Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum

Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS) is a NATO command with its headquarters at Brunssum, the Netherlands. It was established in 2004 from previous commands as part of NATO's continuing command structure reductions in the face of a then-diminishing threat.

Joint Force Command Brunssum
Coat of arms
ActiveAFCENT: 1953-2000
RHQ AFNORTH: 2000-2004
JFC-Brunssum: 2004-present
Allegiance North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Part ofAllied Command Operations, Casteau, Belgium
HeadquartersBrunssum, Netherlands
Motto(s)Many Nations: One Mission
Websitejfcbs.nato.int
Commanders
CommanderGeneral Jörg Vollmer, German Army
Deputy CommanderLieutenant General Stuart Skeates, British Army
Chief of StaffLieutenant General Hubert de Reviers de Mauny, French Army
Command Sergeant MajorChief warrant officer Lance Dunn, Canadian Army

History
The Henry IV quarter at the Palace of Fontainebleau
(48°24′10″N 2°42′8″E) in 1965. Prior to World War II these offices housed the Artillery School.
Locations of NATO's two strategic commands—Allied Command Transformation (ACT; yellow marks) and Allied Command Operations (ACO; red marks)—the latter of which has Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) as its headquarters. The subordinate centres of ACT and subordinate commands and joint force commands of ACO are also shown.

Originally the command was known as Headquarters, Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT) when it was activated in August 1953 in Fontainebleau, outside Paris, France.[1]

After General Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) in 1950, he found that devising command arrangements in the Central Region, which contained the bulk of NATO’s forces, was to be complicated.[2] General Eisenhower considered naming an overall Commander-in-Chief (CINC) for the Central Region but soon realized it would be difficult to find an arrangement that would satisfy all three major powers with forces in the Centre - the United States, United Kingdom and France - because their views on the proper relationship of air and ground power differed significantly.

Drawing upon his Second World War experience, Eisenhower decided to retain overall control himself and did not appoint a CINC for the Central Region. Instead there would be three separate commanders-in-chief (for Allied Air Forces Central Europe, Allied Land Forces Central Europe and Flag Officer Central Europe (FLAGCENT)), all reporting directly to SACEUR. Vice Admiral Robert Jaujard of the French Navy was appointed as Flag Officer Central Europe, and served from 2 April 51 until 20 August 1953.[3] On 20 August 1953 General Ridgeway, Eisenhower's successor, established a single Commander-in-Chief (CINCENT) for the region with subordinate land, air and naval commanders (COMLANDCENT, COMAIRCENT, and COMNAVCENT respectively).[1]

Arms of Allied Forces Central Europe, bearing the motto (supposedly that of Charlemange) "In Scelus Exsurgo Sceleris Discrimina Purgo", which translates roughly as "I fight against Aggression and punish the Aggressor".[4]

One of the command's exercises in the 1950s was Operation Counter Punch. Counter Punch was a September 1957 AFCENT air-ground military exercise that also tested NATO's integrated air-defense system in its central European front. The exercise involved the national air-defense systems of Britain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, with Général d'Armée Jean-Étienne Valluy, French Army, NATO's Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Central Europe (CINCENT), in overall command.[5] Operation Counter Punch revealed deficiencies in the Integrated NATO Air Defense System as well as air force responsiveness to theoretical Soviet and Warsaw Pact ground advances.[6]

After July 1962 and the establishment of Commander Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (COMBALTAP), German naval forces were shifted into that command.[2] Thereafter there was no longer any need for the small headquarters of Allied Naval Forces Central Europe and its two subordinate commands, and they were disestablished in 1962, leaving naval liaison provided by a US naval officer.[1]

AFCENT remained in France under French command until 1967, when France removed itself from the military command structure. The headquarters was moved to Brunssum in 1967 and activated under German command.[1]

In 2000, the deactivation of Headquarters, Allied Forces Northern Europe (AFNORTH) in Kolsås, Norway led to the redesignation of AFCENT as Regional Headquarters, Allied Forces Northern Europe (RHQ AFNORTH). The headquarters operated as RHQ AFNORTH until 2004, when it was renamed Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFC-B) to add flexibility to the military command structure by removing regional restrictions.[7]

Circa 2010, JFC Brussum appears to be responsible for Contingency Plan Eagle Guardian, NATO's Article 5 plan to defend Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.[8]

