NATO exercise conducted throughout Europe

[unhappycamper]

NATO exercise conducted throughout Europe
By Lisa M. Novak, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Saturday, December 15, 2007

NAPLES, Italy — With tensions on the rise between the nations of Vastate, Magland and Laprep on the island of Mada, off the west coast of Africa, NATO forces have responded to the crisis.

If you don’t recognize the names of the countries, it’s because they don’t exist. The scenario is part of NATO exercise Steadfast Jaw, which concluded this week. The computer-based exercise, conducted in Italy, Turkey and Germany, involved some 2,500 staff member from all 26 NATO nations.

During the exercise, various components of the staff were tested with situations including ethnic cleansing, human trafficking, deteriorating security on the ground, targeting of alliance troops and humanitarian relief for displaced citizens.

The exercise was meant to certify the land and maritime component of the NATO Reaction Force. That involved a shift from a “deployable joint task force” to a “combined joint task force.” The difference between the two deals with the time-frame for movement and the number of troops involved.

A deployable task force consists of 12,000 troops required to move within five days of notification, whereas a combined joint task force consists of 30,000 troops required to move within 30 days.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=50997