Serving Allied Land Component Command Headquarters HeidelbergCampbell Barracks, Heidelberg, Germany

Winter 2004/2005

wwwwww.nato.int/lahd.nato.int/lahd

2005

2

The ObserverServing the military andfamily members of CC-Land HQ HD

Gen. B. B. BellCommander

Lt. Col. Helmut WetzelChief Public Information Office

Maj. Cynthia F. TeramaeChief, Media Operations and

Editor

Adj. Jan Van MeenselAdministrative Supervisor

Staff Sgt. Angeline Hoffmann

Command Photographer

Published four times each year, The Observer

is an authorized, unofficialpublication. Its aim is to

inform headquarters personneland their family members.

Opinions expressed in thispublication are those of the authors and do not reflect official policy.

Suggestions for articles,comments and contributionsare welcome and should be directed to the editor. The

editor reserves the right to editsubmissions.

Public Information OfficePostfach 102620

D-69016 Heidelberg(Bldg 8, Campbell Barracks)

Phone: 06221 398472Fax: 06221 398349

Email: teramae@lahd.nato.int

Printed by:ABT Print und Medien GmbH

Bruchsaler Straße 569469 Weinheim

Phone: 0 62 01/18 90-0www.abt-medien.de

Visit our web site atwww.nato.int/lahd

Exercise CAPABLE WARRIOR 04Held in Karup, Denmark, this exercise was to validate the Intermediate Operations Capability for MNC-NE.

4

6

8Trip to BerlinGerman NSE visit Berlin as part of military and cultural education.11CC-Land HQ HD Organizational ChartThe CC-Land HQ HD Chain of Command.12

MISCELLANEOUSSelect visits to our Headquarters.20

Autumn BallCC-Land hosted its annual Autumn Ball.

21

German ReceptionSchwetzingen Palace was a most appropriate venue for the receptionhosted by the German soldiers at CC-Land HQ HD.

22

In this Issue

NATO Training in IraqThe second phase of a four-phase training mission in Iraq.

PfP TrainingOfficers and NCOs help train PfP NCOs.

The French Military MissionFMM HD has been in existence since 1966.14

ppppgggg 22223333ppppgggg 8888ppppgggg 6666

Farewells and AwardsMembers of our Headquarters depart.

16 NCOs visit FranceThe first ever NCO staff ride undertaken by CC-Land HQ HD NCOs.

23

On the CoverGeneral events during 2004

3

To all members of the CC-Land HQ Heidelberg Family,

Katie and I welcome you all to the NewYear, one filled with great promise!

This issue of The Observer certainly givesyou a glimpse of a headquarters in mo-tion. Our Fall has been busy, and for all ofthe right reasons.

In October, we conducted ExerciseCapable Warrior 2004, strengthening thecapabilities of our own headquarters, andthat of the primary training audience,Multinational Corps Northeast and theFrench Rapid Response Corps. Particularthanks go to those members of the staffand HSG who made the exercise happenin Karup, Denmark, after external con-straints forced a change to our originallyplanned location. While we are only in thefirst stages to achieve a true operationalwarfighting capability as a headquarters,we have made a start, and will build onthis together during 2005.

Other headquarters initiatives are al-so on track. Land Integration and Part-nership for Peace events are beingplanned and held in accordance with NA-TO guidance, and our staff is cooperatingfully with Allied Land Component Com-mand HQ Madrid for a unified approach tosuch vital areas as how to train and certifythe NATO Response Force, and how toachieve a future Full Operational Capabili-ty as a Land Component Command. Icannot overstate the importance of thesetwo initiatives: they will require our entirestaff to focus and harness its best effortsin order to be successfully accomplished.

We undertake those challenges at thesame time that we have personnel tem-porarily deployed as augmentees on ourNATO missions in Iraq and to Afghanistan.While we wish they were with the head-quarters and their families, they serve in

vital roles on behalf of the Alliance, andwe look forward to the experience thatthey will bring back to Heidelberg. Theywill also redeploy to find we now havethree more nations represented here inHeidelberg, from Estonia, Latvia and Ro-mania. Welcome to all of those personnel,and to their families, and indeed, to all ofthe newest members of the headquarters.

Finally, Katie and I thank all who con-ducted and attended the Autumn Ball andGerman National reception. Both eventsrepresented important contributions to thecalendar, and allowed us to further our ac-quaintances. They are also indicative ofthe energy and ingenuity we bring to thetable on an every- day basis here, and onthat basis 2005 will no doubt be every bitas successful as 2004 was for CC-LandHQ Heidelberg.

