Members of the CIMIC Battalion take part in an exercise of civilian-military cooperation in Germany

Soldiers from different countries during the exercise (Photo: BCIMIC I)

The fog accompanied the soldiers in Germany (Photo: BCIMIC I)

The 1st Civilian Affairs Battalion has again participated in the most important multinational exercise devoted exclusively to civilian-military cooperation. The NATO-wide exercise took place at the Bundeswehr CIMIC Competence Center in Nienburg (Germany) from 26 October to 6 November.

The scenario for the activities was the same developed for the exercise Trident Juncture: Two countries engaged in a conflict in which one is occupying part of the territory of the other with the involvement of both conventional forces and terrorist groups.

CIMIC personnel took part in the mission launched by the Alliance to support stabilization in that fictional country. All in all, it involved nearly 300 soldiers from 13 countries (Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and the US), as well as different civilian authorities and bodies playing the role of civilian actors.

The eight Spaniards who took part in the exercise were distributed between the Assessment Team, communication with HQ, the Liaison and Reconnaissance Teams and the CIMIC Center. They lived and worked alongside soldiers from the other countries, exchanging experiences and techniques.

The duties of the 1st CIMIC Battalion include promoting activities to encourage support for missions through cooperation and coordination between force command and the civilian institutions of the area where the force has been deployed.