Magazine for JFC HQ Brunssum - July / August 2010
General Petraeus Assumes Command of ISAF
COM’s Address to the Staff
Force Protection Seminar for NATO Air Force Company Grade Officers
JFC HQ Cycling Team Race from Brunssum to Selly Oak
www.jfcbs.nato.int
Editorial
Editorial
Colophon
The NORTHERN STAR is a publication,
published with the assistance of ‘t Swarte Schaap,
in co-operation with and at no cost to JFC HQ
BRUNSSUM. Opinions herein do not necessarily
reflect official NATO or JFC HQ BRUNSSUM
policy. The appearance of advertisements,
including inserts, does not constitute endorsement
by NATO or JFC HQ BRUNSSUM of the
products or services offered. Deadline for
articles, advertisements and photographs is on the
Monday at close of business prior to the week of
publication.
This month’s edition unfortunately has no Command Group Corner editorial. Due to
circumstances preventing our leadership to fill this column it is the first time in several
years that it was not possible to have an editorial from a member of the JFCBS senior
leadership. This meant that we had to quickly improvise what to write. Something about
the new leadership in Afghanistan? No, already enough said in the past days. About
To place an advertisement in the Northern
Star, please call ’t Swarte Schaap and ask for
Rob Schaap, Sint Franciscusweg 36-3, 6417 BD
Heerlen, The Netherlands, telephone:
+31 (0)45 55 06 700, fax: +31 (0)45 55 06 709,
or e-mail: [email protected].
the new reconstruction plans of NATO? No, too early to say something meaningful.
Submissions to the Northern Star can be made
to room 1.14, Bldg. H 106, I 1.11 or e-mailed to
[email protected]. Articles should be in
Microsoft Word format and, whenever possible,
should be no longer than 300 words. Photographs
should be at least 9x6 centimetres and 300 dpi.
The Northern Star is published monthly and
is available around the second Friday of each
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formation? No, too speculative. It probably will take many more weeks before there
For more information, call ext. 3570 or
+31 (0)45 526 35 70. The editor reserves the right
to edit submissions.
You know it is not easy to be an editor of such a magazine. Besides who would be
Editorial Staff
are looking forward to spending a beautiful time travelling through Europe or some
Capt. Götz Meiert, DEU N
Chief, Public Affairs Office
other sunny destination? I think we will just leave it by expressing our sincere gratitude
Mr. Ed Frieser, NLD Civ
Section Head Internal Information & Community
Relations, Editor
Perhaps the World Football matches and the need for electronic devices to challenge
referees decisions? No, too complicated. What about the ongoing Dutch Government
is a new Dutch Cabinet anyway. Then what about the Dutch summer? The weather
in the Netherlands is always a point of discussion. It is always too hot, too cold, too
wet, or too dry. Sometimes we experience three seasons in one day. No, too boring!
interested in reading this column when you have just made your plans for holidays and
for the many articles you have helped to prepare for the magazine in all past editions
and wishing you a very nice summer holiday period. I will remain here in my office
Maj. Marcel Arama, ROU A
Editor
while you all are out enjoying sunny beaches, good food, wine, and local culture with
CPO Roland Murof, EST N
Journalist and photographer
your families. And perhaps when you are back you can tell me how good it was. And
Sgt Sebastian Peschke, DEU A
Photographer
About the Cover
Magazine for JFC HQ Brunssum - July / August 2010
General Petraeus Assumes Command of ISAF
COM’s Address to the Staff
Force Protection Seminar for NATO Air Force Company Grade Officers
JFC HQ Cycling Team Race from Brunssum to Selly Oak
www.jfcbs.nato.int
Gen. Egon Ramms,
Commander Joint Forces
Command Brunssum and
Gen. David H. Petraeus,
stand at attention as General
Petraeus assumes command
of NATO’s International
Security Assistance Force
and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan
ISAF
Photo by U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr.
Doug Houser
I mean not the weather. After all, summer has started in the Netherlands and it looks
good doesn’t it? Oh here we are again… talking about the weather. Stay safe and enjoy
your summer vacation. And for those staying here at work, Twenty4One also sells ice
cream! Hopefully the next edition in September will have a much more meaningful
editorial than this one!
Ed Frieser
PAO
Section Head Internal Info& Community Relations
Contents
04 General Petraeus Assumes Command of ISAF
15 NATO-ISAF Public Affairs Conference
05 The “Marshall Plan” for Afghanistan
16 JFC HQ Brunssum CSM Farewell
06 ISAF’s Senior Enlisted Leader Briefs NATO NCOs on COIN
17 Kandahar Airfield Air Traffic Management
07 Turning over the Reins: ANA Soldiers Step in
21 One of Us
09 SNMCMG1 Deployment First half of 2010
23 B&S Store Reopening
10Force Protection Seminar for NATO Air Force Company
24 JFC HQ cycling team race from Brunssum to Selly Oak
Grade Officers
25 Circle 100 - Netherlands Mine Museum Heerlen
14 COM’s Address to the Staff
3
JFC Brunssum
General Petraeus Assumes Command of ISAF
Story by SFC Matthew Chlosta, ISAF Public Affairs Office
innocent civilians to an absolute minimum.”
ISAF works to develop the capacity and
capability of the Afghan National Security
Forces, and partners with the ANSF to reduce
the capability and will of anti-government
forces through nationwide counterinsurgency
operations.
“To the many Afghan partners in uniform
who have joined us this morning: Thanks for
your tremendous courage and commitment,”
Petraeus said. “Indeed, Afghan forces are
now in the lead in Kabul and in a number of
other areas. In such cases, Afghan units are the
‘supported’ forces, operating with assistance
from ISAF to be sure, but already shouldering
the responsibilities of leadership.”
General Egon Ramms passing ISAF colours to Gen. David H. Petraeus during the change of command of
NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, on July 4 at ISAF HQ in Kabul
U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus
emphasized the continuity of the
counterinsurgency strategy as he assumed
command of the International Security
Assistance Force in front of the ISAF
headquarters building, here.
Framed by towering pine trees, Gen. Petraeus
was introduced by Germany Army Gen. Egon
Ramms, the commander of NATO Allied Joint
Force Command Headquarters Brunssum, in
the Netherlands.
“As President Obama and NATO Secretary
General Rasmussen have noted, my assumption
of command represents a change in personnel,
not a change in policy or strategy,” Petraeus
said. “To be sure, I will, as any new commander
should, together with ISAF, Afghan, and
diplomatic partners, examine our civil-military
effort to determine where refinements might
be needed.”
“I feel privileged to be joining this critical
effort at such a pivotal time,” Petraeus said.
“We are engaged in a tough fight. After years
of war, we have arrived at a critical moment.
We must demonstrate to the Afghan people,
and to the world, that Al Qaeda and its network
of extremist allies will not be allowed to once
again establish sanctuaries in Afghanistan from
which they can launch attacks on the Afghan
people and on freedom-loving nations around
the world. And with the surge in ISAF forces
and the growth of our Afghan partners, we
have a new opportunity to do just that.
On the United States 234th birthday, the lawn
in front of ISAF Headquarters was thronged
with dignitaries and media as Petraeus spoke.
“We are engaged in a contest of wills” Petraeus
said. “Our enemies are doing all that they can
to undermine the confidence of the Afghan
people. In so doing, they are killing and aiming
innocent Afghan civilians on a daily basis.”
“Up front, I also want to recognize the
ISAF
enormous contributions of my predecessor,
General Stan McChrystal,” Petraeus said.
“We have all worked hard together over the
past year-and-a-half to get the inputs right in
Afghanistan. No one did more in helping to get
the inputs right than General McChrystal. And
the progress made in recent months, in the face
of a determined enemy, is in many respects the
result of the vision, energy, and leadership he
provided during his time as COMISAF.
Petraeus arrived at his new headquarters in
Kabul on Friday evening and has been getting
briefings from his staff and meeting with
key Afghan officials, to include Afghanistan’s
President Hamid Karzai and the U.S.
Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry.
“To our diplomatic and international civilian
partners here today: We are all – civilian and
military, Afghan and international – part of
one team with one mission,” Petraeus said.
“Indeed, we all recognize the grave threat
that the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and the associated
“syndicate” of extremists pose to this country,
to this region, and to the world. We cannot
accomplish our mission without working
together.”
The more than 140,000 international personnel
from 47 nations assigned to ISAF support
the Government of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan in its efforts to protect the Afghan
people and to secure its territory from violent
extremists, who pose a transnational threat.
“To the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and
civilians of ISAF and USFOR-A: I pledge to
do all that I can to provide the best leadership,
direction, and example that I can muster,”
Petraeus said. “Your accomplishments this year
have been impressive. Predictably, as we have
sought to reverse the Taliban’s momentum and
take away insurgent safe havens, the enemy has
fought back. Recent months in Afghanistan
have seen hard fighting and tough casualties.
As we press on in our vital mission, we must
continue our efforts to reduce the loss of
4
JFC Brunssum
The ISAF command synchronizes security
efforts with ongoing improvements in
governance and socio-economic development,
in order to provide and environment for
sustainable stability.
“To our Afghan partners: We will do all that
we can to help you build a country free of the
fear of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, a country
in which all citizens can live in peace with one
another and provide for themselves and their
families,” Petraeus said. “Nothing has been
easy in Afghanistan; however, we can all take
heart from the progress that has been made on
the security front and beyond.
“Indeed, seven million Afghan children are now
in school, as opposed to less than one million
a decade ago” Petraeus said. “Immunization
rates for children are now in the seventy to
ninety percent range nationwide. Cell phones
are ubiquitous in a country that had virtually
none during the Taliban days, though the
Taliban seeks to deny their use. Kabul is a
bustling, busy city, as are Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif,
and Jalalabad.”
Petraeus was nominated by U.S. President
Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S.
Senate on July 1.
Petraeus most recently served as the
Commander of the U.S. Central Command
and oversaw U.S. support to the NATO ISAF
mission, which was mandated by the United
Nations Security Council.
“Finally, to the people of Afghanistan: it is a
great honor to be in your country and to lead
ISAF,” Petraeus said. “I want to emphasize
what a number of our country’s leaders recently
affirmed – that our commitment to Afghanistan
is an enduring one and that we are committed
to a sustained effort to help the people of this
country over the long-term. Neither you nor
the insurgents nor our partners in the region
should doubt that.
“We must demonstrate to the people and to
the Taliban that Afghan and ISAF forces are
here to safeguard the Afghan people, and that
we are in this to win,” Petraeus said. “That is
our clear objective.”
ISAF is a NATO led and UN Security Council
mandated mission.
ISAF
The “Marshall Plan” for Afghanistan
By Col. John Ferrari, USA Photo by MSgt. Mark DePass, USAF NTM-A
rejuvenate a manufacturing sector that has
been destroyed over the past thirty years. We
are injecting several hundred million dollars
into locally manufactured boots, uniforms,
and equipment. We can literally see new
factories rising from barren lots to meet our
demand. As companies learn to produce
products needed for the security forces, they
are re-learning supply chain management,
quality control, cash management, risk
management, and capital investment
planning. We already have found that our
boot manufacturers are looking to diversify
into commercial footwear. Just recently we
visited new factories for making furniture
and pre-fabricated buildings; both being
built with private capital to meet anticipated
future demand. Our women-owned business
set aside is also a very promising program and
we will soon award contracts to businesses
that otherwise would not have existed.
“The remedy lies in breaking the vicious circle and restoring the confidence of the European people in the economic
future of their own countries and of Europe as a whole.” George C. Marshall, 5 June 1947
63 years ago this week, George Marshall
gave a speech that altered the course
of the 20th Century. His post-WW II
vision for aiding a war-torn Europe set
the conditions of growth, prosperity,
and democracy which in the immediate
aftermath of the war, was not a foregone
conclusion. Many look back to this vision
and ask why we don’t have a Marshall
Plan for Afghanistan, a country that has
been in a constant state of war for over
thirty years. Having been in Afghanistan
now for several months, I realize that we
do have an equivalent program -- it is the
NATO Training Mission Afghanistan/
Combined Security Assistance Command
Afghanistan.