Structure

The NATO Military Command Structure consists of two strategic commands directed by the North Atlantic Council:[9]

Liaison:          Provides advice and support to the NAC
Political strategic level:
NATO SG (NAC)
Brussels, BE		IS
Brussels, BE
Military strategic level:


CMC (NATO MC)
 DGIMS (IMS)
Brussels, BE


SACEUR
(ACO, SHAPE)
Mons, BE

SACT
(ACT, HQ SACT)
Norfolk, US
Operational level:
 JFCBS Brunssum, NL JWC Stavanger, NO
 AIRCOM Ramstein, DE JALLC Lisbon, PT
 MARCOM Northwood, GB JFTC Bydgoszcz, PL
 LANDCOM İzmir, TR
 CIS GP
 JFCNP Naples, IT

Facilities

Hendrik van Nassau-Ouwerkerk Camp

Hendrik van Nassau-Ouwerkerk Camp is the headquarters and main base area of JFC Brunssum.[10] Other organizations located on Hendrik van Nassau-Ouwerkerk Camp are the NATO Communication and Information Systems Services Agency, Sector Brunssum (NCSA-B)[11] and the NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Programme Management Agency (NAPMA).[12]

Hendrik van Nassau-Ouwerkerk Camp also boasts an all ranks club called Club 13, a small tax-free department store called the B&S Store, a film theatre, a swimming pool, tennis courts and a gymnasium. Additional services are provided by the AAFES on US Army Garrison Schinnen.

Static War Headquarters Castlegate
Main article: Static War Headquarters Castlegate

Static War Headquarters Castlegate is a NATO command and communications bunker located approximately 2 km north-east of the town of Linnich, Germany.[13] SWHQ Castlegate is operated in caretaker status by a German military contingent.[14]

Subordinate Commands in 1989
Main articles: CENTAG wartime structure in 1989 and NORTHAG wartime structure in 1989
Command Structure of AFCENT in 1989 (click to enlarge)
NATO corps sectors in the Central Region in the 1980s

During the Cold War, AFCENT commanded the following units:

The III Corps (US) was allocated as NORTHAG reserve. On activation, it would have deployed to Europe from bases in the United States. A forward element, 3rd Brigade, US 2nd Armored Division, was located at Garlstedt, Germany.[15] The U.S. III Corps also maintained a forward headquarters at Tapijn Kazerne, Maastricht, Netherlands.[16]

Commanders

The commander of JFC-B is known as Commander, Joint Force Command Brunssum. The position was formerly known as Commander-in-Chief North (CINCNORTH) and Commander-in-Chief Central (CINCCENT). JFC-B is normally commanded by a German General but now is commanded by an Italian four-star general for the great contribution of the Italian armed forces to NATO. The current commander is General Jörg Vollmer of the German Army.

