280: NATO Commands badges
Denmark NATO badges
Multinational Corps Northeast
Multinational Corps North East |
|
Active |
18 September 1999 – present |
Country |
Germany, Poland, Denmark |
HQ |
Szczecin, Poland |
Commanders |
|
Corps Commander |
Major General Bogusław Samol (PL)[1][2] |
Deputy Corps Commander |
Major General Agner Rokos (DK) |
Chief of Staff |
Brigadier General Lutz Niemann (DE) |
Multinational Corps Northeast was formed on 18 September 1999 at Szczecin, Poland, which became its headquarters. It evolved from what was for many years the only multinational corps in NATO, Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland (LANDJUT) (in its turn, a part of Allied Forces Northern Europe). From 1962 LANDJUT had been responsible for the defence of the Baltic Approaches from a headquarters at Rendsburg, Germany. It comprised the 6th Panzergrenadier Division and the Danish Jutland Division.
A tri-national working group was established following the July 1997 decision that Poland was to be admitted to NATO with the aim of establishing the corps as part of NATO’s Main Defence Forces. Its missions are three-fold: to participate in the collective defence of NATO territory, under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, to contribute to multinational crisis management including peace support operations, and to provide command and control for humanitarian, rescue, and disaster relief operations.
Though it is a NATO-affiliated formation, the Corps Convention is a trilateral agreement between the three nations. The positions of commander, deputy commander, and chief of staff rotate between the three nations. For common purposes of practice and training the corps was assigned to Joint Sub-Regional Command Northeast (JSRC NE), at Karup, Denmark. For Article 5 common defence purposes, the Corps was to have been assigned either to JSRC NE or the JSRC Centre at Heidelberg, Germany. Following the latest reorganisation, it might report if designated for operations in Central Europe to Force Command Heidelberg. The 14th Panzergrenadier Division of the German Army used to be part of the Corps, but disbanded at the end of 2008.
Due to its geographical location, the only NATO HQ East of the former Iron Curtain, Multinational Corps North East has a key function in the integration of new NATO member states. This is reflected in the structure of its personnel. Officers and NCO’s from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia are serving at Multinational Corps North East. Furthermore, members of the United States Armed Forces are also attached to the corps.
From January to August 2007 a considerable number of personnel from Multinational Corps Northeast were put at the disposal of ISAF‘s headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan.[3]
Affiliated Forces
Danish Division (HQ Haderslev) The organisation from 1997-2005 Mechanised Division
- 3d Signal Battalion (support and run Division HQ)
- Three Mechanised Brigades
- 1st Jyske Bde
- 3d Jyske Bde
- 1st Sjællandske Bde
- Armor Battalion
- Reconnaissance Battalion
- Anti-tank helicopter Company
- Patrol Coy (Long range/light recce)
- Division Artillery
- HQ&Target-Acquisition Battery
- Three Artillery Battalions
- Rocket-launch Battery
- 14th Anti-aircraft missile battalion
- 3d Engineering Battalion
- 3d Electronic Warfare Company
- 3d Logistic Support battalion
- Transport Company
- 3d Military Police Company
12th Mechanised Division (HQ Szczecin)
- 12th Command Battalion (Szczecin)
- 6th Armoured Cavalry Brigade (Stargard Szczecinski)
- 12th Mechanised Brigade, (Szczecin)
- 36th Mechanised Brigade (Trzebiatow)
- 2d Diverse Artillery Regiment, (Szczecin)
- 2d Sapper Battalion (Stargard Szczecinski)
- 3d Anti-aircraft Regiment, (Szczecin)
- 12th Reconnaissance Battalion, (Szczecin)
- 610th Signal Battalion “Holstein” (German) in Prenzlau