NTM-A/CSTC-A’s official mission is to
generate and sustain the security forces of
Afghanistan in order to enable the Afghan
Government to assume responsibility for
its security. In reality however, the impact
of this mission is much greater, in that we
are transforming an entire generation of
Afghan society’s human and physical capital,
much in the same way that World War II
transformed the US and Europe.
In addition to their sons and daughters, the
people of the United States are providing
CSTC-A with almost $20B over the next
two years to grow and sustain the Afghan
Security Forces. We are leveraging these
funds to ensure that we have a lasting impact
to transform Afghan Society in accordance
with General Marshall’s vision.
The generation of Americans who left
the farms to fight World War II joined an
Army that provided them with technical
and leadership skills, basic health care,
and a world view that included tolerance,
compassion, and the ability to work across
racial, ethnic, and social classes. The human
capital of America was transformed and
became known as the Greatest Generation.
In Afghanistan, NTM-A/CSTC-A is doing
something similar. We are educating and
training a generation of Afghan society that
has known nothing but thirty years of civil
war, a rigid top down hierarchical governance,
and limited to no formal education.
Hundreds of thousands of Afghans are
joining the Army and Police and we are
providing them basic hygiene and health
care, literacy training, and integrating them
into Army units that have mixes of tribal
and ethnic backgrounds. We are providing
them marketable skills such as leadership,
planning, logistics, maintenance, computers,
medical, law enforcement, and engineering.
To the Afghans of this generation, this is a
new way of life. Some will leave the security
forces early, some may stay until the war is
over, while some will remain in the security
forces for life, but all of them will have
uplifted their skills and now have higher
expectations for the future. These soldiers
and police can be the Afghan version of our
Greatest Generation.
In addition to transforming the human
capital of this country, our efforts to create
the security forces have the potential to
transform the countries physical capital,
creating the Afghan version of the rebuilding
of Europe. Spending on average $10B per
year over the next two years, CSTC-A’s budget
is just smaller than the estimated GDP of
the entire Afghan economy. Given this size,
our investment can and will transform the
Afghan economy across many sectors.
Most directly, we are paying a large
percentage of the salaries for several hundred
thousand soldier and policemen providing
an immediate and direct stimulus into the
economy. Given the geographic diversity of
the force, these funds are dispersed across
the country and benefit the entire society.
Next, we are increasing our procurement
of Afghan-made products in order to
5
JFC Brunssum
We are also injecting a multi-billion dollar
stimulus program into the economy to
build police stations and army facilities.
These are almost all Afghan workers who
are developing skills, learning construction
quality to western standards, learning how to
meet deadlines, and learning how to manage
complex supply chains.
Similarly, we are investing heavily in
developing a robust service sector. Our
contracted labor force to repair army and
police vehicles, literacy trainers, marketing
firms, facilities maintenance firms, and
others are building a private sector civilian
labor market that had been destroyed over
the past 30 years. Not to be forgotten is
the development of the military and police
medical system which will provide the
backbone for all medical development in
this country for decades.
With the people of the United States are
providing the security related costs of
fighting the war, the limited GIRoA budget
can focus more effort on social well being of
its citizens. The Afghan society is avoiding
having to mortgage its future because we
are guaranteeing and procuring its security,
much like the United States did in Europe
after World War II. We called that security
arrangement NATO.
But a word of caution, recovery from years
of warfare does not occur in one year or five.
A tremendous amount of strategic patience
and upfront investment is needed but the
payoff for those with patience is exponential
growth with the impact felt by subsequent
generations for decades to come.
While much of the focus today is on the
tactical COIN fight, insurgencies are generally
long, hard fights and require strategic vision
and strategic patience. NTM-A/CSTC-A is
focused on both time horizons. In addition
to generating and sustaining the security
forces for today’s fight, we are strategically
leveraging our economic muscle to uplift the
Afghan society to lay the foundation for the
long term growth of Afghan civil society.
NCO Professional Development:
ISAF’s Senior Enlisted Leader Briefs NATO NCOs on COIN
Story and Photos by
U.S. Army SFC Matthew Chlosta
ISAF HQ Public Affairs Office
BRUNSSUM, Netherlands and CESIS,
Latvia— The International Security
Assistance Force’s top enlisted Soldier
met with noncommissioned officers from
more than 10 NATO nations to discuss
the ISAF campaign plan, organization,
counter insurgency guidance and predeployment training during two oneday training seminars, sponsored by
NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command
Headquarters mobile training team,
June 15 and June 17.
U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Michael
T. Hall, command sergeant major, ISAF/
US Forces-Afghanistan, spoke to JFC HQ
staff NCOs in Brunssum and at the NCO
Academy in Latvia he briefed senior NCOs
from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the
United States, as part of the second annual
NATO Baltic States NCO conference.
“You’re importance to the fight isn’t
necessarily related to how close you are to
the fight,” Hall said to the staff NCOs in
Brunssum.
Hall presented the ISAF counter insurgent
strategy and encouraged leaders across
NATO to embrace COIN.
He also explained to the NCOs at JFC HQ,
that what they do on a daily basis is directly
connected to the fight back in Afghanistan.
The NATO training document, that JFC HQ
is working on, will save lives, Hall added.
The main strategic effort is to grow the
Afghan National Security Forces, Hall said.
The other piece of the ISAF campaign that
began in earnest last winter was ISAF’s focus
on securing 81 key districts and 41 area of
interest districts.
“We don’t plan on controlling all of the
country,” Hall said. “We don’t have enough
forces to control the country.
“We’re gonna do the heavy lifting,” Hall
said. “We’re gonna do the the enabling, but
the Afghans have to come in and secure the
population.”
It’s expensive to be an insurgent and we
can choke off their main support network,
by providing time and space for the ANSF
to secure the population and for GIRoA
to stand up, strengthen, grow and deliver
governance and services for the Afghan
people, Hall added.
“It’s not gonna be a big event,” Hall said
referring to the ISAF campaign plan; in
particular, the current focused effort on
Kandahar, which is called Hamkari.
Hamkari is a combined Afghan and
international civil-military effort to extend
security and governance across Kandahar
Province and to improve the lives of the
people of Kandahar.
“Is the campaign plan working?
“Absolutely…absolutely…absolutely….
absolutely…,” Hall emphasized.
After his speech to the JFC HQ troops
Hall answered tons of questions from the
audience of NCOs. One was about the
predominance of poppy cultivation in
Afghanistan.
Hall said, ISAF provides security, while
ISAF
U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Michael T. Hall, command sergeant major, ISAF/US Forces-Afghanistan, briefs the
ISAF campaign plan to JFC HQ staff non-commissioned officers in Brunssum, June 15
counter narcotic programs are for the
GIRoA to implement.
Also, Hall mentioned that 92 percent of
Afghan National Police were recently drug
tested and only 15 percent tested positive.
The figures contradict the perception that
the ANP has a drug problem. According
to Hall’s stats, this is not the reality on the
ground.
Another question centered on capturing
and killing high value targets, which can
be valuable but not the endgame in a
counterinsurgency campaign, according to
Hall.
“We’ve tripled the amount of special
operation forces in the past year,” Hall said.
In the recent Marjah campaign SOF troops
went in during the weeks before to take
out insurgent leadership, which led to less
resistance once the Afghan National Army
and U.S. Marines went in, he added.
“[You] just can’t kill and capture your way
to a counter insurgency victory,” Hall said.
“There is no ‘killing them all’.”
After the Q&A session, a few U.S. service
members spoke about what they learned
and the benefits of having Hall come from
Afghanistan to speak with them in person.
“I learned what is going on, on the battlefield,
got to see the whole overview,” U.S. Army
Staff Sgt. Jerry Adamson, classified carrier,
Central Registry, JFC HQ, said. “Every day
we just sit behind our screens. We don’t hear
a lot about what is going on in Afghanistan.
It was a great talk. It gives us more of an
understanding. We see that it’s [the ISAF
campaign plan] making progress. The news
is not showing [the] improvement.”
U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Cindy Blackwood,
who works in the operations directorate at
JFC HQ, said she learned a lot from Hall’s
presentation.
“[We] need to know someone who is there
and can explain it in layman’s terms,”
Blackwood said. “[It] helps us see how what
6
JFC Brunssum
we do here affects things in Afghanistan.
[It’s] hard when we sit in a room all day in
front of a computer to see how we matter.”
Hall briefed at the Latvian NCO Academy
on June 17 about overall ISAF Afghanistan
strategy, the ISAF campaign plan, COIN and
how NATO nations can better prepare in
their pre-deployment training to implement
COIN techniques when they hit the ground
in Afghanistan.
Hall really emphasized a few key areas; one
was NATO units partnering with ANSF and
one was how
Estonia Army Sgt. Maj.Hannes Vaalmets,
who will deploy to Afghanistan for six
months in May or June 2011, said, “It was
good refreshment for us, [the] situation
changes all the time.”
“We share it [the information] with our
NCOs,” Vaalmets said. “I will give – advice
to Land Force Commander. He will decide
how to put it out.
“COIN policy is useful for us,” Vaalmets
said, “[the] majority [of Estonian military
members] is mandatory service, usually
conventional warfare. [It’s] not easy to train
them in COIN. It will help us to train our
Soldiers in COIN.”
Latvian Army Command Sgt. Maj. Armands
Loginovs, command sergeant major,
Latvian NCO Academy, said, the brief was,
“excellent, excellent. [The] time [was] to
short, very interesting. He could talk two
days. Usually I’m bored with these briefs.
“He knows what he talks about,” Loginovs
said. “He knows it from the core, using
simple words. He is not speaking from
Washington. He is speaking from [the]
theater [of operations]. We’ll spread [it] out,
try to implement to our troops, the parts [to]
the CSMs at our battalions, regular units--.
It will help to make our forces faster, more
effective and more flexible, another drop of
information in predeployment training and
thinking.”
ISAF
Turning over the Reins: ANA Soldiers Step in
By Tech. Sgt. Kristina Barrett, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs
Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF)
are beginning to take over reins from the
10th Mountain Division’s 2nd Battalion,
22nd Infantry Regiment as their training
moves into a new phase of instruction.
Since being tasked as mentors for ANSF,
Soldiers of “Triple Deuce” battalion have
performed as hands-on instructors, with the
ultimate goal of establishing a standard of
education that allows the ANSF to take over
the task of training. “We are here to ‘Train
the Trainer’, which means we train, advise
and mentor the trainers of the ANSF,” said
1st Lt. Tyler Quillico, senior mentor. “We
mentor on the instruction process and the
development of training.”
This “Train the Trainer” program is the
model being used across the country. For
Afghan National Army soldiers at Basic
Warrior Training at the Kabul Military
Training Center, this means they receive
their training from Afghan drill sergeants,
who are the recipients of the mentorship
2-22 provides. “BWT Soldiers are on an
8-week training cycle,” Quillico explained.
“We help the instructors stick to the training
schedule with the idea that the end-state will
be a fully-operational program.”
The crucial step of getting the ANA to
this end-state is where the challenge lies
for Triple Deuce, and it’s one they face
daily. “Initially we were hands on with the
training,” said Pfc. Ryan Damaska, one of
the marksmanship trainers. “We have now
started to step back but we are still involved
on a daily basis, just in the background.”
Being in the background allows ANA trainers
to take the steps necessary to achieve a full
operational state. For now, the program
simply requires monitoring. “The ANA can
now run the range entirely by themselves
and basic rifle marksmanship program is to
their standards,” Demanska added. “We are
now fulfilling a supervisory role.”
With range qualification in the 90 percentile,
Demaska said he’s confident in the Soldiers’
abilities. “Most hostile engagements they will
face will be between zero and 200 meters,
so we are focusing on that.” Demaska said.
“They are getting to the level they need to
be.”
“We are building a culture and an organization
that allows the training to be efficient,
sufficient and sustainable,” Quillico said.
Turning over the complete training mission
will take time but the Soldiers of Triple
Deuce are well on their way.
