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“We have a direct connection with the highest key leaders of Poland and NATO to make things happen quickly.”
— Polish Col. Artur Bogowicz
By Capt. Scott Walters
3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
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Leaders from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, and Poland’s NATO Force Integration Unit (NFIU) discuss how to integrate the brigade’s training strategy as the rotational land force for Operation Atlantic Resolve with alliance objectives during an NFIU visit to the brigade’s headquarters at Zagan, Poland, March 15, 2017. (Photo by Capt. Scott Walters)
ZAGAN, Poland — Leaders from the NATO Force Integration Unit (NFIU) in Poland and 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, met March 15, 2017, to discuss how the NFIUs can help the U.S. heavy brigades rotating through Europe mesh training priorities and larger alliance objectives within the host nations they operate.
Visiting the “Iron” Brigade’s headquarters in Poland for the first time, Polish Col. Artur Bogowicz, NFIU Poland commander, explained how his organization helps facilitate the rapid deployment of allied forces to eastern Europe. Part of the brigade’s mission under Operation Atlantic Resolve is to demonstrate the ability to quickly respond to a crisis, which could mean moving across several NATO member or partner nations.
“We have a direct connection with the highest key leaders of Poland and NATO to make things happen quickly. We would help the ABCT determine where (it falls) into an overall defense plan in an Article 5 incident,” said Bogowicz.
Under Article 5, an attack against one ally is considered an attack against all allies, and thus NATO members would provide a collective defense. This fits into 3rd ABCT’s deterrence role under Operation Atlantic Resolve as part of U.S. Army Europe’s overall commitment to the collective defense and security in eastern Europe.
Since arriving in Europe in January, the brigade has made strides toward improved interoperability with land-force counterparts in the eight NATO countries its units are operating in. However, synchronizing priorities among multiple military and diplomatic organizations often requires a centralized voice.
“That’s where the NFIUs help,” said Maj. Jon Anderson, operations officer, 3rd ABCT. “They can provide a balance across all the warfighting functions toward operations, and can provide continuity from one Atlantic Resolve rotation to the next. They’re in essence an extension of NATO or an embassy for us, providing inroads to nations as we move to and from countries in eastern and central Europe. They can provide the high-level conversation needed to minimize roadblocks.”
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Maj. Jon Anderson, left, operations officer, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, leads a tour of the brigade command post in Zagan, Poland, during a March 15 2017, visit by NATO Force Integration Unit Poland leaders. (Photo by Capt. Scott Walters)
While visiting Zagan, NFIU Poland leaders looked at the Iron Brigade’s training plan for the duration of the heavy brigade’s Atlantic Resolve rotation. This includes moving the majority of the brigade from Poland to Germany at the end of March for participation in the multinational exercise Combined Resolve VIII, as well as future moves to Romania and back to Germany for similar exercises.
“It’s important for us to know where units are so we can help plan space for all and bridge infrastructure gaps,” said British Royal Navy Lt. Cmdr. William Inglis, an NFIU Poland planner.
“Anything that needs to be planned and synchronized with host nations we do because we are multinational and one NFIU is linked to another to synch efforts across borders.”
Besides Poland, NATO has established NFIUs in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia since 2015.
“The NFIUs will help us speak the same language as our host-nation allies in terms of interoperability, whether it’s linking communications platforms, sharing information, easing our freedom of movement or developing unified training plans,” said Anderson. “They’re a great asset in a complex operating environment.”