11 Oct. 2006

Transformation Command works to enhance civil-military cooperation News 6/10/06 - ACT ACT works to enhance civil-military interaction 6/09/09 - IMS New CIMIC Centre of Excellence on track Allied Command Transformation is developing new methods to work with civil organisations, which will soon be integrated into Alliance training and operations. Civil organisations in post-conflict situations – ranging from governments to non-governmental organisations – often find themselves having to interact with military forces. Although both civil and military actors are required to build stability, many complex issues arise from operating in the same geographic area. The interface between civil organisations and military forces is referred to as civil-military coordination, or CIMIC. Revising training The Command’s four-man Enhanced Civil-Military Cooperation Integrated Capability Team is working now to help accredit a new Civil-Military centre, established in September 2006,  as a NATO Co-operation Centre of Excellence, dedicated to gathering expertise and experience in the realm of civil-military interaction. Another goal is to create an over-arching policy within NATO to improve training in the realm of civil-military interaction within the Alliance. “In order to achieve good results in a NATO action,” said team commander Colonel Luciano Trogu, “we need to understand how to work with non-NATO actors working in the same environment.” More links The concept, currently under development, also aims to establish more formal links with civil organisations. Levels of interaction would vary according to the preference of individual organisations, and would be based on a foundation of mutual trust and understanding. Understanding the processes of working near and with non-NATO actors in an operational area is a necessary component of the Alliance’s transformation. Allied Command Transformation was created as part of the 2002 reorganisation of the NATO command structure. Its role is to promote transformation and interoperability of Alliance militaries, in order to ensure NATO's forces are trained and structured to meet the challenges of the new security environment.