Brunssum, the Netherlands – today, Thursday 26 September, General Erhard Bühler (Commander JFC Brunssum) assembled his Staff in order to assess the achievements of the last months, outline his views for the next steps, and to welcome new arrivals following the summer rotation of military personnel. ‘Team spirit is the road to our success,’ the General stated as he commended the Staff for their proactivity, diligence and positive approach. He also seized the opportunity to invite those who have been here for some time to ensure recent joiners are assisted in quickly gaining the information they need to best bring their knowledge and experience to the table.
The Commander emphasised his finding that JFCBS enjoys the benefits delivered by the ‘3Cs’ i.e. a capable, competent and connected Staff working in harmony. He went on to state that, following an extensive situational awareness programme of in-house discussion and travel, he is now familiar with the depth of challenges JFCBS is confronted by and is confident he has built a stakeholder network that will be able to assist the HQs fulfil its tasks.
General Bühler laid out his key workstrands as follows:
a. Continued facilitation and support of NATO’s Resolute Support mission, in Afghanistan;
b. Strengthening command & control relations in Implementation Area North i.e. from Greenland in the north-west to Hungary in the south-east;
c. Synchronising NATO and National planning activities and exercises;
d. Safeguarding geographic coherence;
e. Improving NATO training and exercises;
f. Making best use of the upcoming Battle Staff Training for Exercise Trident Jupiter 19.1 (BST will be conducted in October 2019 whilst the exercise will be conducted in November 2019) and broader preparations for the HQs role as the standby command for NATO Response Force 2020;
g. Implementing a JFCBS Engagement Plan that includes aims, objectives and effects;
h. Refining JFCBS’ internal information exchange and workflow processes;
i. Emphasising the need for a balanced work/home life underpinning the necessity to ensure Staff reap the benefit of the wide range of Morale & Welfare activities available;
j. Sustained improvement of interactivity with the HQs’ host town of Brunssum and, more widely, Limburg Province.
In concluding his remarks the General underlined that he and his Deputy Commander, Lieutenant General Stuart Skeates, CBE, ‘share a common responsibility’ such that direction and guidance is always available to the Staff if/where clarification is required. Extremely well led by the Chief of Staff and his deputies the Commander closed by saying: ‘Our aim is now to exploit and, wherever possible, improve Staff competence utilising the excellent team spirit that exists throughout JFC Brunssum.