EUMAM UA: Staff training – How a decision becomes an order

Military command and control and decision-making processes require a comprehensive picture of the situation and a structured approach. During brigade staff training, Ukrainian service personnel are familiarised with NATO’s decision-making process and practise the planning of different types of operations.

Brigade staff training is all about operational planning, communication and decision making. Combat imposes challenging demands on military superiors. The latter lead the men and women under their command in a dynamic and complex environment, characterised by constantly changing situations and numerous influencing factors. A systematic and structured approach helps to make the right decisions as quickly as possible – even under pressure. For this reason, the European training mission EUMAM UA familiarises Ukrainian command personnel with NATO’s decision-making process, among other things.

The decision-making process is a targeted and systematic process of thinking and acting. It allows military leaders to plan future operations and conduct ongoing operations or battles when pressed for time. The staff training of Ukrainian service personnel is not only based on theoretical knowledge but also on practical exercises. A simulation is used to review the results.

As part of the EU training mission EUMAM UA, the Bundeswehr conducts tactical exercises for brigade staffs and the subordinate battalion staffs, among other things.

About the training mission: EUMAM UA is part of the support package for Ukraine for its fight against the Russian aggression. The task is to train Ukrainian armed forces to strengthen the country’s defence capability and sustainability. EUMAM UA was decided by the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 17 October 2022. It is the first training mission on European soil. The 24 European participating nations are planning to provide initial and follow-on training for approximately 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers by the end of 2024.