Brunssum, The Netherlands – 19 January Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS) recently hosted Commanders of headquarters assigned to both NATO Response Force 21 (NRF21) and NRF22 to discuss NRF-related issues, as JFCBS is the stand-by command for NRF22.
The conference, on 18th and 19th February, was co-chaired by COM JFC Brunssum, General Jörg Vollmer, and DCOM JFC Naples, Lieutenant General Jocelyn Paul. It formally marked the hand-over/take-over of associated responsibilities amongst outgoing and incoming NRF Commanders as JFCBS at the tactical level, is supported by a number of component commanders drawn from NATO nations.
Many areas of importance were discussed and, amongst other issues, included the strategic outlook, lessons learned, the way forward and long-term conceptual developments. It also provided an opportunity to foster common understanding and addressed issues of mutual concern.
The conference also offered opportunities for personnel to directly engage with their counterparts and to better understand Commander JFCBS's intent, objectives and priorities in the upcoming stand-by period.
Closing the conference, General Vollmer, reinforced the importance of keeping up the high standards for NRF participation stressing that all troops participating in NRF 22 have successfully completed an arduous, six-month NATO exercise package in order to integrate and standardise the various national contingents. The recognized operational readiness of NRF22 is key to deliver deterrence and defence.

Of Note:
The NATO Response Force (NRF) was established in 2002 from the Berlin Plus Agreement as a high readiness force comprising of air, land, maritime and Special Forces units capable of rapid deployment.
It secures NATO's three core tasks; particularly collective defence, crisis management & peace support operations, plus disaster relief and the protection of critical infrastructure.
Two of NATO's three Joint Force Commands (based in Brunssum, the Netherlands, and Naples, Italy) exercise command and control over assigned forces within the NRF each year, on a rotational basis.