An Afghan National Army drill sergeant instructs new
recruits in MOUT training at the Kabul Military Training
Center (KMTC) in Kabul, Afghanistan
Education; the Key to the Future
By Cpl. Ned Johnson, Regimental Combat Team-2, 1st Marine Division Public Affairs
to Ghulam Ali, the Musa Qal’eh District
minister of education. He is hoping to
change that. “The long-term goal is to
have established schools from primary to
secondary education that are funded and run
by the Government of the Islamic Republic
of Afghanistan,” said Capt. Phillip Noack,
a civil affairs team leader with 1st Battalion,
2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat
Team 2. “We would like those schools to feed
into higher education or trade schools.”
Marines are not the only ones who want to
build schools. “The people here really want
education,” Noack said. “They are willing to
give their time, their money, and their land
so their sons and even daughters can go to
school.”
Two Afghan little girls watch as Marines drive past on a
convoy whose mission was to visit local schools, June 10.
Afghanistan’s improved security was
earned by the men and women who put
their lives on the line daily, but Afghans
and Marines know that education is the
key to Afghanistan’s future success.
Musa Qal’eh contains 24 schools, but only
four of them are open for classes, according
Noack said the process will not happen
overnight, but a few of the schools are
already being planned. One of the up-coming
schools is in a local village where the elders
have already picked a location and donated it
to the ministry of education. Once a village
wants a school, the Marines can help in
several ways. “They know what education
can do for them, but the Taliban makes it
tough on them,” said Noack, a 29-yearold native of Georgetown, Texas. “That
is where we can help them by providing
security. We can also provide buildings, help
7
JFC Brunssum
train teachers and complete the long-term
projects,” Noack said.
The desire for education trickles down to
the youngest level: the children. “We have
talked to many of the kids here and asked
them what they want to be when they
grow up,” said Noack, a graduate of Texas
A&M University. “They say they want to
be doctors, lawyers and engineers and they
know that requires education.”
The facts prove these children are not
kidding because the largest school in Musa
Qal’eh has 700 students. Still, that is not
enough. “As they say, ‘Build it and they will
come,’” Noack said. For the Marines, there
is more behind education in Afghanistan.
“It has been shown that the Taliban preys
on the uneducated,” Noack said. “What the
teachers are trying to do here is show the
kids there are better options.”
What matters most to Marines in Afghanistan
is leaving the country in better shape than
it was when they arrived. “To have longterm stability you absolutely have to have
education,” Noack said. “It is definitely
the future: one book at a time, one day at
a time.”
Monitoring the Airfield Under the
Watchful Eye of Merlin
By Staff Sgt. Richard Williams, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing
controllers to have this tool to find possible
bird concentrations so our aircraft can avoid
these areas.”
Wakeman, deployed from Davis-Monthan
Air Force Base, Ariz., and a native of
Holland, Mich., said the ability to identify
potential threats and avoid them is as
important as saving the money and work
hours it takes to clean up and repair aircraft
once they have hit a bird.
“We have been able to reduce the number
of bird strikes greatly from the same time
last year through conventional means,”
Wakeman said. “But the number is still not
enough.”
A new Merlin bird radar system is installed at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan
Bagram airfield managers have a new
tool in the arsenal to help aircraft here
avoid bird and other wildlife while taking
off or landing.
This tool, known as the ‘Merlin’ system, is
a portable or movable radar system based
on marine radar technology that can be
purchased off the shelf, according to Ron
Merritt, president of DeTech Incorporated.
“It is the same type of system you see on
fishing boats and commercial cruise liners,”
Merritt said. “It is a standard marine radar
system that is optimized and processed to
detect birds and other living things in the
atmosphere.
Though the Merlin system is employed at
various home station locations but this is the
first system to be installed in a combat zone,
according to Merritt. “It is interesting to
have it deployed in a combat zone because
the mission tempo and mission requirements
are such that there is an urgency here we do
not see in the stateside locations,” Merritt
said.
“When the Air Force BASH team and the
USDA pointed to Bagram as a place to use
this system in a combat scenario it suggested
you obviously have a bird strike issue here,
and that is not a good thing because you
can’t accomplish the mission if you can’t get
off the ground.”
Merritt has been involved with the Air
Force Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard
program since the late 1980’s and has really
noticed the advancements and innovations
ISAF
used to protect aircraft and aircrews from
this threat.
He said one of the biggest advantages to the
system is its real-time, constant recording of
data and the range and distance at which the
system can see and track potential hazards
to the airfield.
“The reason we use radar verses just standing
outside and looking at binoculars is radar
can see a target 15 or 20 miles away,” he said.
“It is also constantly looking and it doesn’t
get tired, it can see in the dark and it can see
through in climate weather.”
“You do not want to launch an aircraft into
a flock of 250 snow geese the same as you
wouldn’t launch an aircraft if there were a
truck parked in the middle of the runway,”
Merritt said.
Merritt said this system helps give the Air
Force the ability to make an educated risk
management assessment as to mission
requirements verses potential risk to aircraft
and aircrew and that information can be
vital to a successful mission here.
Because of the mission here, Merritt
said there may be times when aircraft and
aircrews may not be able to delay. “But we
are giving the pilots and the ground crews a
little more atmospheric awareness and that is
important,” he said.
Merritt said the system is fairly simple, a
vertically and horizontally spinning S-band
radar tracks movement on and in the skies
around the airfield. The data is then fed into
a computer system which calculates height
and distance of any birds in the area allowing
air traffic control to notify the aircrews of a
potential hazard in the area.
“It is also used as a data collection tool
allowing the collection of migratory data,”
he said. “This can potentially allow units to
schedule take-off and landing times around
known bird movements, even if a take-off
time is adjusted by five or ten minutes.”
Since it is a fairly inexpensive system, Merritt
said if the Air Force can save one aircraft
engine and potentially save the lives of
aircrews, the system has paid for itself.
“Our goal here is to lower the total number
of BASH incidents,” said Tech. Sgt. Sean
Wakeman, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing
safety office. “We want our air traffic
8
JFC Brunssum
Mike Bierman, a contractor with Detect-Inc, installs
a Merlin bird radar system at Bagram Airfield,
Afghanistan
Allied Maritime Command
Northwood
SNMCMG1 Deployment First half of 2010
By MC HQ Northwood PAO
5 live operations and 4 exercises,
25 pieces of underwater explosive
ordnance countermined amounting to
over 10,000 kilograms of TNT- this is
SNMCMG1’s contribution to making
the seas safer during the 1st half of
their 2010 deployment. Now the Group
commences it summer dispersal period
and from 30th July 2010 they will
assemble and commence new tasks as
a part of the stand-by MCM Group for
NATO Response Force 15 (NRF 15)
SNMCMG 1’s 2010 deployment began pm
19 January 2010 when the Polish Navy took
over command of the Group from the Royal
Danish Navy. Commander Krysztof Rybak
became Commander SNMCMG 1 for the
2010 period his aim to ‘Bring SNMCMG
1 forward!’. Cdr Rybak and his staff have
continuously worked towards achieving
his aim of commanding the Group in a
way that is professional, flexible and open
to suggestions and advice. Important
factors such as safety, teamwork leadership,
comprehensive knowledge and morale are
what enable the group to achieve their goals
and find success in all of their undertakings.
The first half of the year started with
Beneficial Cooperation and ended with
Estonian Historical Ordnance Disposal
Operations conducted to address the issue
of live ordnance remaining in our seas from
past conflicts.
SNMCMG 1 commenced it first operation
of 2010 in February with Operations in
support of Beneficial Cooperation (BC).
The purpose of Beneficial Cooperation is
to dispose of historical ordnance remaining
in the Eastern sector of the North Sea.
The result of our efforts was a total of 52
dangerous underwater contacts investigated
by three SNMCMG 1 Minehunters. 20
of these contacts proved to be historical
ordnance and were destroyed (3 sea mines, 1
torpedo and 16 aircraft bombs), amounting
to over 6000 kilograms of TNT.
Units also conducted Polish Route Survey
operations in March 2010 working alongside
four Polish MCMVs collecting underwater
data to be used in subsequent operations.
In addition units participated in French
Historical ordnance Disposal Operations in
the Bay of Somme. During this operation
SNMCMG1 cleared 64 squares nautical mile
area, making the Bay of Somme safer for
merchant ships and fishing vessels. 4 mines
were found and destroyed during this period,
a total of 3400 kilograms of TNT.
The last live operation in first half of 2010
was Estonian Historical Ordnance Disposal
Operations 2010. Again SNMCMG 1 units
searched the sea bed seeking underwater
explosive ordnances in Estonian territorial
waters and exclusive economical zone.
The operation area proved to be extremely
challenging and despite best efforts only
SNMCMG1 during basic and advantaged manouvering
one mine was found and disposed of.
Nevertheless, a substantial area was cleared
aiding the effort in Baltic Sea.
Over this period SNMCMG 1 has
countermined 25 individual pieces of
unexploded ordnance, which include 8 mines,
1 torpedo and 16 aircraft bombs, which in
total amount to over 10,000 kilograms of
TNT. COM SNMCMG 1, Commander
Krzysztof Rybak said: ‘All MCM units have
made a huge contribution to making the seas a safer
place. Taking all into consideration, SNMCMG
1’s work shows how important our deployment has
been and will be. I am extremely proud to command
such a professional, dedicated and hardworking
team.’
SNMCMG 1 have not only concentrated
on operations, they have participated in a
number of exercise during the first 6 months
of their deployment. The main exercise,
and the most important, was ‘BRILLIANT
MARINER 2010’ (BRMR 10) during
which SNMCMG 1 was certified for their
role in the NATO Response Force (NRF
15). During this exercise COMSNMCMG
1 commended 14 MCMVs and 4 EOD
teams demonstrating the capabilities of
the staff and their ability to fulfil the NRF
requirements. The principal staff officer,
Lieutenant Commander Prideaux McLeod
Hattle Royal Navy said: “The exercise was
a great challenge and a great success for the staff,
SNMCMG 1 and all participating elements,
allowing us to fully test our C2 organisation, whilst
facing the demands presented by each sphere of
warfare. The tempo of the exercise increased steadily
over the period exploring the limitations, capacity
and capability of all involved, whilst allowing a
full evaluation of our performance to be conducted.
After two weeks, and a great deal of work by all,
we were declared mission capable for our NRF 15
commitment, a fitting reward for the outstanding
effort displayed”.
9
JFC Brunssum
In preparation for the demands of
“BRILLIANT
MARINER
2010”,
SNMCMG 1 units conducted a number
of exercises. Firstly, the Group participated
in Basic Unit Training/ Advanced Unit
Training 2010 (BUT/AUT 2010) in
Danish territorial waters with 10 MCMVs
from Germany, Denmark, Great Britain,
Belgium and Holland commanded by COM
SNMCMG 1. This was closely followed by a
2nd German Fast Patrol Boat and 2 PA 200
Tornado’s from German Reconnaissance
Wing.
In June the Group participated in their last
exercise during the first half of the year.
The Partner for Peace exercise, “BALTOPS
2010” was conducted 07-18 June 2010
and saw the Group operating alongside
BALTRON units in the Estonian waters of
Hara Bay.
1 command ship and 6 Minehunters formed
SNMCMG 1 in the first half of 2010. The
Group comprised of the Polish command
ship ORP KONTRADMIRAL XAWERY
CZERNICKI, 2 British Minehunters
HMS Walney, HMS Penzance, 2 German
Minehunters FGS Passau and FGS Rottweil,
1 Belgian Minehunter BNS Aster and 1
Dutch Minehunter HNLMS Middelburg.
SNMCMG 1 units will now spend a period
in their home ports preparing for the second
half of the year. SNMCMG 1 commences
the second phase of their deployment after
summer dispersal on 30 July 2010 when all
units will assemble. Several new exercises,
operations and port visits await the crews
in the remainder of 2010 and our hopes are
that the number of countermine underwater
explosive ordnances will grow significantly
during the next period as we continue to
help make the seas a safer place.
