The NATO Military Committee visits the Allied Command Transformation in Norfolk
The NATO Military Committee (MC), led by its Chairman General Knud Bartels, visited the Allied Command Transformation (ACT) in Norfolk (7th & 8th October 2014).
Welcomed by General Jean-Paul Paloméros, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), the Military Committee and the ACT staff discussed the implications of the decisions taken at the Wales Summit and the way forward.
During the Military Committee Conference, held a couple of weeks ago, in Vilnius, the Chiefs of Defence from all 28 Allied Nations discussed the implementation of the Wales decisions and provided Direction and Guidance to the Strategic Commanders (Allied Command Operations and Allied Command Transformation) that would allow them to move forward with their work.
The meetings held, over the last two days, allowed the Military Committee to be updated on the progress since the MC Conference and to discuss the work still to be done. These discussions will, eventually, allow the Military Committee to present consolidated advice to the North Atlantic Council regarding important initiatives launched in Wales.
General Bartels pointed out that the main goal for this week’s meetings was “to establish a common understanding of the issues involved and to update the Military Committee on progress in order for the Military Committee to provide the Atlantic Council with a consolidated military advice which, as the Chairman of the Military Committee, I am responsible for”.
General Bartels, also, discussed the importance of the Readiness Action Plan and its components. And highlighted one of the key aspects in the Plan: the Connected Forces Initiative.
“The Readiness Action Plan and the Spearhead Force has been the focus of many discussions, lately, and duly so as it does constitute an intricate part of the RAP. But the success of the RAP will not be judge entirely and only on the Spearhead Force. The Connected Forces Initiative or CFI will be a key tool to deliver the training and exercise element needed for the Readiness Action Plan.
At the 2014 Wales Summit, NATO endorsed, as part of CFI package an updated NATO Education, Training, Exercise and Evaluation Policy, the so-called ETEE policy. It is a long-term document that provides the guidelines for NATO to educate, train, exercise and evaluate individuals, units, formations and headquarters in the NATO Command and Force Structures.
An enhanced focus on these elements will address the full range of Alliance missions and meet the challenges NATO faces today and in the future.”