B. B. BELLGeneral, U.S. ArmyCommander

Commander’s Message

4

Exercise

ExerExercise Capable Wcise Capable Warrior ‘04 arrior ‘04 in Reviewin Review

The exercise CAPABLE WAR-RIOR 2004 (CW04) took place Octo-ber 21st thru the 28th on a small air-field near the city of Karup, Denmark.The purpose of the exercise was tovalidate the Intermediate OperationsCapability (IOC) for the MultinationalCorps Northeast (MNC-NE) with theassistance of the 1st French Corps[1(FR) CA]. The two primary factors,which determined the success of thisexercise, were the training unit (MNC-NE) and the "HICON" or Higher Con-trol (Allied Land Component Com-mand Headquarters, Heidelberg).The HICON responsibilities wereto provide guidance, directionand resources to ensure that thecommander's training objectiveswere accomplished.

The "HICON" was a well-oiled machine commanded bythe CC-Land DCOS-Support(Deputy Chief of Staff, Support),Brigadier General Macko fromSlovakia, and supervised by theChief G3, Colonel Ooms from theRoyal Netherlands Army, and the in-coming Chief G4, Colonel Pelikanfrom the Czech Republic Army, whoacted as the Chief G3 night shift.This experienced group of profes-sionals imprespresssively collected,built and solidifed an effectiveteam…HICON Staff!

The "HICON" staff representedthe countries of Belgium, Canada,Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany,Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, TheNetherlands, Norway, Poland, Slova-kia, and The United States. Approxi-mately 100 soldiers, sailors, airmenand marines from these 13 differentcountries worked diligently together,from setting up the camp through en-suring the last piece of equipmentwas properly accounted for. Al-though there were many difficulttasks to accomplish, the dedicatedmen and women from CC-Land HQHD were more than ready to work to-gether and ensure this tremendouslyimportant training event was asucess.

LTC Milot, Chief Operations briefs visitors duringCW04.

By LTC Conners, USA Army, Maj Verbauwhede, BEL Army, LTC Cuthbert, USA Army

5

Exercise

LTG Lather, DCOM CC-Land HQ HD briefs the exercise participants during the exercise.

CAPABLE WARRIOR 2004 was indeed a success. It effectively exercisedthe MNC-NE's ability to plan, coordinate and conduct operations across abroad spectrum of skills from full combat (using a computer simulation) to thebeginnings of Peace Support Operations. It also gave them valuable lessonson how to better organize their staff and continue preparing for the next NATOexercise or tasking. The Corps and the 1(FR) CA accomplished the overall mis-sion of stabilizing a country that had requested NATO support through theUnited Nations. Overall, it was a multi-national experience in professionalism,dedication and cammaraderie!

From L to R: CC-Land HQ HD COS MGSvensson, CSM Cameron and DCOS Spt,BG Macko in Karup during CW04.

Sgt1 Nico de Vries from G1 was promoted to SGM during the ex-ercise at a ceremony held in Karup.

6

Deployment

NANATO Expands TTO Expands Training Mission in Iraqraining Mission in IraqBy Maj Cynthia F. Teramae,Director Public InformationNTM-I

BAGHDAD -- NATO has entered thesecond phase of a four-phase train-ing mission in Iraq with the establish-ment of its new headquarters buildingin the International Zone. The moveby NATO demonstrates the Alliances'commitment to the independence,territorial integrity and democracy ofthe new Republic of Iraq.

After theIraqi InterimGovernmentrequestedtraining as-sistance,NATO sup-port was ap-proved bythe North At-lantic Coun-cil in June atthe IstanbulSummit. NA-TO sent anadvance party in August to pave theway for the initiation of the mission.The Iraqi training mission is NATO'ssecond out-of-area mission after thedeployment of NATO forces toAfghanistan in August 2003. Thatmission is ongoing and has seenmuch success since its inception.

The NATO Training Mission Iraq,or NTM-I, will focus on providingtraining and advice to the Iraqi Min-istry of Defense and the Iraqi SecurityForces (ISF) middle to senior-levelleaders as well as the coordination ofequipment assistance for ISF. Addi-tionally, in this second phase of thetraining mission, members of NTM-Iwill assist the Iraqi Ministry of De-fense in the establishment of an Iraqi-led Training, Education and Doctrine

Centre (TEDC)near Baghdad.

"We are tak-ing a graduat-ed approach toestablishingthis mission,"said Norwe-gian NavyCapt. KetilOlsen, Chief ofPlans for theNTM-I. "Wewant to ensure

that the Alliance has the ability to in-crease in personnel strength in con-cert with the availability of resources.Presently we are establishing the in-country infrastructure that will be thefoundation of our training and men-toring leading up to the establish-ment of the Iraqi Training Educationand Doctrine Centre."

