By CPO Roland Murof (JFC HQ Brunssum PAO)
From January onward, NATO Allied Joint Force Command (JFC) Brunssum will be in charge of NATO Response Force (NRF) 2012 with a new rotational period, lasting 12 months.
The NRF provides a mechanism to generate a high readiness and technologically advanced force package made up of land, air, sea and special force components that can be deployed quickly on operations wherever needed.
From this year on, the operational command of the NRF alternates between NATO's Joint Force Commands Brunssum, the Netherlands and Naples, Italy.
Participation in the NRF is preceded by a NATO exercise programme to integrate and standardise the various national contingents. For the NRF 2012 JFC Brunssum was certified at Steadfast Juncture 2011 exercise hosted from 1 to 12 November 2011 in Pabrade Training Area, Lithuania.
NATO Heads of State and Government approved the establishment of the NRF at the 2002 Prague Summit. The NRF was inaugurated at JFC HQ Brunssum 15 October 2003. The revised NRF construct was introduced in 2008, aiming to improve the NATO Command Structure by increasing its flexibility and mobility.
JFC Brunssum, the Netherlands is one of three NATO operational level commands in NATO Allied Command Operations (ACO) and serves as the higher headquarters for ISAF in Afghanistan, with ISAF as a primary mission and NATO Article 5 Operational Planning, Baltic Air Policing, Military Cooperation and NATO Response Force (NRF) among other major activities.
NRF 2012 component commands: