Commander at the time , credited members from across the Battle Group formation with this success .
“ Each of Battle Group Poland ’ s contributing nations send their best ,” he said . “ I have found that the Soldiers and leaders from these formations are well-trained and eager to contribute . It ’ s this commitment to the mission that drives creative thinking and motivation to overcome our interoperability challenges .”
During his rotation , Lieutenant Cololnel Higgins focused collective training at the Battle Group level on facing these challenges head-on , creating lessons learned and enabling partner nations to identify and adapt to the technical and doctrinal differences between their forces .
As with any organization , change can be disruptive . Not immune to this universal maxim , the Battle Group ’ s relatively short rotations ( generally six months ) create challenges in achieving sustained readiness . That is why , throughout its rotation , Battle
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