Members from the NATO training mission at work in the new HQ.

7

Deployment

Once the mission is in full swing,about 300 NATO personnel will sup-port it. Currently, about 90 membersfrom ten NATO countries are sup-porting the mission. NTM-I is a sistertraining mission to the Multi NationalSecurity Training Command underthe leadership of U.S. Army Lt. Gen.David Petraeus. He is dual-hatted asthe commander for both trainingmissions and reports up the NATOcommand structure. However, thetwo missions remain separate anddistinct operations. "We adopted thedual-hatted command for force pro-tection reasons and to ensure the two commands maintain a coherence andunity of effort," said Olsen.

Over the past several months, members of the first phase of the NTM-Ihave been working in close coordination with the Ministry of Defense and ISFto create a training plan based on Iraqi military requirements. Training andmentoring have already begun with the input provided from the Iraqi Ministry ofDefense. During this phase, the first out-of-country training was coordinatedand conducted at the Joint Warfare Centre, Stavanger, Norway. The out-of-country training, under the direction of the Supreme Allied Command forTransformation (SACT) at Norfolk, Virginia, will be provided by NATO trainingand education facilities and several centers of Al-liance and non-Alliance members. SACT has alsoestablished the NATO Training and EquipmentCoordination Group (NTECG) in Brussels, Bel-gium to facilitate the nations donation of militaryequipment to the Iraqi Security Forces.

"We are look forward to a strong working re-lationship with our Iraqi military hosts," said Olsen. "We are here at the requestof their government to train, advise, and assist in equipment procurement. Allthis will be done in close coordination with the Ministry of Defense. In the end,the desired end state is the fully functioning and self-sustaining Iraqi securitystructures responsible to the democratically formed Government of Iraq."

Members from the NATO training mission at work in thenew HQ.

The new NATO training HQ

8

CC-Land HQ HDCC-Land HQ HDtrain PfP train PfP CountriesCountries

Training

By LTC Gerhard Schröter, USA Army, G7 Ex

Joint Command North East (JCNE) and CC-Land HQ Heidelbergconducted a NATO/PfP Non-Com-missioned Officer (NCO) TerminologyWorkshop at the Ausbuildungs- undErholungsheim in Reichenau an derRax, Austria from 06 to 10 September2004. The workshop consisted of 28students from seven PfP nations(Austria, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Lithua-nia, Poland, and Switzerland).Colonel H. J. Gerber from JCNE ledthe overall workshop, while CC-LandHQ Heidelberg provided the briefingand syndicate leaders. The work-shop is part of the NATO PartnershipWork Program (PWP), which is acomponent of NATO's PfP program.The PWP is designed to prepare PfPcountries for participation in NATOexercises and subsequently real-world NATO Crisis Response Opera-tions (CRO). One segment of PWP fo-cuses on introducing and familiarizingNon-Commissioned Officers (NCOs)from Partnership for Peace (PfP)Countries on the NATO structure,staff procedures in a NATO headquar-ters and an overview of an NCO'srole inside a headquarters. This pro-gram was previously

administered by JCNE and is now inthe process of transitioning to CC-Land HQ Heidelberg, due to JCNE'sdeactivation. The students composedthe following article as the final eventfor the workshop.

The Workshop took place in theRothschild Castle, which is embed-ded in a wonderful 18-acres-parkoverlooking the picturesque village ofReichenau an der Rax. The Roth-schild Castle was built for Freiherrvon Rothschild between 1884 and1890. He originally intended to usethe castle as his Summer Residence.In 1900, the non-profit foundationRothschild came into existence in or-der to give support to retired and war-wounded Austrian officers. Nowadaysit is used as a conference and trainingcenter for the Austrian Army. The par-ticipants were provided not only withthe appropriate workshop facilities,such as conference rooms and pres-entation equipment, but also spoiledwith delicious Austrian food anddrinks that enhanced the students'working spirits even more.

All the

Members

who parti-

cipated in

the PfP

workshop

9

Training

roles and brainstorming were the aspects of active participation for everyoneattending the workshop. The components of the course structure, apart fromacademics, made sure everyone was challenged with numerous tasks. For in-stance, an oral presentation delivered in English was for most of the studentsthe first ever challenge of that kind. Daily schedules ensured we had enoughtime for social activities as well as the opportunity to experience excellent hostnation hospitality. One of the highlights was definitely the visit to the world'soldest military academy situated in the Wiener Neustadt and also, not to beforgotten, the formal Austrian evening.