Specialty of Force Protection in the Air Force Discussed
During First Seminar at German Luftwaffe Site
2010 Force Protection seminar for NATO Air Force Company Grade Officers
By AC Ramstein PAO, Pictures by LtCol Thomas Trisl, AC Ramstein FP Section and German Luftwaffe FP Regiment
Organized by NATO’s Allied Air
Command Headquarters at Ramstein
and Izmir, the first annual Bi-Allied Air
Command (AC) HQ FP seminar for
company grade officers was held at the
Jever / Schortens air force facilities from
7 to 10 June 2010, hosted by the German
Luftwaffe Force Protection Regiment.
“We have actually been preparing for this
event since 2009,” says Lieutenant Colonel
Frits van Balveren, Royal Netherlands
Air Force, head of the HQ AC Ramstein
Force Protection section, “when the then
Bi-Component Command HQ Ramstein
and Izmir Force Protection (FP) seminar
was held in Firenze Italy. At the time all
representatives of the NATO nations’
air forces and the NATO Combined Air
Operations Centres (CAOCs) decided that it
was necessary to inform the field grade officer
level about ongoing NATO developments
in the field of FP and their consequences
at the national level. The discussions held at
Firenze also revealed that both component
commands were lacking the facilities and
resources to host such seminars. Therefore
it was proposed and decided that individual
nations provide the required support.”
The German Air Force offered to host the
first seminar in 2010. “It is an honour and
pleasure to host this first NATO FP event
for company grade officers,” says Colonel
Karl Heinz Kubiak, Commander of the
German Luftwaffe FP Regiment, “the
seminar underlines the special requirements
Audience and actors during the dynamic display at the Jever/Schortens Luftwaffe site
of FP in our air forces it offers an excellent
opportunity for networking within the FP
community.”
“The next step occurred in December
2009, when the Deputy Supreme Allied
Commander Europe (DSACEUR), General
Sir John McColl, GBR Army, tasked HQ
AC Ramstein to develop a more coherent
FP posture for NATO Air Operations,”
LtCol van Balveren adds, “and already in
January 2010, we presented a roadmap to
DSACEUR proposing the developments of
FP in the Air Domain within three phases.”
2010 Force Protection seminar for NATO Air Force Company Grade Officers Group Photo
Allied Air Command
Ramstein
10
JFC Brunssum
1.Definition Phase:
Development of Air FP Direction, Air FP
Doctrine and Air FP Operational Policy and
Concepts.
2. Training and Capability Development
Phase:
Development of FP Statement Of Requirement
and NATO Air FP Training Centres.
3. Delivery and Sustainment Phase:
Development of standardized training and FP
evaluation programme to ensure improvement of
operating capabilities.
The HQ AC Ramstein FP section conceived
the FP seminar for NATO Air Force
Company Grade Officers to be a first step
of the Training and Capability Development
Phase. If continued, this series of seminars
will become an element of the Delivery and
Sustainment Phase.
The FP seminar sponsored by the FP sections
at HQ AC Ramstein and Izmir was geared
to the company grade officer level of all
NATO air forces. Topics included the latest
relevant NATO FP developments and the
role of FP in ongoing NATO and national
real-world operations . Furthermore it was
intended to promote and harmonize NATO
and national FP issues.
One of the main goals of the seminar was
to develop a closer understanding in order to
Allied Air Command
Ramstein
NATO CAOC
Commanders’ Conference 2010
By AC Ramstein PAO
LtCol Frits van Balveren presents his lecture to an
international audience
harmonize procedures within all FP entities.
Participating representatives of the nations
were encouraged to be aware of the national
FP organizations, capabilities, requirements
and needs in order to efficiently contribute
to the seminar discussions and a table-top
exercises.
The seminar was centered around five main
topics working towards meeting the aim of
the event:
•FP in NATO (policy, where is it located in
relation to air operations and training),
•FP developments in the AC HQs and
the Joint Air Power Competence Centre
(JAPCC),
•NATO and National “Air” involvement in
real-world operations,
•A table-top exercise with all participants,
evaluated by AC HQs, and
•Seminar discussion on the way ahead on
(Air) FP.
The programme also included several
collective team-building elements in
order to increase cohesion amongst the
representatives of the nations and NATO
HQs.
Following the briefings, discussions and the
exercise the German Luftwaffe FP Regiment
organized a dynamic display demonstrating
the German FP capabilities for deployed
operations. Furthermore the regiment staged
a social programme including an ice breaker
on day one, a cultural event and a BBQ,
which all contributed to the establishment
of an FP network, which was especially
appreciated by the participants of the “new”
NATO nations.
The seminar was wrapped up with a
discussion on the way ahead. All participants
stressed the importance of such a seminar
and unanimously proposed that this event
should be scheduled annually.
“This FP seminar for company grade
officers was a big success,” concludes LtCol
van Balveren, “it met the goals established
in our roadmap submitted to DSACEUR.
Congratulations to the German Luftwaffe
FP Regiment for a job well done!”
General Roger A. Brady, Commander Headquarters Allied Air Command Ramstein and Lieutenant General Jac
Jansen, Commander of the Royal Netherlands Air Force
The 7th NATO Combined Air Operation
Centre
Commanders’
Conference
(NCCC) took place at Noordwijk,
The Netherlands, from 2 to 4 June.
The conference was hosted by the
Commander of the Royal Netherlands
Air Force, Lieutenant General Jac Jansen,
who previously served as the Chief of
Staff of the NATO’s Ramstein-based
air headquarters from December 2006 to
May 2008.
The NCCC is an annual meeting, first
conducted in 2003, which offers NATO
Senior Airmen a venue for discussion Air
Power. This year, the focus of discussions
was on “strategic air and space”. General
Jansen informed NATO Air Commanders
about the Royal Netherlands Air Force and
presented his view of developments within
NATO. “When we look at Air Power in the
future, the main focus must be on maximum
synergy of all capacities,” the general said,
“we shall see a larger role of unmanned
aerial systems, which will be integrated with
fighter aircraft in our airspace. Concerning
the weapon systems of our fighters and
helicopters, there will increasingly be a
11
JFC Brunssum
requirement for precise and wide capabilities,
which underlines the importance of
multifunctional weapons systems. This
shows the power of an integrated posture,”
General Jansen said in closing.
The 2010 NCCC was attended by the
commanders of NATO’s Allied Air
Commands at Ramstein, Germany, (HQ
AC Ramstein) and Izmir, Turkey, (HQ AC
Izmir), the Combined Air Operation Centres
(CAOCs), the French Air Defence and Air
Operations Command (CDAOA) as well as
the NATO Airborne Early Warning Force
Command (NAEW-FC).
NATO CAOC Commanders’ Conference 2010
Group Picture
News
Senior NCO Camp organized in Split, Croatia
By SM Hillar Pliiats (EST-A),
Operations Directorate
From 7 to 18 June this year, the Third
International Senior NCO camp was
organized in Split, Croatia. The camp
was initiated by Sergeant Major of the
Croatian Armed Forces Goran Turk three
years ago with a purpose of fostering
international cooperation among NCO
corps of NATO and PfP countries.
International NCO Camps are intended
for senior NCOs (OR-7 to OR-9) of the
armed forces of NATO and PfP countries,
preferably those who currently hold leader
position or those who have considerable
professional experience.
Up to 15 NCOs participated the event this
year, including representatives from JFC
Brunssum, JFC Naples and JFC Lisbon.
Experienced senior enlisted leaders from
ACO and ACT provided the briefings.
The program had a good balance of
practices, lectures and workshops with extra
curriculum activities inviting the attendants
to get to know each other and their
respective countries. The host nation also
had an opportunity to present and promote
the historical and cultural heritage of the
Republic of Croatia.
With almost two weeks participants got
a full overview on Croatian Navy, Coast
Guard and Croatian Air Force structure,
Up to 15 NCO took part in the Third International Senior NCO camp organized in Split, Croatia
tasks and capabilities. NCOs also had a
chance to go through practical activities like
kayak, row boat, basic sailing and shooting
training. Indoor activities included human
management, workshop on how to build up
a national and international NCO corps.
Participants from Croatia, Slovenia, BosniaHerzegovina and representatives from
JFCs had chance to share their experiences
through the workshops and practical
activities (mostly on the sea) and reach the
goals with best possible solutions.
The camp was extremely well organized
and the program well presented with every
participant receiving plenty of knowledge
on sailors’ life and duties at the sea. An
excellent course and strongly recommended
to all NCOs in good physical shape with
some basic sailor skills.
Brunssum NCO receives U.S. Bronze Star
By CPO Roland Murof, JFC HQ Brunssum PAO
military service and reflect great credit upon
him, Multi-National Corps – Iraq and the
Estonian Army,” Major General Bagby said
when handing over the award.
Master Sergeant Hillar Pliiats has served in
Iraq on two occasions, first with ESTPLA-9
and then with ESTPLA-16 infantry platoon.
He has participated twice in international
operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina and once
in Kosovo.
Major General Byron Bagby, JFC HQ Brunssum Director of Operations, awarding Master Sergeant Hillar Pliiats(EST A)
with the Bronze Star for his outstanding service during Operation Iraqi Freedom
Master Sergeant Hillar Pliiats, an
Estonian NCO serving at Allied Joint
Force Command Headquarters (JFC
HQ) Brunssum, has earned an U.S.
Bronze Star for his outstanding service
during the operation Iraqi Freedom.
The award was handed over to Master
Sergeant Pliiats by Major General Byron
Bagby, the Director of Operations, at
JFC HQ Brunssum, Monday 28 June.
“Sergeant Major Pliiats’ outstanding duty
performance during combat operations in
Iraq contributed to the overwhelming success
of the command’s mission. His actions
are in keeping with the finest traditions of
13
JFC Brunssum
Master Sergant Pliiats is with the Estonian
Army from 1997 when he joined the Baltic
Battalion. He has also served in the Scouts
Battalion. Before joining the Operations
Directorate team at Brunssum HQ as
Administrative Assistant in 2008, he served
in the Headquarters of Estonian Defence
Forces. With the Joint Mobile Training
Team of JFC HQ Brunssum he has been an
instructor for NCOs from many countries.
President Roosevelt authorized the Bronze
Star Medal in 1944. The award is given to
persons while serving in any capacity in
or with the U.S. Armed Forces and have
demonstrated exceptionally meritorious
service in a combat zone with exposure to
risk of hostile action during operation.
COM’s Address to the Staff 16 June 2010
Alliance Theater
By Maj. Marcel Arama, PAO
General Egon Ramms, JFC Brunssum
Commander held his Address to the Staff
in the Alliance Theatre on the 16 June 2010.
This was the last scheduled Commander’s
Address during his tenure, prior to the
farewell and the awards ceremony on the
29th of September.
The COM reiterated to the staff that the main
task for this Headquarters is to support the
ISAF mission with an “operational mindset”,
and that the Headquarters, must provide
immediate, complete and professional support
to ISAF on a 24/7 basis. He assessed this goal
was achieved to a great extent and the staff
understood the imperative to go above and
beyond in supporting comrades, friends and
allies in theater. He urged that it is critical
to work to our highest level of capability
every day, expending the necessary energy to
appropriately move issues forward.
As JFC HQ Brunssum enters the NRF Standby
period, as of 1st of July we need to extend
the same “operational mindset” and level of
engagement toward any NRF mission we
might be called upon to support. “This support
might take the form of deploying to a little
understood country, or providing “Reachback”
capabilities to those that move forward” said
General Ramms.
Com JFC Brunssum appreciated the
achievements done by every of the staff
member, but above all he drew the attention
to four individuals who did a great work and
with significant impact for the headquarters,
publicly recognizing and thanking for their
outstanding efforts:
•German Air Force Lieutenant Colonel
Chris Horn from Knowledge Centre
Branch(KCB);
• US Navy CDR Phil Yu from PMO;
•Spanish Army Lieutenant Colonel Jorge
Ferrer from Joint Plans Branch(JPB);
•Croatian Army WO1 Davor Petek from
Exercise & Preparation Branch(EPB);
The COM stressed also that “it takes the
whole team to succeed in this very complex
and volatile environment called NATO” and
he encouraged all the staff to participate in the
work of the JFC Brunssum team, ensuring a
fair distribution of workload and the level of
engagement among all team members.
