Exercise Collaborative Effort II

Exercise Collaborative Effort has gathered expertise from Europe, the US and Canada reemphasizing the value of collaboration and experience sharing.
The most represented organization in the Exercise is the Multinational Corps North East. LTC T.Tesch (DAN) and Maj. M.Fogt (DAN) are acting in the roles of Land Component representatives to the JOPGs; Maj. M.Karzmaryk (POL) is supporting the exercise participants with his Air Force Expertise.
Referring to the exercise from the Land Component perspective, LTC T.Tesch emphasized: “Concerning the exercise itself, I do think that the BALTDEFCOL is on the right track. The complexity of the scenario and Strategic Planning Directives created a very realistic exercise”.

LTC T.Tesch

Every exercise in the Baltic Defence College is supported by the Canadian Forces College (CFC). This time CFC has supported BALTDEFCOL with Air Component expertise. Lieutenant-Colonel Andy Torrance, Head of the Department of Exercise and Simulation, shared his experiences during the exercise from the operations in Falklands, the Balkans, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan.

LTC Andy Torrance

The multinational environment creates an excellent opportunity for language development. Head of the Foreign Languages Section at the Swedish National Defence College, Ms. Ingrida Leimanis, joined the exercise in order to support the Exercise participants in improving their English language skills. During the Exercise Viking 2011 (SWE) BALTDEFCOL Directing Staff members noticed her involvement and the very positive way of participation. Due to her contributions and promotion of English language teaching in Latvia, she is known among the language teaching/testing society in the Baltic States.

Ms. Ingrida Leimanis

In order to understand the complexity of the operational environment in Peace Support Operations, Joint Operational Planning Groups were supported by an embedded UN planner. This time the role was taken by Mr. C. Royce – UN Civil Military Coordination Officer with impressive military and UN experience. “I applaud the College’s inclusion of UN IO/NGO representatives for this training. Too often military units do mission planning behind closed doors and only after their arrival in-country they are exposed to the expectations, concerns and operational procedures of the civilian community. BALTDEFCOL’s inclusion of an SME for this area is unique and has yielded very positive results for the training audience”.

RADM Mark C. Montgomery, BrigGen M.Kiili and Mr. C. Royce

Collaborative Effort II 2012 has become the most visited exercise in BALTDEFCOL history. Exercise Collaborative Effort can be announced as the most visited exercise in BALTDEFCOL’s history. During the exercise, planners of the Joint Operational Planning Teams briefed five delegations including Swedish ambassadors, a delegation from Führungsakademie General Staff Course, the US Ambassador Michael C. Polt, RADM Mark C. Montgomery and the delegation from military institutions around the Baltic Sea.

Chairmen of the Joint Operational Planning Group Y, LTC Mindaugas Petkevicius (LIT-A), is briefing the Swedish ambassadors

LTC Magnus Lundgren – Swedish Defence Attaché in Latvia had a chance to share his impressions regarding the exercise with Cpt. J. Frenzen – Intelligence Subject Matter Expert from the Swedish Armed Forces Intelligence and Security Centre.

Maj. Darcy James Wright (CAN) and Maj. I. Bubuce (LAT) are discussing the Exercise scenario and challenges with officers from the Führungsakademie General Staff Course.

JOPG planners had a chance to practice their presentation skills by providing a situation update to the U.S. European Command’s Deputy Director J5, RADM Mark C. Montgomery.