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No. NameTitleTook officeLeft officeTime in officeCountry
1
Juin, AlphonseAlphonse Juin
(1888–1967)		Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe20 August 1953September 19563 years France
2
Valluy, Jean-EtienneJean Étienne Valluy
(1899–1970)		Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central EuropeOctober 1956May 19603 years, 7 months France
3
Challe, MauriceMaurice Challe
(1905–1979)		Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central EuropeMay 1960February 19619 months France
4
Jacquot, PierrePierre-Elie Jacquot
(1902–1984)		Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central EuropeMarch 1961December 19632 years, 10 months France
5
Crépin, JeanJean Albert Emile Crépin
[lower-alpha 1]		Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central EuropeDecember 1963June 19662 years, 6 months France
6
Kielmansegg, JohannJohann Adolf Graf von Kielmansegg
(1906–2006)		Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe15 March 19671 April 19681 year Germany
7
Bennecke, JürgenJürgen Bennecke
(1912–2002)		Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe1 July 196830 September 19735 years, 2 months Germany
8
Ferber, ErnstErnst Ferber
(1914–1998)		Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe1 October 197330 September 19751 year, 11 months Germany
9
Schnell, KarlKarl Schnell
(1916–2008)		Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe1 October 19757 January 19771 year, 3 months Germany
10
Schulze, FranzFranz-Joseph Schulze
(1918–2005)		Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe7 January 197730 September 19792 years, 8 months Germany
11
Senger, FerdinandFerdinand von Senger und Etterlin
(1923–1987)		Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe1 October 197928 September 19833 years, 11 months Germany
12
Chalupa, LeopoldLeopold Chalupa
(born 1927)		Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe28 September 19831 October 19874 years Germany
13
Sandrart, HansHans-Henning von Sandrart
(1933–2013)		Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe1 October 198727 September 19913 years, 11 months Germany
14
Ondarza, HenningHenning von Ondarza
(born 1933)		Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe27 September 199123 March 19942 years, 5 months Germany
15
Hansen, HelgeHelge Hansen
(born 1936)		Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe1 April 1994March 19961 year, 11 months Germany
16
Stöckmann, DieterDieter Stöckmann
(born 1941)		Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central EuropeMarch 199630 March 19982 years Germany
17
Spiering, JoachimJoachim Spiering
(born 1940)
[lower-alpha 2]		Commander in Chief Allied Forces North Europe30 March 1998March 20012 years, 11 months Germany
18
Deverell, JackSir Jack Deverell
(born 1945)		Commander in Chief Allied Forces North EuropeMarch 2001January 20042 years, 10 months United Kingdom
19
Back, GerhardGerhard W. Back
(born 1944)
[lower-alpha 3]		Allied Joint Force Command BrunssumJanuary 200426 January 20073 years Germany
20
Ramms, EgonEgon Ramms
(born 1948)		Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum26 January 200729 September 20103 years, 8 months Germany
21
Langheld, WolfWolf-Dieter Langheld
(born 1950)		Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum29 September 201014 December 20122 years, 2 months Germany
22
Domröse, HansHans-Lothar Domröse
(born 1952)		Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum14 December 20123 March 20163 years, 2 months Germany
23
Farina, SalvatoreSalvatore Farina
(born 1957)		Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum4 March 201616 February 20181 year, 11 months Italy
24
Riccardo MarchiòRiccardo Marchiò
(born 1955)		Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum16 February 201831 March 20192 years, 6 months Italy
25
Buhler, ErhardErhard Bühler
(born 1956)		Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum31 March 201922 April 20201 year, 4 months Germany
26
Vollmer, JörgJörg Vollmer
(born 1957)
[17]		Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum22 April 2020incumbentincumbent Germany

Notes
  1. from July 1, 1966 France was no longer part of NATO's military command structure
  2. Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe until March 3, 2000
  3. Commander in Chief Allied Forces North Europe until July 1, 2004

References
  1. "Allied Forces Central Europe". Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  2. Dr Gregory Pedlow, Evolution of NATO's Command Structure
  3. North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Senior officials in the NATO military structure, from 1949 to 2001 (PDF)
  4. "Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT), NATO - Coat of arms (crest) of the Allied Forces Central Europe (AFCENT), NATO". Heraldry-wiki.com. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
  5. "Emergency Call". Time. 30 September 1957. Retrieved 3 October 2008.
  6. Trauschweizer, Igor (2006). Creating Deterrence for Limited War: The U.S. Army and the Defense of West Germany, 1953–1982 (PDF). College Park, Maryland: University of Maryland. p. 179. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  7. "What is JFC Brunssum?". NATO. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  8. Wikileaks/The Guardian, search Eagle Guardian
  9. "Command Structure" (PDF). NATO. Retrieved 19 October 2019. and "Military Command Structure". shape.nato.int. Supreme Head Allied Powers Europe. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  10. AFNORTH: About us Archived October 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  11. NATO Communication and Information Systems Services Agency Archived July 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  12. "NAPMA | NATO AEW&C Programme Management Agency | Homepage". Napma.nato.int. Retrieved 2013-04-07.
  13. "Militärstandorte um und in Aachen". Users.cuci.nl. Archived from the original on 2015-10-26. Retrieved 2013-04-07.
  14. Joint Force Command Brunssum Team
  15. David Isby & Charles Kamps (1985). Armies of NATO's Central Front. Jane's Publishing Company. pp. 373, 455. ISBN 0-7106-0341-X.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link); U.S. Army Europe (22 May 1980). Strengthening NATO: Stationing of the 2nd Armored Division (Forward) in Northern Germany (PDF).
  16. Simon Duke, U.S. Military Forces and Installations in Europe, SIPRI/Oxford University Press, 1989, p. 20 - 30 ish.
  17. "Commander JFC-Brunssum".

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