Afterwards he continued with an overview
of the key activities conducted in our
headquarters.
International Security Assistance Force:
ISAF remains JFC HQ Brunssum’s number
one priority and we as the “out of theatre”
operational headquarters have always to support
the mission in Afghanistan with quality staff
work, being able to make thoughtful, logical
and professional recommendations.
Recent public statements with regards to the
Transition of Afghanistan, following the last
Defense Ministers’ meeting in Brussels, the
News
Genneral Egon Ramms addressing his staff on 16 June in the Alliance Theatre
NATO Secretary General underlined their
‘enduring’ commitment to Afghanistan. It is
important to understand that transition does
not mean withdrawal of our forces, but shifting
towards supporting Afghan National Security
Forces (ANSF), and long-term training to
ensure the ANSF is capable of assuming
the security lead. Secondly, that the required
military and civilian conditions have to be in
place as soon as possible, for the transition to
be irreversible.
Everyone is responsible for keeping the
knowledge and expertise accumulated during
the preparation phases for the standby period
sharp and ready for use. As a third of the
headquarters PE will be replaced this summer
and many of our inbounds have limited
experience in NATO, ISAF or NRF, the COM
stressed that “the continued integration of new
personnel becomes a priority. This means that
those of you who represent continuity must
rapidly train our newest team members”.
The COM added that we need “to clearly
define Transition criteria, establish the role of
ISAF in continuing to support those Provinces
that undergo Transition, and ensure the ANSF
is capable of assuming the security lead. And
that means we should focus on speeding up
our staff work, further aligning our military
activities with those of our civilian counterparts
and ensuring the GIRoA are poised to establish
provincial/district governance as required”.
Besides ISAF and NRF, JFC Brunssum has
several other critical pieces of work that
support NATO tasking.
Two especially
important items are the request to develop
the Poland & Baltic States CONOPS, and
the continued MILCOOP activities. Both of
these actions have the potential to require a
considerable manpower and effort increase
from across the headquarters and cooperation
will be the key to success.
At the same time, as the activities of NTM-A
need more support as it plays a crucial role in
our campaign. There is still a shortfall of about
450 trainers that nations are required urgently
to supply.
The COM expressed his belief that we can
fulfill any mission task successfully, if we have
clear direction, transparency within the staff,
transparency towards SHAPE and ISAF, and if
we continue to foster cooperation both inside
and outside the boundaries of JFC Brunssum.
The COM touched upon STRATCOM before
closing the ISAF section of his address.
Reminding his staff that communication is an
extremely important aspect of this HQ’s work
the COM underlined that “everyone is a potential
advocate and should not feel constrained in
promoting our mission in Afghanistan […] in
doing so, you will contribute to, and advance,
our ability to strategically communicate outside
the borders of Afghanistan”.
NATO Response Force:
JFC Brunssum began the NATO Response
Force Standby Period on July 1st of this year,
that means all the staff must be prepared to
either deploy for a mission or be ready to
support those who do deploy in addition to
the work we have to bring up for the ISAF
mission.
14
JFC Brunssum
General Ramms concluded his address with
the following urge “We must work together as
one team; every one of us brings unique talents
to the table and as a headquarters we must take
the very best that each has to offer and go
forward in a well coordinated effort. This is an
approach that can deliver enormous benefit,
and we need benefits to produce positive
actions, because our work in this headquarters
has a direct impact on the success of the ISAF
mission and the future of the Afghan people”.
Finally, General Ramms wished all the staff
about to take summer leave, safe travel, and
fair weather, and to come back recharged and
ready to help JFC Brunssum through what will
certainly be another busy year.
News
NATO-ISAF Public Affairs Conference
By Major Todd White, PAO
The 2010 NATO-ISAF Public Affairs
Conference took place 3-4 June at the
Croatian Military Academy in Zagreb,
Croatia. The goal of this year’s event
was to investigate various challenges in
communicating NATO’s engagement
in Afghanistan. There were more than
85 communications professionals from
various NATO troop contributing
nations (TCNs) in attendance including
members from the ministries of foreign
affairs as well as military and civilian
public affairs.
Members from the
Afghan Ministry of Defense, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and the Government
Media and Information Center (GMIC)
were also in attendance.
The first day of the conference featured
working groups that focused on;
communicating Afghan National Security
Forces (ANSF) development and training,
the communications approach to transition to
Afghan lead, reintegration and reconciliation
communication efforts, protecting the
Afghan population communication efforts,
military support to the civilian effort, and
promoting Afghan-led communications.
Improving the overall communication effort for both Afghan and international audiences at the 2010 NATOISAF Public Affairs Conference
The second day was dedicated to plenary
discussions on communications challenges
measures of effect. The sessions focused on
what is being communicated, how it is being
communicated, as well as how the effects of
these efforts are being measured.
The conference was an excellent opportunity
to get together and work face to face on the
myriad communications challenges regarding
NATO’s involvement in Afghanistan. It was
beneficial to examine best practices being
used among the TCNs in order to improve
the overall communication effort for both
Afghan and international audiences.
Farewell to Tapijn Kaserne, Maastricht Netherlands
In a flag lowering ceremony, the CO of 1st NSB, LtCol Guido Koberg passes the Battalion colours to the Mayor
of Maastricht
Although 1st NSB was established in 2005,
By 1NSB RSM D.A. MacIsaac
1st NATO Signal Battalion (1st NSB) its history can be traced back many years.
held a farewell parade at Tapijn Kaserne, 1st NSB evolved from 227 Signal Squadron
Maastricht Netherlands on the 24 June which originally moved from Fontainebleau in
2010. The Reviewing Officer for the parade France to Maastricht in 1967. The Squadron
was Colonel Jacek Rolak, Commander of was multi-national, with approximately eighty
NATO Signals Regiment. The Parade British, forty German Soldiers, and the
marked the end of the 1st NSB’s glorious remaining thirty from various central region
residency in the capital of Limburg, NATO countries. The role of 227 Signal
Maastricht and provided and opportunity Squadron was to connect two fixed wartime
to thank the city of Maastricht and the headquarters bunkers, and spearheaded the
Tapijn Kaserne staff for being exceptional communications infrastructure for the allies
during the Cold War. Times of course change
hosts for over 40 years.
15
JFC Brunssum
and soon after the falling of the Berlin wall
in 1989, 227 Sig Sqn was re-designated the
Alternate War Headquarters Communications
Squadron (AWCS). It continued to carry
out many of the legacy roles associated with
227 Sqn and indeed expanded in many of its
areas of operation. In November 1996 our
predecessors in 1st NSB deployed personnel
and equipment in support of the SFOR
mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In May 1999
a Tactical Satellite Ground Terminal (TSGT)
crew deployed to Durres, Albania in support
of ongoing operations in Kosovo and later that
year a TSGT and a Mobile Communication
Module (MCM) deployed to Pristina, Kosovo
to support KFOR HQ. It was during this time
that the Battalion headquarters was formed
and the foundations of the current structure
of 1 NSB was built. Finally in August 2005 1st
NSB officially stood up to operate in its current
format. The Battalion’s present strength is
452, with 60 percent German, 20 percent
British and the remainder from 8 other nations.
The Battalion participates in nearly all NATO
exercises and is currently participating in
deployments in Afghanistan and Oman. The
next year will see an expanded commitment
to ISAF in support of the NCSA Mission
Detachment.
It is clear that all of us and our predecessors
owe an awful lot to the city of Maastricht.
We would not have been able to have such a
successful history without the support of the
Netherlands. We leave Tapijin Barracks with
a very positive image of Limburg and the
Netherlands. On one hand we leave with a heavy
heart, but are comforted by the friendships
we have made. We now look forward to new
challenges in Wesel, Germany.
JFC HQ Brunssum CSM Farewell Message
Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum
CSM Mario Ouellet CDN A
Wants to thank everyone
I have been JFCBS CSM for more than 4 years
and this posting has been the most beautiful
experience that I have had up to now. So, in
order to improve the communication and to
ensure quality information flow throughout
the NCO support channel, I recommended
to COM and COS to establish the Divisional
Senior NCO positions in the HQ. These
selected NCOs proved to be a valuable asset
to all of us and ensured that all info was
brought up through the chain of command
and was dealt with in a timely manner.
Also, on the national side, I have worked
closely, and chaired the International Senior
NCO Committee that provided necessary
information to all National Delegation
NCOs on base regarding the living and
daily operations that affected all of us. To
support morale and welfare activities, I have
had close cooperation with the Other Ranks
Association.
To ensure that NCOs have the best possible
representation and better communication
between JFC and CCs, at the first JFC CC
Commanders Conference, I recommended
to the CC Commanders to establish a
Command Sergeant Major positions at their
respective commands. This closed the NCO
support circle on all levels of command at
our level.
Another very important thing for me was
and still is, the NCO training and education.
JFC Brunssum’s main tool to ensure quality
and interoperability among NCOs within
NATO is the Joint Mobile Training Team
(JMTT). We have worked on JMTT since
2006 and the first training trip was in March
of 2006 to Latvia. Three instructors from
JFC Brunssum trained 32 students. NCO
JMTT has been active since then.
We have trained more than 550 NCOs
and junior officers, men and women, from
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, MNC
NE in Szczecin, and many more. The focus
of the training was Leadership, NATO
Orientation,
Administration,
Training
management and specific topics like NATO
current Ops, COIN and other NCO related
topics. I have to say that I have had the
support of an outstanding team of NCOs
from different NATO nations within JFC
Brunssum, but also from our CCs. We
had up to 30 instructors from 14 different
NATO nations, 12 different branches and
many different backgrounds. The JMTT
News
JFC HQ Brunssum CSM Mario Ouellet
team leaders were outstanding NCOs that
supported me in this important task. I
started with Martin Mannheim from Dutch
Navy as the first team leader, continued
with Eddy Veugen from Belgian Army, and
finished with Davor Petek from Croatian
Army. In addition, with the support of SGM
Petek, we managed to develop and offer
NCO Proffesional Development courses
and training events to PfP nations through
e-Prime to ensure standardization in NCO
training for possible future NATO member
countries.
Many things have happened and succeeded
in these past years, but I would not be able
to succeed alone. I had a team of NCOs,
working closely with me on NCO Corps
improvement and development. This group
of dedicated NCOs helped me on different
projects throughout the years. Some of
them are Warner Shafer from NCSA who
worked on the Wise Page development,
Jos Steijvers NLD A, Math Cujpers NLD
A, Isaac Horton USA A, Jean Guillemette
CAN A, Troy Merrick CAN A, Jo Debruijn
BEL A, Guido Geboers BEL A, and many
more who dedicated their time and effort
for NCOs of this command.
Working together with ACO, ACT, CCs,
NATO School and Swiss NCO academy
Senior Enlisted advisers, we developed the
NATO NCO Strategy which was accepted
and approved by the NATO Military Chain
of Command during the last SACEUR
Commanders Conference. This strategy
16
JFC Brunssum
provides the guide lines to NATO HQs
and NATO Countries on NCO Corps
development.
I honestly believe that NCOs should and
have to take any opportunity to further
develop themselves by attending courses,
conferences, workshops, by reading books
and manuals. Only by doing this can we make
sure we are fully proficient and effective in
our jobs. This will ensure that our Chain of
Command can rely on us and give us more
responsibility, and what’s more important,
that we are able to take care of our troops.
The NCOs are here to support the Chain
of Command; the NCOs are improving and
developing every day. A well employed NCO
can and will make a difference within any
organization. We have to maintain the high
standards of performance and justify the
authority given to us by our Commanders
and the trust given to us by our peers and
subordinates.
At the end, I would like to thank the JFC
Brunssum Chain of Command for their
support in these past four years, especially to
General Egon Ramms for his complete and
unconditional support. Your support made
my life much easier and allowed me to do my
job properly and without any unnecessary
obstacles on the way.
