Steadfast Jupiter certifies next NATO response force | Article

STAVANGER, Norway — U.S. soldiers assigned to five NATO units participated in Exercise Steadfast Jupiter 2022 at the Joint Warfare Center from October 11-21.

Approximately 40 soldiers serving in the German-Netherlands 1st Corps from Muenster, Germany, Joint Force Command Brunssum from the Netherlands, NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance Force from Sigonella, Italy, Allied Land Command of Izmir, Turkey, and the Joint Warfare Center worked with approximately 650 military and civilian personnel from 27 NATO and Partner nations.

The tactical level of the exercise was designed to train and evaluate the German-Netherlands 1st Corps to serve as the NATO Response Force in 2023.

“Steadfast Jupiter is a strategic, operational and tactical level computer-based command post exercise that is used to train and validate the NATO Response Force throughout its training progression,” said Captain of U.S. Army Sean Eadie, JFC Brunssum.

During the exercise, Eadie worked in the upper control cell. The HICON RC is part of the exercise control acting as the higher headquarters of the training unit.

“As the targeting officer of Joint Force Command Brunssum in the Netherlands, our responsibility is to ensure that the NATO Response Force has its tactics and procedures in place so that it can request resources joint as needed, and we can deliver those effects in a timely manner,” Eadie said.

Captain Dylan Hendy is also posted to JFC Brunssum and worked in the HICON Response Cell as a combat captain.

“This exercise specifically gives our unit a chance to understand our subordinate element,” Hendy said. “As JFC, we see our Land Component Command, Maritime Component Command and Air Component Command in action through a computer-automated exercise, practicing our staff procedures, allowing us to prepare for the demands and commitments of the NATO Response Force we have manufactured.”

The Joint Warfare Center is leading the exercise and providing advisors for the training public.

“I think this training is important for the German-Netherlands 1st Corps because it certifies them as a NATO response force for the year ahead,” said US Army Lt. Col. Aaron Morris, JWC, Strategic Communications and Information Operations Advisor. “It’s their chance to make sure their head office systems and processes are functional and fit for purpose, and also gives them the computer simulation experience to emphasize those systems and processes to ensure that they are ready to take command and ready to execute operations if called upon by NATO.

“Many of these headquarters, like any other military unit, have frequent personnel rotations.

“For some of the new people, it’s their first chance to really work in a stressful environment with their new colleagues.

“It also allows NATO to augment this headquarters with other personnel outside of 1st CNG, other NATO organizations or other NATO member states. This allows people to be more exposed to NATO operations and how NATO plans to fight.

The JWC commander, Polish Army Major General Piotr Malinowski, said the exercise is designed to increase NATO’s ability to respond to any eventuality.

“With this exercise, the Joint Warfare Center is focusing exclusively on the tactical level in a very realistic training environment where we can train multiple capabilities simultaneously.

“I consider this training invaluable to participating commands and components. It’s about improving our interoperability and readiness.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Arthur McGrue III served as branch leader of the JWC Advisory Team during the exercise.

“Steadfast Jupiter is important to U.S. national security because it allows the various command structures and force structures to come together and conduct a computer-assisted exercise to see how well the alliance would prepare against adversaries of alliance,” McGrue said. “The various headquarters participating in the exercise have the opportunity to work through their processes and those processes include analyzing how we would conduct the fight in multiple domains to include space, cyber, land, etc. ., and how they might to synchronize and integrate these different pieces so that we can be successful on the battlefield in terms of the decisions that are made.

Morris added that the exercise doesn’t just benefit the training audience.

“I think a lot of benefits are gained for the participants and a lot is gained for us here at JWC as well, as we can ensure that the doctrine is applied appropriately and some of the recurring challenges that we see throughout our exercises,” Morris said. “We see different ways of approaching these challenges and finding ways to spread this knowledge across the force to make NATO stronger and more capable.

“This exercise is important to the United States because NATO is a critical aspect of our national security.

“I think over the years we have had quite a long period of peace and stability.

“The current situation shows us the importance of NATO, and I think the investment that the United States is making in NATO is very worthwhile because of the common values ​​that we share, and that is what that we defend.

“Exercises like Steadfast Jupiter demonstrate that America is a trustworthy ally to defend the alliance and to help protect the values ​​we have agreed to uphold.”

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Warneke, who worked in the EXCON Air Response Cell, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, appreciated the opportunity to work with a multinational team.

“This exercise was a wonderful time for me to get to know all of the coalition partners,” said Warneke, NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance Force. “We had a lot of different nationalities working together.

“In our cell alone, we had five different nationalities. We had Spaniards, Norwegians, Dutch. I was the only American who made it quite entertaining.

“I was also the only English speaker until the British arrived.

“The best part of this exercise for me was the interaction between all the coalition partners and how we were able to coordinate everything and provide the training audience with a valuable experience.

“The United States has certain ways of doing things and when you are taught them over and over again with all the training we do, and then you are thrown into a multinational, multi-echelon, multi-domain environment, you have to challenge to not just do it your way.

“We had to find the ways that worked best for the whole situation. Each country brings its own flavor to it, then merges it to make it work within the larger NATO framework.

U.S. Army Maj. Walter Biner, worked as a G33 for 1st CNG, during the exercise. A G33 conducts routine operations on an army staff.

“Steadfast Jupiter is important because it is our certification exercise to be NATO’s response force,” Biner said. “The best part of this exercise was seeing our multinational partners come together to create a credible fighting force.

“The growth we’ve had as a team during our time here has been impressive, and I’m honestly honored to be part of this great team.

“They’re a great team, and I would go to war with them any day. And I don’t say that lightly.

“They are great partners, and I look forward to working with them during the rest of my time at 1GNC.”

The mission of the U.S. Army NATO Brigade is to provide ready and resilient soldiers to the NATO alliance by ensuring that U.S. Army soldiers and their families assigned to cantonments in the NATO receive the support they need to thrive in a variety of environments at 81 locations in 22 countries across Europe. .