Course arrangement. As the participants of the NATO PfP NCO Termi-nology Workshop we were informed through our respective Ministry of De-fense (MODs) and received a detailed information packet about the coursegoals along with the invitation letters. We arrived in Reichenau an der Rax onthe 5th of September. The first impression was the beautiful castle and thenice grounds. The in-processing went very smoothly and we were accommo-dated in an excellent old-fashioned castle. Colonel Gerber, the Workshop Di-rector, personally met and greeted everyone upon their arrival at the castle.

The next morning, the whole group of students was greeted and briefedabout the course arrangements. The information we received from the instruc-tor team during in-processing and the first briefing were very detailed and in-formative. The briefs familiarized us with the course expectations and how toproperly organize ourselves so as to actively participate in the workshop. Al-though the personal introduction on the first day was not the easiest part ofthe course, in conjunction with the ice-breaker party, this allowed us to createa family-like atmosphere and become comfortable with our varying Englishproficiency levels. The course arrangement and its organization were quite in-novative for most of us and let us absorb a lot of useful information. Adminis-trative announcements, linguistic sessions, briefings, and syndicate workwere the components of our daily routine and ensured everyone gained fromthe course. Teamwork, small group interactions, rotating

From Left: NCO from Poland trains an NCO from Lithiunia, NCOs from Kazakstan on a break and a syn-dicate group at work.

10

Training

The participants were pleased to enjoy the presence of Brigadier General H.Walther, who was the host of the evening, Major General H. D. Mammen, thedeputy commander of Joint Command Northeast and the course director,Colonel Gerber.

Closing. The team of consistently helpful instructors and administrativestaff made our life and learning process both fun and educational. All thementioned factors created the best conditions to achieve the course goals,which was highly appreciated by all the participants. Because of all these posi-tive experiences we take with us we strongly recommend such a workshop toall other NCOs. Much more could be added to this article, so to keep the longstory short, all of the students want to show their appreciation for the perfectorganization, competence and friendliness of the workshop team with a thankyou in their native languages:

Thank youDanke - Austria, GermanyTak - DenmarkAitäh - EstoniaAciu - LithuaniaRahmet - KazakhstanMerci - SwitzerlandDziekuje - Poland

The PfP NCO Terminology Workshop Class, Reichenau, Austria, 10 Sep 04.

Note: The following personnel supported the workshop: CC-Land HQ Heidelberg: LTC Schröter (Linguist), MAJ Staffe (CC-Land HQHD OPR), SFC Breazeale (Briefer/Syndicate Leader), GSgt Calvin (Briefer/Syn-dicate Leader), HFW Korn (Briefer/Syndicate Leader).Joint Command Northeast: WO II Suhr (OPR JCNE/Admin Support), WO IIHerth (Syndicate Leader/Admin Support). A special thank you to the Austrian Army and the staff of the Ausbildungs- undErholungsheim Reichenau / Rax for hosting the workshop.

Flags of the participating nations.

11

In the Headquarters

The German NSE visited Berlin from the 24-26th November as part ofthe political education trip to learn its history. Of special significance was a tourof the famed East German secret service “Ministerium für Staatssicherheit” orSTASI.

We began in the western part of the city with its famous sights such asthe Schloss Charlottenburg, Sieges-säule, Humbold University and well-known Checkpoint Charlie. We endedup at the most recognized symbol ofthe city, the Brandenburger Tor. Thisarea still holds the memories of the 28year long partition of Germany intoEast and the West.

We visited the Soviet Armyprison, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen,which was later used by the STASI. Anex-inmate of the prison was our guide.She was jailed for visiting the embassies of West Germany and the United Stateswhile on vacation in Hungary for immigration information. An insider view of theinjustice and discrimination that prevailed in Eastern Germany during this eramade this visit very interesting.

The former headquarters of the STASI at Normannenstrasse, hosted thefamous “spy machine” and its illegal methods. Our guide, who was a former pris-oner, gave us a detailed view inside an organization that counted about 90.000official and 170.000 unofficial members. We saw espionage equipment, STASImemorabilia, and Erich Mielke’s office. Erich Mielke was in charge of the organ-ization for more then 25 years. Discussions with witnesses provided us with agood insight of the repressive character of the East German system.

We were fortunate to sit in on a parliamentary session at the Reich-stagsgebäude (Parliament) Our chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, Secretary of De-fence Peter Struck, and the remaining members of Parlament were able to pro-vide us with a vivid picture of our government at work.