Thank you all,
Mario
News
Kandahar Airfield Air Traffic Management
A First for NATO!
By Sqn Ldr Mark Taylor, JFCB SES.
thorough flight check, the radio suite had
not been designed and installed correctly
resulting in considerable interference across
all frequencies! This necessitated ATC
operations having to revert back to the USprovided facilities whilst the problems were
investigated and rectified. Compounding
efforts, however, was the Icelandic volcanic
ash cloud grounding flights carrying essential
spares and personnel needed at KAF. That
said, following several weeks of intense
activity, a completely redesigned radio
receiver layout was built and KAF ATC
operations were able to resume - though
significantly later than planned.
Continuation of the article in the June edition
The Tower/Controllers.
The US ATC tower at KAF was technically
a small cabin perched atop four containers
located in the middle of the airfield (see
photo). Whilst ‘prehistoric’ in nature, it
delivered a phenomenal capability that
cannot be ignored; indeed, handling the
volume of traffic it has is testament to the
both the durability of the US-equipment
and the professionalism of the UScontracted controllers, RMS/Mid West.
IAP was awarded the NATO operators and
maintainers (O&M) contract with RMS/Mid
West providing the air traffic service and
Lockheed Martin providing the maintenance
service. Equally as important, but costing
approximately $3.5m, the new 27.85m high
tower (see photo) now dominates the KAF
landscape and enables to controllers to have
full visibility of the runways and aircraftoperating surfaces; the height and position
of the tower was optimised by the use of
a helicopter to ensure that the final design
satisfied both the needs of the controllers
and the military budget committee. With
two internal floors and a visual control room
perched on top, it houses all the visual and
radar-control equipment needed to conduct
effective ATM at the airfield. Significantly,
the tower was built by NAMSA in just 10
months and handed over to COMKAF on
4 Jan 10.
system acceptance test, including full flight
checking of the sensors and equipment, was
undertaken on 25 Feb 10. This was followed
by a full system acceptance test on 25 Mar,
just 4 weeks later!
NATO Standards
With no ATC standards of its own, NATO
was in the unenviable position of not being
able to ‘police’ the contracted-controllers to
ensure that they were operating correctly
and/or safely; this is an inherent function
of any ATC facility and one that NATO
was unable to solve in the short life of this
project. Instead, NATO elected to request
support from the USA to undertake this role
for the short term and to establish an ATM
Cell at SHAPE with the aim of developing
an enduring set of standards which should
be completed by Nov 11.
Issues
As with any project of this size and
complexity there have been numerous issues
to resolve along the way. Of significance
was the news that, despite having passed a
The Equipment.
NC3A has been equally impressive taking
just 7-months to install the entire ATM
equipment (see photo). This has included:
Primary and Secondary Surveillance Radars,
a Precision Approach Radar, Navigation
Aids, Operator Consoles, Voice and Data
Communication Systems and a complete
Weather Detection System.
Despite the lack of mains power to the
tower and the equipment, and several minor
changes to the technical solution, excellent
progress was maintained throughout by
NC3A who were able to advance their
delivery schedule accordingly. A provisional
17
JFC Brunssum
Conclusion
When anyone says “I’ve got an interesting
project for you”, it’s time to phone your
appointing officer, pack up your desk and go
on extended leave! Joking aside, this has been,
without exception, an incredibly complex
and demanding project that has been fraught
with problems and has required some
difficult decisions to be made along the way.
At times the journey has been a smooth one
thanks to the combined efforts of all the staff
officers involved. For the rest of the time,
the rapidly approaching deadlines, critical
interdependencies and the sheer volume of
work has been a challenge that has had to be
endured and even, at times, enjoyed! The
success of the project is testament to the
professionalism, determination and unity of
every single person involved and, for that,
I am extremely fortunate to have played a
part in it. Kandahar airfield is as important
today as it was in the 50s and 60s – perhaps
even more so - and to have delivered a vital
ATM operational capability for the first
time in NATO’s history is something we, at
Brunssum, should be rightly proud of!
News
Medals Presentaion 11 June 2010
By RSM J. Merriott
On 11 Jun 2010 Air Marshal Harper presented
Operational Service Medals (Afghanistan)
and Long Service and Good Conduct Medals
to UK Service personnel based within the
Netherlands.
The Operational Service Medal (OSM) is
awarded to all UK Service Personnel who
serve more than 30 days in an operational
theatre such as Afghanistan. Gp Capt
Ormerod (RAF) and FS Hutchinson (RAF)
both received their OSM following recent
tours of duty in Afghanistan.
The Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
(LS&GC) are awarded to Junior and Senior
Non Commissioned ranks as well as Warrant
Officers rewarding both 15 and 30 years of
exemplary service. Each individual who is
eligible for the award is thoroughly screened to
ensure that they are of excellent character in
order to receive this prestigious award.
SSgt Bean (Royal Logistics Corps) having
completed 15 years service was presented
with her LS&GC medal accompanied by her
husband. Sgt Bean is a Movement’s Controller
currently working in the Travel Office of JFC
HQ Brunssum and has served all over the
Air Marshal Harper presented Operational Service Medals (Afghanistan) and Long Service and Good Conduct Medals to UK
Service personnel based within the Netherlands
world in support of the UK Armed Forces,
deploying in recent times to support operations
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
FS Thornton accompanied by his wife was
presented with a Bar to his LS&GC medal
after completing 30 years of service. FS
Thornton who is a Movements Operative is
currently serving at Eindhoven assisting in
moving personnel and freight to operational
theatres. He has served around the world
and extensively in support of UK/NATO
operations in Afghanistan
The presentation was followed by a reception
in Club 13 where Air Marshal Harper had a
chance to speak to the medal recipients, UK
personnel and their families.
COS decorated with French National Defence Medal
By Capt. Albert van Dam
the entire Air Operations in Afghanistan for
almost a year.
Despite the very stressful and unsafe
environment, he successfully carried out the
reconstruction of the entire sector of the
Afghan civil aviation. In that considerable
task, he worked in close coordination with the
Plans & Programs Branch of the ISAF Air
Component, which was under the authority of
Brigadier General Simon Tafani. The latter, who
was also the French Military Representative in
Afghanistan at the time, particularly appreciated
his great professionalism and total involvement
associated with a remarkable selflessness.
For his full dedication to rebuild the Kabul
International Airport and his decisive
contribution to the ISAF Air Component, he
has been recognized.
KMD Director, Major General Cazamea awarding JFC HQ Brunssum Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Jouke
Eikelboom on behalf of the French Minister of Defense, on 4th July 2010
On 4 June 2010 Major General Cazamea
recognized Lieutenant General Jouke
Eikelboom on behalf of the French
Minister of Defense.
Lieutenant General Jouke Eikelboom was
awarded the French National Defense Medal
in Gold for his outstanding work as the
Director of the Air Coordination Element of
the International Support and Assistance Force
(ISAF) in Kabul from January to November
2008.
He was responsible for leading and coordinating
19
JFC Brunssum
The “Médaille de la Défense Nationale” was created
in 1982 by the former Minister of Defense Charles
Hernu, which is why some French military call it,
humorously, the “Hernu Cross”.
This medal has been designed to reward particularly
honourable service for operational activities or high
contributions in aid of civilian populations.
There are three different grades, which we call “échelons”
: bronze, silver and gold.
Need more Soccer now that the World Cup has ended?
Europe’s Largest Military Soccer Tournament
is Coming to JFC Brunssum!
By OR-8 Uwe Lorse, DEU A
On 19/20 August 2010 JFC HQ Brunssum
invited around 100 military and non-military
soccer teams from all over Europe to compete
in 4 different Cups on the soccer fields at the
“Slag Heap”.
Under the auspices of COM JFC HQ Brunssum,
General Egon Ramms, the 30th international
GNT soccer tournament presents once more
one of our finest traditional occasion. The DEU
head of delegation Colonel Brendecke feelings
about the tournament: “brings together soldiers,
families and friends to enjoy one of the nicest
“minor matter” of the world: SOCCER!
Keen to organise:
Members of the JFC HQ Brunssum “German
National (Soccer) Team” (GNT) meet once or
twice a week to enjoy playing their sport. But
throughout the Year they are highly appreciated
and keen on taking part in the organisation for
their annual highlight.
4 different Cups to play:
Since the tournament first began, the number of
participating soccer teams has been multiplied
several times. This year, 92 international teams are
expected to complete, of which 30 are Youngster
Teams, another 30 Oldie teams, approximately 20
teams of JFC HQ’s different national delegations
and 16 Ladies Teams. Consequently, four cups are
going to be played on the Slag Heap 20 August.
Two Days of Competition and Fun:
JFC HQ Brunssum’s national Delegation Teams
will open this Year’s GNT Soccer Tournament
on 19 August. The proud winner takes the
“Delegations Cup” back to their national
delegation to proudly display. Later that afternoon
the Ladies Teams will compete for this Year’s
“Ladies Cup”. On 20 August military soccer
teams from bases all over Europe are going to play
separately for the “Youngster Cup” and finally for
the “Commander’s Cup” on Friday evening.
Party with live music and attractions until late
into the night:
While soccer is being played on the fields the men
and women of GNT offer a variety of different
attractions, including food from the BBQ,
homemade cakes and an assortment of drinks. A
large tent will be set up to accommodate music
and dancing; entertainment will include famous
German live stage singer and show dancing until
late in the night.
High value raffle prizes for GNT’s annual
charities:
In the hopes of repeating last year’s enormous
success, there will be a raffle with valuable prizes.
All proceeds from the raffle will be donated to
local Burnssum charities. The top two prizes will
be a Quad and Flat Screen TV, with dozens of
great supplemental prizes as well. Drawings will
be held immediately following the Commander’s
Cup games. Tickets are on sale now, see posted
flyers for details on how to get your raffle ticket
today!
Mark your calendars for 19 & 20 August and be
sure to come out and enjoy the games at Slag
Heap!
NCSA Charity Raffle
By NATO Civ. S.J.Lilly, NCSA Sector Brunssum, Photos by OR-9 Sylwester Wojnowski
On Draw day there was a lot of interest in
both camps – Bydgoszcz tied their draw with a
Christmas celebration, as did Brunssum. Last
minute ticket sales were hot and many more
tickets put in the pot, reducing the odds but
increasing the charitable donations.
In Brunssum the laptop draw was done by Sector
Cdr, Col Bermbach and the winner was Capt
Henri Janssen – a good day for him as he had
been presented with a major NATO award earlier
that day. In Bydgoszcz the draw was carried out
by the JFTC Director, Maj. Gen. Bagger and
the winner was Lt Col “Ully” Hoecken. Ully
immediately donated the laptop to his daughter
who was understandably pleased.
NCSA Sector Brunssum Commander Col Bermbach drawing one of the winners
Recently, Hewlett Packard donated 2 laptops to raise the most money. Sqn Bydgoszcz had a novel
NCSA Sector Brunssum. It was decided that a way of raising the money – they arranged for the
raffle should take place in order to raise money children from a local school to make Xmas cards.
for charity.
These cards were sold to Joint Force Training
Centre (JFTC) Bydgoszcz staff and each one was
One laptop was sent to NCSA Sqn Bydgoszcz and annotated with a number - the raffle number that
one was retained at Brunssum. Money collecting could be drawn to win the laptop. Brunssum
began in earnest and it soon became apparent that decided to go down the rather more effective (and
Bydgoszcz and Brunssum were in competition to simple) “Just give me your money” approach.
Community
20
JFC Brunssum
Who won the competition between Brunssum
and Bydgoszcz?
NCSA Sector Brunssum
raised €650 and the money was donated to the
Children’s Centre in Changhadran in Afghanistan
– one of the JFC supported charities. NCSA Sqn
Bydgoszcz raised PLN3066.55 which equates
to around €750; this money was donated to the
Bydgoszcz Hospital Children’s Ward.
A marginal victory for Bydgoszcz and of course
a huge victory for all those who benefitted from
the charitable donations. Well done to all and a
big thank you to Hewlett Packard who donated
the machines.
