COM JFC Brunssum Meets with German Chief of Defense

8 September; Commander JFC Brunssum, General Salvatore Farina, visited the German Chief of Defence (CHOD), General Volker Wieker, in Berlin. During a busy programme - that included a separate meeting with the German Vice Chief of Defence, Lieutenant General Markus Kneip - General Farina focused on NATO’s international commitments involving German Armed Forces. Germany’s contribution to NATO’s Resolute Support Mission (RSM) and ongoing support to exercises in JFC Brunssum’s area of responsibility were amongst a number of issues touched upon.

Of particular note, General Farina articulated his personal impressions of the RSM following a recent trip to the Resolute Support Headquarters in Afghanistan; in doing so, as the RSM Out-of-Theatre Commander, he thanked the German CHOD for his nation’s sustained, significant and highly valued contribution to that mission.

During his visit General Farina also met the Director General of Strategy and Operations of the German Ministry of Defence, Lieutenant General Dieter Warnecke, with whom he exchanged views on: future RSM developments; NATO’s Readiness Action Plan; and the enhanced Forward Presence of the four battalion-sized units to be deployed by NATO in the Baltic states and Poland, with Germany acting as the framework nation for the battalion in Lithuania.

On completion of his visit to the German Ministry of Defence, General Farina took the opportunity to meet with the Italian Ambassador to Germany, His Excellency Mr. Pietro Benassi, whilst he was in Berlin.