JSECJoint Support and Enabling Command – Paving the Way in NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization

JSECJoint Support and Enabling Command prepares plans for different situations and coordinates the support provided by NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization forces to ensure that multinational forces in Europe can be moved quickly and safely to their destination in the event of an Article 5 contingency. 

There are three operational-level commands in the NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization command structure. Known as Joint Force Commands (JFCJoint Force Command), they comprise JFCJoint Force Command Brunssum in the Netherlands, JFCJoint Force Command Naples in Italy and JFCJoint Force Command Norfolk on the east coast of the United States. They are responsible for Alliance defence in different regions. JSECJoint Support and Enabling Command ensures that the military capabilities provided by NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization countries are available in the respective employment areas in sufficient time to provide the operational headquarters with the best possible support. In cases where several nations wish to take the same route across European Alliance territory at the same time, JSECJoint Support and Enabling Command will prioritise and decide in accordance with military requirements. Such decisions are based on NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization defence planning.

Due to its central geographical location in Europe, Germany’s role is of great importance. While soldiers are generally deployed to their employment area by aircraft, battle tanks, armoured infantry fighting vehicles (AIFV), command vehicles, transport vehicles, and other equipment and materiel containers are mainly transported by ship or rail. If at all possible, commanders try to avoid road movements over long distances due to the considerable strain on both personnel and materiel. Should rail or waterborne transport capacities prove insufficient, however, movements by road will often be the last remaining option for taking troops to their theatre of operations. In this capacity, Germany acts as a central hub for allied forces through which both materiel and troops can be distributed to their final destination, e.g. NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization’s eastern flank.

Germany’s central location in Europe is essential for JSECJoint Support and Enabling Command. In an Article 5 contingency, up to 800,000 soldiers from NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization forces and their weapon systems and materiel have to be transported to NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization’s external borders within 180 days, and provided with supplies while transiting through Germany. JSECJoint Support and Enabling Command coordinates all movements of troops and materiel in and across Germany with the Bundeswehr Joint Force Command (BwJFCBundeswehr Joint Force Command), which serves as JSECJoint Support and Enabling Command’s point of contact in Germany. In case of an emergency at NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization’s eastern flank, however, this is not enough. Since JSECJoint Support and Enabling Command’s responsibility extends throughout Europe, it does not only coordinate troop movements with the BwJFCBundeswehr Joint Force Command in Germany, but also with all other competent commands in the respective European countries – a huge planning task for JSECJoint Support and Enabling Command.