One of us
Community
One of us
Sergeant Sandis Karklins
By CPO Roland Murof, JFC HQ Brunssum PAO
Photo by SGT Sebastian Peschke
When did you arrive to the Netherlands and
which position you have taken?
I arrived in The Netherlands on 1 August 2008
and assumed the Watchkeepers position in the
former Combined Joint Operation Centre (CJOC).
After one year, in accordance with the shadow
PE, I moved to the Operations Directorate Joint
Assessment Branch and assumed a Staff Assistants
position. After one year in the Joint Assessment
Branch I’m back in the Situation Centre to take
over the Watchkeepers position again.
From Latvia
Tell us about your military career?
In June 1997 I volunteerd for service in the National
Armed Forces of Latvia. After one year of service
I had an opportunity to join the National Guard
as a full time soldier. As a result of reorganization
of the National Guard in November 2000, I was
transferred to the Air Force Air Defence Battalion.
Ten years ago it was a complete new unit in our
Armed Forces and it took several years to gain
experience and transfer from an anti aircraft gun
system to a missile system. During my service
in the Air Defence Battalion I was fulfilling the
battalion’s armament specialists duties. My next
appointment was JFC HQ Brunssum.
Do you have any experience with other
international missions?
No, I don’t have any other experience with
international missions, but I’m looking forward to
having another opportunity in the future.
Tell us about your job and what kind of
challenges you have to face?
Watch keeper is like a first front line between
the ISAF and JFC HQ Brunssum. Most of the
products are coming through the watch keeper’s
hands and it is very important to stay alert and not
miss any of those reports during the 12 hour long
day or night shift.
Is your family with you here?
Yes, my wife is with me and we are living in
Hoensbroek, not far from Hoensbroek’s castle.
We dont have children yet, but we have a beautiful
black Labrador to take care of.
What are your hobbies?
My hobbies are hunting and scuba diving. Due to
the fact that hunting is not a very popular sport in
the Netherlands I had to quit hunting until my end
of tour in JFC HQ Brunssum. After a few months
in JFC HQ Brunssum I discovered a new hobby –
scuba diving. Right now we are active members of
the NATO Scuba Diving Club and it has become
our family sport.
What do you like in your job?
Every year I have a new position and every position
brings me new challenges. Personally for me, it is
a great opportunity to learn how NATO works,
and an opportunity to meet people from different
countries and learn new ways of doing things from
them.
Can you shortly describe your country?
Latvia is the central country of the Baltic States
(Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). On the world map
Latvia is to be found in north-eastern Europe, on
the east coast of the Baltic Sea. The landscape of
the country is marked by lowland plains and rolling
hills. Most of the countryside is less than 100
meters above sea level. Latvia is one of Europe’s
best preserved havens for a wide variety of wildlife
and there are thousands of rivers and lakes in
Latvia.
Your future plans?
My end of tour is on Jun 2011 and I already know
my future position. I will go back to my previous
unit to do a similar job to that I was doing before
arrival to JFC HQ Brunnsum.
Country: Republic of Latvia
Language: Latvian
The Latvian language is a Baltic language, which belongs to the Indo-European family of
languages. The Latvian language is considered one of the oldest of the Indo-European (European)
languages. It is a non-Slavic and a non-Germanic language, similar only to Lithuanian.
Population: 2,248,000 (2010 est.)
Capital: Riga
Head of state: Valdis Zatlers
Area: 64,589 sq km
Climate: The Latvian climate is humid, continental and temperate due to the maritime influence
of the Baltic Sea. Summers are warm, and the weather in spring and autumn fairly mild. However,
the winters can be extreme due to the northern location. Precipitation is common throughout the
year with the heaviest rainfall in July. During severe spells of winter weather, Latvia is dominated
by cold winds from the interior of Russia, and severe snowfalls are very common.
Economy: revenues $32.4 billion (2009 est.)
Currency: Lats (LVL)
Industries: metalworking, machinery and tools, light electrical equipment and fittings, textiles and
footwear, technological instruments, construction materials, processed foods.
Agriculture: cattle, dairy foods, cereals, potatoes, timber.
Export: base metals and articles of base metal, wood and articles of wood, machinery and
mechanical appliances, electrical equipment, products of the chemical or industries, prepared
foodstuffs, beverages, spirits and vinegar, textiles and textile articles, vegetable products.
Defence: The National Armed Forces consists of Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force and
National Guard.
History: Due to Latvia’s strategic location and city of Riga, its territories were a frequent focal
point for conflict and conquest between at least four major powers, Prussia (later Germany),
Poland, Sweden and Russia. The longest period of external hegemony in the modern period
began in 1710 when control over Riga switched from Sweden to Russia during the Great Northern
War. Under Russian control, Latvia was in the vanguard of industrialisation and the abolition of
serfdom so that by the end of the 19th century it had become one of the most developed parts
of the Russian Empire. The increasing social problems and rising discontent which this brought
meant that Riga also played a leading role in the 1905 Russian Revolution.
A rising sense of Latvian nationalism from the 1850s onwards bore fruit after World War I when,
after two years of struggle in the Russian Civil War, Latvia finally won sovereign independence
recognized by Russia in 1920 and by the international community in 1921. Latvia’s independent
status was interrupted at the outset of World War II when in 1940 the country was forcibly
incorporated into the Soviet Union, invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany in 1941, then
retaken by the Soviets in 1944 after Germany surrendered.
From the mid-1940s the country was subject to Soviet economic control and saw considerable
Russification of its peoples, but Latvian culture and infrastructures survived, during the period
of Soviet liberalization under Mikhail Gorbachev, Latvia once again took a path towards
independence which eventually succeeded in August 1991 and was recognized by Russia the
following month. Since then, under restored independence, Latvia has become a member of the
United Nations, entered NATO and joined the European Union.
21
JFC Brunssum
Brunssum Summer Fete
In support of the Dutch children’s charity CliniClowns,
this year’s Brunssum Summer Fete is scheduled for 22
August 10 and is planned to be the biggest and most
exciting ever!
It will be open to the entire International military and local Dutch
communities and will run from 12:00pm – 5:00pm. Thanks to the
generous support from Skylink Aviation, D-Reizen, RMA Fleet
Sales, Hans Stassar, Albert Heijn, Maxwell, B&S Central Store,
Fysiotherapie Heerlen Noord , Gall & Gall, Profile, Gamma,
Kreatos (and more!) the Mega Grand Raffle will have fantastic
prizes including a €1500 Holiday Voucher, Gas Barbeque, €200
Hans Stassar Voucher, €100 Profile Bike Voucher, Designer Hair
Makeover, Family Cinema Tickets plus lots more!! In addition
there will be numerous arena events including Dog Displays,
Marching Bands, Model Aircraft Display, Parachute Display
Team (and more!). All the old favourites will also be there
including Cake Stalls, Beer and Soft Drinks Tent, BBQ, Curry
Stall, Pony Rides, Classic Cars, Jaguar and Land Rover new car
sales, Dunk Tank, Military Interactive Activities, Face Painting,
Beat the Goalie (“come on England!”), Treasure Hunt (win an
iPod!) , Archery, Assault Course, Bouncy Castle and more!
The day is being organised by the British Community but is very
much intended for all International Military personnel and their
families and the local Dutch community to have a great, funfilled afternoon with plenty to see and do! Naturally, the plan
is to raise as much money as possible to support CliniClowns
(for more information visit http://www.cliniclowns.nl/) and
our raffle has some excellent prizes to tempt you to part with
your cash!
This will be a very special day supporting a worthwhile cause
and it would be great if you could make this journey with us!
Please mark it in your diary as “one not to miss!” – hope to see
you there!
JFC BRUNSSUM A LLIANCE THEATER
Movie Schedule
CAS: Morale Enhancing Programs and
Events for JFC HQ Brunssum Personnel
JFC Brunssum Car Wash – Tired of spending most of the
weekend trying to get your ride looking good. Then the automated
Karcher Car Wash at JFC Brunssum is what you were looking for.
Car Wash cards can be purchased in the CAS main office (Bldg
401) or in the JFC Brunssum Auto Hobby Shop (Bldg 402). Prices
range from only €2.50 for the Basic Wash, €4.00 for the “Almost”
Premium Wash and €5.00 for the Premium Wash with Hot Wax. For
more information, please call the JFC Community Activities Section
(CAS) at 0031-45-526-2626.
Wood Working Shop at the JFC Arts and Crafts Centre
Every Wednesday, from 1700 to 2100. All woodworkers will have to
complete a training session before use of the equipment is authorized
and a Master carpenter will be available for consultation. Call 003145-526-2454 for additional information and fees.
JFC’s “The Ultimate Happy Hour”! Every Friday, from 1600
to 1900, in the JFC Conference Center (Ouverbergstraat #1,
Brunssum). Regular bar service follows at 1900 to ???. ALL JFC,
NATO, USAG Schinnen, Geilenkirchen AB personnel, AFNORTH
International School teachers & their guests are welcome, so come
out for a night of music, dancing, beverages, camaraderie and fun!
For more information, please call the JFC Community Activities
Section (CAS) at 0031-45-526-2626.
Community
CAS
22
JFC Brunssum
Fri. 02 July / 19:30
Sat. 17 July / 16:00
Zoe Saldana, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Cate Blanchett, Russel Crowe
THE LOSERS
★★★★★
Sat. 03 July / 16:00
CLASH OF THE
TITANS
Sam Worthington
Pete Postleth-waite
★★★★★
Sat. 03 July / 19:00
DEATH AT A
FUNERAL
Chris Rock, Dann Glover
★★★★★
Fri. 09 July / 19:30
A NIGHTMARE ON
ELM STREET
Jackie Earle Haley, Rooney Mara
ROBIN HOOD
★★★★★
Sat. 17 July / 19:00
IRON MAN 2
Robert Downey Jr
Gwyneth Paltrow
★★★★★
Fri. 23 July / 19:30
MACGRUBER
Will Forte, Kristen Wig
★★★★★
Sat. 24 July / 16:00
JUST WRIGHT
Queen Latifah, Common
★★★★★
Sat. 24 July / 19:00
DATE NIGHT
★★★★★
Steve Carell, Tina Fey
DIARY OF A
WIMPY KID
Fri. 30 July / 19:30
Sat. 10 July / 16:00
Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron
★★★★★
Sat. 10 July / 19:00
FURRY
VENGEANCE
Brendan Fraser, Brooke Shields
★★★★★
Fri. 16 July / 19:30
A NIGHTMARE ON
ELM STREET
Jackie Earle Haley, Rooney Mara
★★★★★
IRON MAN 2
Robert Downey Jr
Gwyneth Paltrow
★★★★★
Sat. 31 July / 16:00
JUST WRIGHT
Queen Latifah, Common
★★★★★
Sat. 31 July / 19:00
ROBIN HOOD
Cate Blanchett, Russel Crowe
Community
Reopening June 8th
opened for the clients. In 20 minutes, the store
is completely full! The first 250 customers
get a surprise goodie bag. At 16.30 there is
a queue of 30 people at the cash register, a
complete success!
‘It was great to see the store so full with all
our clients, some of them also stayed for a
drink and we had a nice talk with them as
well. It was a great day, and I would like to
thank all customers that passed by on the
reopening day, as well as to the ones that were
very understanding with us during the hours
that we were closed for the last preparations,
’says Youri, Shop Manager B&S CENTRAL
STORE.
An investment of €300,000 has been made
by B&S for the store. ‘We are really satisfied
with how the store looks like; it is definitely
a worthy investment. The first reactions of
the clients have been really positive. I am
also glad to say that this is the beginning of
Mr. Cees Visser, Business Unit Director of B&S Paul Global and Major General Gioseppino Vaccino, JFC HQ a lot of new activities, promotions etc. For
Brunssum RD Director cut the red ribbon, officially opening the store
example Wednesday June 30th we drew lots
Red carpet, balloons, Champagne, great the introduction of the new Shop Manager, for two iPods and one DVD player among
the people who had subscribed to receive our
special offers, our esteemed clients and Youri Nieuwenhuijsen.
an enthusiastic team were the ingredients Major General Vaccino, acting Chief of Staff mailing. Congratulations to the winners! ’for the reopening of B&S CENTRAL of the JFC HQ community, also had some says Sjoerd van Hout, Retail Manager.
