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SZCZECIN, Poland - With completion of STEADFAST JUPITER 21 (STJU21) on October 28, Headquarters Multinational Corps Northeast (HQ MNC NE) confirmed its capability to operate as the only Regional Land Component Command in the NATO Force Structure, and shall continue to fulfill its mission across the Alliance's Baltic region. During NATO's largest command post exercise of 2021, HQ MNC NE was systematically evaluated and met the stringent criteria set by Allied Land Command on behalf of NATO.

The exercise took place in multiple locations across NATO, including Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands and the Corps Headquarters in Poland. Directed by the Stavanger-based Joint Warfare Centre (JWC), STJU21 was designed to train and evaluate HQ MNC NE, using a fictitious yet highly realistic deterrence scenario. "We provide a guidance and set the scene in order to support the Headquarters in achieving their training objectives," said LTC Jens Janis representing the JWC Exercise Control (EXCON) on the base in Szczecin, Poland. Standing at the hub of STJU21, the EXCON organization ensured that the exercise run according to the pre-planned Main Events list/Main Incidents list.

On the part of HQ MNC NE, STJU21 saw 600 personnel involved. In a challenging game play, the Corps Command worked closely with its subordinate units to carry out the assigned deterrence tasks in an area resembling the Baltic region. At the heart of these processes was the MNC NE Joint Operations Center (JOC):

If you had a car, this would be the engine, BG David Womack, Deputy Chief of Staff Operations MNC NE explained.

The JOC role was to integrate the activities of the staff as well as to monitor, assess and plan functions for the Corps Commander.

BG David Womack, DCOS OPS MNC NE, at the MNC NE Joint Operations Center during STJU21 / Photo by CPL Lisa Engler

A U.S. service member engages in Public Affair activities during STJU21 at the MNC NE Headquarters / Photo by CPL Lisa Engler

A German and a Polish service member during STJU21 at the MNC NE Headquarters / Photo by CPL Lisa Engler 

An evaluation team from LANDCOM during STJU21 at the MNC NE Headquarters / Photo by Lisa Engler

With a complex scenario and incidents similar to what could be expected in the event of an actual real-world crisis or conflict, the MNC NE Headquarters considered a variety of inputs while working towards effective solutions to operational dilemmas. STJU21 saw the Corps personnel applying their skills across the whole spectrum of land-based operations — from hybrid threats to real combat capabilities. Additionally, it tested the ability of the MNC NE Command to consider, engage and strategize as to how they would manage the information and media environment.

For HQ MNC NE and its subordinate formations, including two multinational divisions (North East and North), STJU21 was the culmination of over year-long preparations supervised by Allied Land Command (LANDCOM). "The evaluation process was pretty nuanced," MAJ Billy Blue from the LANDCOM evaluation team said, "We had detailed guidance that referenced what we needed to check about how this organization is interoperable with the rest of the Alliance." The primary purpose of the Combat Readiness Evaluation (CREVAL) test was to validate the capabilities of the Corps Headquarters to perform its mission as NATO's Regional Land Component Command and to identify areas requiring improvement. Secondarily, CREVAL provided the MNC NE Commander, LTG Sławomir Wojciechowski, with recommendations and feedback on how to best develop the Command and the Corps in its entirety:

Our procedures and standards have been tested, and they have proved their value. We have a solid foundation from where we can further improve. We have shown the CREVAL team, our superior and adjacent commands and — not least — our region that we are capable of performing our role effectively and reliably, LTG Wojciechowski stated.

LTG Richard Cripwell, DCOM LANDCOM (left) signs the CREVAL report in the presence of LTG Sławomir Wojciechowski, COM MNC NE (right) / Photo by Lisa Engler

LTG Sławomir Wojciechowski, Commander MNC NE, answers media questions at the MNC NE Headquarters during STJU21 / Photo by CPL Lisa Engler

Among other training objectives, STJU21 served to evaluate the NATO Response Force 2022 (NRF22) under the lead of Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS), as well as several other NATO entities. Altogether, this largest command post exercise of 2021 involved approximately 5,000 participants from 26 NATO and two partner countries, Finland and Sweden.