The world is slowly returning to a familiar state of affairs following the last three years of COVID-related challenges. Or so it seemed until 24 February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, continuing its war of conquest. It is imperative that we ensure that we are individually, and collectively, ready to move the moment we are called upon. The time has come for us to regain the initiative and be prepared for the eventuality that a potential foe could attempt to invade NATO member's territories.

Commanders at all levels are preparing their formations to take us back to the level of interoperability, preparedness and readiness required to successfully deter, and should the need arise, defend and defeat any invaders. In this issue of the Baltic Amber, you will have the opportunity to familiarize yourself with a variety of strategic and operational topics. Our ability to deter our enemies relies on the readiness NATO has displayed since its inception.

Readiness needs to be achieved and maintained on all levels.

Administratively, we must ensure that our soldiers have all their affairs in order to avoid unnecessary distractions during deployment. Our soldiers must be able to concentrate on the task at hand to have the best chance of mission success.

Equipment must be maintained and inspected to ensure serviceability and effectiveness. Peacetime is the time to stress-test our equipment through daily training events. We need to stay familiar with our gear and ensure it is properly maintained.

The professional development of the soldiers is in need of improvement after three years of restrictions. Our soldiers need to be given the opportunity to develop their leadership skills through formal training and field exercise deployment. They also need to develop their professional skills through their nations' military institutions. We have a mandate to make up three years' worth of NCO development, and we cannot afford to lose any time. I was extremely pleased to visit training events held at both Multinational Division North and Northeast as well as the Command Support Brigade: the work being done there is what we need to be doing. We must continue and build on this effort until our troops are ready to face any challenge they might have in front of them or mission they might be called upon for.

NEVER MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN!

Take every opportunity to learn how your multinational counterparts operate. They will be on your left and right flank, and you need to know what you can expect from them and how they intend on delivering it. On the flip side, they will need to know the same from you. Battles are fought and won by soldiers and many if not most of them are at the NCO level. The Russia-Ukraine war shows us how a good understanding of mission command at the lowest level is a game changer against a mighty foe such as Russia.

In the meantime, it is our jobs as NCOs to ensure all our soldiers are physically and mentally ready to respond if the call to defend NATO member's sovereignty comes our way. We must get our soldiers back to the level they were at before the pandemic. Physical training must be at the forefront of what we do, it is our duty to grab the bull by the horns and train daily with them. Physical fitness plays a large part in creating mental toughness, and mental resilience will be required in the future to create a force capable of answering the call and deal with the stress of combat.

To conclude, the undesired break is over, it is time to get back in the saddle, and I have full confidence in the NCO Corps of MNC NE to be the leaders of their teams and ensure our soldiers are ready if and when we are called upon.

One Mission,
One AOO,
One Plan,
One Team!