STORE June 8th.
warm words to say about the event, and
As announced last month, the complete together, they cut the red ribbon opening the Compliments to the whole team! The
reopening was an absolute success!
store has been under renewal. A total store officially.
makeover!
16.00 B&S CENTRAL STORE is officially
New name, new logo, interior design as
well as product presentation, assortment
and lighting.
The website www.bs-centralstore.com is
online since the day of the reopening, where
clients can get more information, keep track
of the offers and also subscribe to receive
them by email. If you would like to see
pictures of the opening you can find them on
the website.
Reopening
14.00 - Important suppliers begin to arrive:
JTI, Philip Morris, BAT, Bitburger and TMS
Amsterdam B.V. among others, as well as a
big team of the B&S headquarters crew.
14.20 - Mr. Cees Visser, Business Unit
Director of B&S Paul Global gives a speech,
with words of gratitude for the previous
Shop Manager, Ron Pettman, who has been
working at the store for 37 years, followed by
w w w. b s - c e n t r a l s t o r e . c o m
23
JFC Brunssum
JFC HQ Cycling Team Race from Did you know?
Brunssum to Selly Oak, Birmingham
By Ed Frieser, PAO
By OR-7 Claire MacCarron, Photo by SGT Sebastian Peschke
Joint Force Command Headquarters Brunssum cycling team.
A group of cyclists from the
Allied Joint Force Command
Headquarters (JFC HQ) Brunssum
completed a massive challenge.
The Seven riders and two support
staff, took part in a mammoth 400
miles charity bike ride lasting for
five days, covering the distance
between JFC HQ Brunssum, in the
Netherlands to Selly Oak Hospital
in Birmingham, the United
Kingdom. The team consisted of
a Tri-Service team and a civilian
dependant (RAF spouse).
At the start of the bike ride on Monday
14 June the UK SNR Group Capt
Ormerod said a few words to wish us
well on our trip to Selly Oak Hospital
(RCDM) on Friday 18 June.
The total team travelled the first two
days from Brunssum to the ferry port
in Dunkerque via Laarne in Belgium.
The first two days went well, extra miles
had to be added due to road closures
and two of the cyclists had small
accidents but nothing was to deter the
team. By the time the team had arrived
in Dunkerque they covered over 200
miles in 2 days, moral was good there
were just a few aches and pains.
Day 3 was to be the most difficult,
cycling on UK roads and ascending the
small hills around Dover and the Kent
region. Once arriving in London, the
dynamics changed again and the team
had to negotiate the Thames river.
Once the team arrived at Woodford
Green, they were able to re-charge
their batteries and take a well earned
Community
rest. The next day they could continue
refreshed onto Milton Keynes, before
the final 50 miles on Friday 18 June.
Day 4 consisted of over 70 miles
on some country lanes through the
English countryside, once again taking
well earned breaks along the way.
Whilst on the challenge British Forces
Broadcasting Service (BFBS) radio
called us everyday around the same
time for an update so people could
hear how we were progressing.
Day 5 was the most difficult for us
all as fatigue was starting to set in,
we stopped every 10 miles for short
breaks to recharge. As we got closer
to the end the adrenalin was starting
flow as the team knew we had to
get to the end as soon as we could.
Negotiating UK Drivers I think was
the most challenging for all of us, but
what a welcome sight when we saw
Sellyoak Hospital and a small group of
family and friends waiting for us. The
Challenge was complete, 400 miles in
5 days and all wearing lycra!!
The team raised over £5000 for
the charity event in aid of Selly
Oak Hospital Birmingham and the
Help 4 Heroes (H4H) charity. Selly
Oak Hospital is a military wing of
Birmingham University Hospital where
all injured soldiers, sailors and airmen
are repatriated from Afghanistan when
injured on operations.
Thanks everyone for there support
and making the challenge happen
The Team
24
JFC Brunssum
You undoubtedly noticed that on each first Monday
of the month you hear sirens. What exactly is this?
No need to panic when you hear this on the first
Monday at 1200 hrs. It is just a monthly test of
the nationwide warning and alarm system (WAS).
Just in case there is a real emergency the alarm
will sound several times. Now these alarm sirens
can be tested silently, but it was decided to test the
system with sound so you get used to the sound
of the alarm system. If you hear this siren on a
different day and time of the week then there is
something going on. These sirens should warn off
people when an emergency or major accident took
place, for instance a big fire releasing hazardous
pollution into the air. In that case you should first
of all go inside, secondly close doors and windows
and finally turn on your radio or TV. Sometimes
there are also emergencies where the alarm system
is not used. Then you are also advised to follow
the directions of the authorities. Don’t think
that when the sirens stop that the emergency is
over. This will be announced via Radio and TV
Channels and local authorities.
In the Netherlands there are more than 4000 of
these alarm sirens. So everyone in the Netherlands
should be able to hear these sirens. Within a radius
of 600 meters from one of those alarm poles
you should be able to hear the alarm sound. The
system is tested via the control room of the fire
brigade which can send a signal to these poles to
sound the alarm siren.
In 2010 the alarm system will be tested again on
the following dates:
5 July, 2 August, 6 September, 4 October, 1
November, and
6 December.
For more information you can pick up a flyer at
your town hall. You can also contact Post-box 51,
the national information service via telephone
number 0800-8051. Or look at the website www.
postbus51.nl
Where:
Place to visit:
Opening dates:
Opening hours:
Admission:
Parking:
Distance:
Web: address:
Telephone:
Address:
Heerlen, Netherlands
Nederlands Mijnmusem (Dutch Miningmuseum)
Open all year round
Monday to Friday 11.00-16.00, Saturday 11.00-14.00
Adults 4 Euros, kids 1 Euro
limited
7,5 km from JFC HQ Brunssum, approx. 15 minutes Food and drinks:
Cafes in surrounding area
www.nederlandsmijnmuseum.eu (in Dutch only)
045 5713707
Mijnmuseumpad 2, 6412 EX Heerlen
Netherlands Mine Museum Heerlen
Oranje Nassau 1 former Mineshaft Tower transferred into museum
Story By Ed Frieser, JFC HQ Brunssum PAO
Photos by CPO Roland Murof
It was once called the Black Gold. Charcoal
was taken out of the South-Limburg soil,
sometimes as deep as 1000 meters. These
mines belonged to the most modern mines
in Europe. However on 17 December 1965
the then Minister of Economic Affairs, the
late mr. Joop den Uyl, on behalf of the
Dutch Government, held his historic speech
in the Heerlen Theatre (Stadsschouwburg)
to announce the closure of the Limburg
coalmines. A day considered by many
Limburgers as a Black Day. The decision
to close the mines was unavoidable and
was taken as result of the vast reserves of
natural gas found in the northern province
of Groningen. The highly subsidized coal
mines produced coal at too high costs.
Following the Government’s decision
gradually all Limburg mines were closed.
The first mine that was closed was the
Maurits mine in Geleen in 1965. The last
coal that was brought to the surface on
31 December 1974 came from the Oranje
Nassau Mine 1 in Heerlen. Headquarters
AFCENT had already taken over the
Hendrik State Mine in 1966. An era of 75
years came to an end during which some
568.261.000 tons of charcoal was produced.
A period during which ten thousands of
miners contributed to the Dutch Economy,
sometimes even with their lives. Within a
relative short period some 70,000 miners
and civil servants became unemployed. An
economic disaster.
place to create a new living and working
environment. The former Eastern Mining
area as it was called and comprising cities
like Brunssum, Heerlen, Hoensbroek,
Kerkrade, en Landgraaf (formerly named
Schaesberg) gradually changed from a
black area into a green zone. The Eastern
Mining area is now called Parkstad Limburg
with many parks and ample space for new
industrial and business activities. Still in
some pockets and Brunssum is one of
them one can still feel the consequences of
the mine closure.
All this and many of the mining tools
are well displayed in the national Mine
Museum. Take your family and explore
Limburgs mine industry and visit the last
mine towers taken out of service. Learn
how coal was formed, and later taken out
of the ground. The museum is set up in the
former shaft tower of the Oranje Nassau
1 mine in Heerlen and officially opened on
17 December 2005 by the present Minister
of Economic Affairs Mrs Maria van der
Hoeven, a Limburger herself by birth.
Following a period of some 20 years,
Limburg underwent a drastic change
over. An investment of 120 million Euros
annually was needed to help Limburg
overcome the economic disaster. The
operation from black to green took
25
JFC Brunssum
We have made a special arrangement for
you to visit this museum displaying such an
important part of the Limburg history. A
special English speaking guide can be booked
for small groups on Wednesdays and Fridays.
But the museum is opened daily from 11.00
– 16.00 hrs, Saturdays from 11.00 – 14.00
hrs. Films are shown at 11.00 and 13.30 hrs.
A ticket will cost 4 Euros for an adult and 1
Euro for a child. We have been donated 5x2
tickets for a visit to the Mine Museum. If you
know the answer to the question: “What was
the name of the first mine to be closed in
Limburg and where was it located?” then
you make a chance to receive two tickets.
Win Tickets for the
Netherlands Mine Museum Heerlen
- What was the name of the first mine to be closed in Limburg and where was it located?
- Fill in this coupon and send it to PAO, or send an e-mail to [email protected], before 29 August 2010
- For NATO ID card holders only
- The winners will be announced in the next edition of the Northern Star
Division:
Full name:
Extension:
Circuit Zolder
The Northern Star congratulates the lucky
winners of the last contest.
- We have 5 x 2 tickets for the Mine Museum Heerlen
- In order to win the tickets, please answer the following question:
Answer:
Winners
5 x 2 tickets won by:
Scott Day, NCBS
Jonathan Webb, RD
Tsvelina Dermendzhieva, FMB
Miguel Luna Ortiz, CG
Stefan Weitenberg, OD
In addition we have drawn winners for the
cycling club membership of Circuit Zolder:
Chris Bongers, NCSA
Jerzy Wiatrowski, OD
Paul Rowland, LRB – ISAF Ops
M. Froehlich, OD
Chris Beaudoin, FMB
Book Review
Afghanistan: an apparently deserted
village, and a rapidly ticking clock...
The relentless Taliban ambush which
followed saw several British soldiers
dead, two armoured vehicles destroyed
- and Corporal of Horse Michael Flynn
awarded an MC to go alongside his
Conspicuous Gallantry Cross. Mick
Flynn has never backed away from a
challenge.
Bullet Magnet
By Mick Flynn
From his uncompromising South Wales
childhood - within a whisker, at one point,
of Cardiff Prison - to the streets of Belfast,
where he first learned the bitter realities
of armed conflict, he’s had no difficulty
finding and facing trouble. Whether on the
storm blasted Falklands cliff tops, where
he witnessed the Sir Galahad going down
in flames, or in the searing deserts of Iraq,
where he and his crew pinned down an
entire division of enemy tanks, he has
carried the attack with a coolness that has
earned him the respect of princes, generals
26
JFC Brunssum
and his fellow soldiers.
Mick Flynn has seen action in every major
British war zone of the past thirty years
and still serves with the legendary Blues
& Royals today. Bullet Magnet is his story
- the story of an extraordinary modern
warrior who mixes warmth and humour,
and at times heartbreaking poignancy, with
truly breathtaking fighting skills.
To his army comrades in Iraq he was
known as the Beast of Basra. Others,
noting the way that he always seems to be
at the centre of the action, call him Bullet
Magnet or Mad Mick. To Prince William,
who served with him in the Household
Cavalry, Mick Flynn is legendary.
Squadron Corporal-Major Mick Flynn is
Britain’s most highly decorated frontline
soldier. In a career that has spanned four
decades and taken him from Northern
Ireland to the Falklands, Bosnia, Iraq and
Afghanistan, he has experienced some of
the fiercest fighting and received two of
the highest possible awards for bravery.