The Functional Staff of the Host Nation Support Coordination Joint Command obtains certification for Trident Juncture

Full Operational Capability has been certified (Photo: FLO)

The French and Italian liaison officers (Photo: FLO)

The Polish convoy arrives in “San Gregorio” (Photo: BRILOG)

The Functional Staff of the Host Nation Support Coordination Joint Command, known as EMF HNSC, has completed its training plan with the exercise Final Support at the “Atocha” base (A Coruña) from 15 to 18 September. Now that its Full Operational Capacity has been certified, EMF HNSC is ready to provide the support necessary for the development of the NATO tactical exercise Trident Juncture.

In fact, the unit has been permanently activated with the arrival of advanced elements from some of the participants in the exercise, which has required initiating the support Spain must provide as one of the Trident Juncture host nations. The exercise, which will unfold in October and November in Spain, Portugal and Italy, will put to the test and improve the operational capability of NATO’s new Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF).

The Final Support exercise was led by the HQ of the Operational Logistic Force (FLO by its Spanish acronym). Participants included the Logistic Brigade, the Medical Brigade and other Army, Navy, Air Force and Civil Guard units. The liaison officers from France and Italy, Colonel Calvez and Lieutenant Colonel Canizzaro, visited FLO HQ at the “Atocha” base on 16 and 17 September and were able to witness first-hand the work carried out by the different EMF HNSC cells.

The first to arrive

The first advanced element to be deployed at the “San Gregorio” training centre (CENAD), which will host the Trident Juncture exercise in Spanish soil, was the Polish army; its first soldiers arrived in the Zaragoza Air Base on 19 September. They were transported to CENAD by the Host Nation Support Cell.

The same day in the afternoon saw the arrival of the Polish National Logistic Support Element in a road convoy which from the French border was escorted by the Civil Guard. The deployment continued the next day with the landing in Zaragoza of a new flight, this time carrying vehicles. On 21 September a third flight brought just over 50 soldiers.

They were all housed in the “María Cristina” living area of the CENAD. The 41st Logistic Support Group has been charged with providing them the logistic support they require until the end of the exercise – in addition to any support that might be offered by CENAD.