Brunssum, the Netherlands – On 25 June 2020
Headquarters Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS) hosted the second NATO
Security Force Assistance (SFA) round-table with the participation of
representatives from NATO Headquarters in Brussels (BEL), Joint Force Command (JFCNP) and NATO Strategic Direction South (NSD-S) Hub in Naples, NATO Rapid Deployable Corps-Italy, Greece, Turkey
(NRDC-ITA,-GRE, -TUR), Multi-National CIMIC Group Headquarters (MNCG HQ) in
Motta di Livenza (ITA), Joint Center for International Security Force
Assistance (JCISFA) in Fort Leavenworth (USA), Post conflict Operations Study
Centre (PCOSC) in Turin (ITA), NATO SFA Centre of Excellence (COE) in Cesano
(ITA), NATO Stability Policing (SP) COE and COE for Stability
Police Units (CoESPU) in Vicenza (ITA), Combined Security Transition Command
– Afghanistan (CSTC-A) in Kabul (AFG), EUROCORPS in Strasbourg (FRA), a
representative of EUCAP (European Union Capacity Building Mission in Somalia)
Somalia, 3rd Battalion – 353 Regiment – SFA Operations Group from the Joint
Readiness Training Center (JRTC) in Fort Polk (USA), Maritime Command in Northwood
(GBR), Spanish Navy High Readiness Forces (Maritime) Headquarters (SPMARFOR
HQ), Polish Special Operations Command (POL SO COM) in Cracow, and several
JFCBS Divisions.
The round-table was organized by the Doctrine and Lessons
Learned Branch of JFCBS Training & Exercises Division (J7), and supported
by the NATO SFA COE. Major General Cornelis Matthijssen, Deputy Chief of
Staff of Plans Directorate, welcomed the attendees and underlined the
importance of SFA as an integral element of many ongoing missions. The event
was chaired by Captain (Navy) Loic Michel, Doctrine and Lessons Learned Branch
Head (DLL BH), and co-chaired by the NATO SFA COE Director, Col Massimo Di
Pietro.
The
purpose of this SFA round table was to enhance the understanding on SFA activities
in the framework of NATO Projecting Stability, and to improve the SFA
interaction among the strategical, operational and tactical levels.
The
exchanges were intense and fruitful: the richness of the multicultural and
multinational panel of the audience brought their unique contribution, thanks
to their diverse experiences in the field. Furthermore, this SFA
roundtable helped to expand the SFA community regardless of the COVID-19
limitations, and gave the participants a unique opportunity to discuss common
topics related to SFA, like operations, standardization, training,
civil-military interaction, and educational activities.