Past and Present in BerlinBy Thomas Korn, HFw, DEU Army,G3 Battle NCO

Some of the euipment used by the STASI on display.

Winter 2004/2005

12

CC

-Land HQ

HD

Organizational C

hart

January 2005

13

Winter 2004/2005

14

In the Headquarters

The French Military Mission

By LTC Marc Thuriet,Deputy Commander FMM

Members of the French Military Mission raise theFrench flag at CC-Land HQ HD.

Brigadier General René FAUREtook over command of the FrenchMilitary Mission (FMM) in Heidelbergon August 1, 2004. He arrived direct-ly from the Joint Military Command inParis, where he had worked on nu-clear defence matters. Prior to that,having spent the first part of his mili-tary carreer in the Artillery, BrigadierGeneral René FAURE also had amultinational tour of duty in Genevaand New York, with the United Na-tions disarmament arena. He followedthe NATO Defence College course inRoma in 2002.

As Chief FMM, Brigadier GeneralRené FAURE is leading the 5 personsstrong Military Mission both accredit-ed to CC-Land HQ Heidelberg, and toUSAREUR HQ. The FMM Heidelberg has been in ex-istence since 1966, when France de-cided to withdraw from the NATO mil-itary integrated structure, while re-maining in all political andpolitico-military bodies of the Al-liance.

Like its sister missions in Ram-stein, Northwood, Brunssum, Naples,Mons or Brussels, FMM Heidelbergmission is to facilitate the operationalcooperation between NATO andFrench Headquarters and forces in-volved in defence of the Alliance'smemberstates.

In the early nineties, due to themilitary commitment of French forcesin NATO-led operations in former Yu-goslavia, France temporarily de-ployed VNCs into the NATO militarystructure to enhance the interoper-ability of its forces with those of theAlliance. In 1995, France resumed itsseat in the NATO Defense MinistersCouncil, as well as in the MilitaryCommittee, and in the NATO DefenceCollege.

In 2002, fully supporting the NRFconcept, and willing to participate,

15

In the Headquarters

in its implementation, France decided to offer 110 personnel to the PE of theNATO HQs, focusing on the strategic and operational levels, while reducing itsVNCs contribution. However, this move - to be implemented between 2004and 2006 - will only bring the French participation into the integrated militarystructure up to 1% of the PE of the total strength of the NATO HQs. So far,France has no plan to amalgamate further into the NATO integrated militarystructure, even if it is today one of the largest contributing nations to the NATObudget, and the number of soldiers deployed in NATO-led operations (Bosnia,Kosovo, Afghanistan).

Due to these evolutions, when you visita NATO Headquarters, you will find ei-ther French staff working as an au-tonomous Military Mission like we arein Heidelberg, or within the staff, regis-tered with the PE to work on NRF is-sues, or as VNCs for the planning ofoperations involving French troops. If you want to learn more about ourmission, or just practice your French,feel free to pay a visit anytime... no ap-pointment needed, and coffee is al-ways available.

A group photo of all the French soldiers assigned to the HQ’s of the NATO led ISAFmission in Kabul, Afghanistan.

A French soldier on patrol as part of a NATO deploy-ment.

16

CC-Land HQ HDCC-Land HQ HDNCOs visit FranceNCOs visit France

By Mick O’Brien, CW02 CAN NavyG5, Staff Assistant

This past September marked thefirst ever NCO Staff Ride undertakenby CC-Land HQ Heidelberg. Thisevent was the culmination of manymonths of preparation and planning,primarily by ADC Alain Gervaise,Sergeant Major of the French MilitaryMission and the HQ SGM, WO1 Don-ald Cameron. You might ask whatthe purpose was of such an ambi-tious and, by all accounts, highly suc-cessful venture. Well, there are actu-ally several reasons why; not the leastof which is to foster esprit-de-corps,develop teamwork and cooperationbetween international NCO staff andto expose our NCOs to different mili-tary cultures, history and establish-ments. These fundamentals of leader-ship and camaraderie were metthrough a dynamic and well-preparedschedule of events and visits to mili-tary installations in southern France.

It all started off with a bus andsubsequent train ride from our head-quarters to La Ciotat, Marseilles,where we were accommodated inFrench Foreign Legion (FFL) militarybarracks on 20 Sep 04. Early the fol-lowing morning we mustered allhands on deck for a brisk run towardsthe beautiful Marseilles waterfrontwhere we halted to do some calis-thenics on the sandy beach and, forthe very brave, an eye-opening swimin the Mediterranean waters

of the harbor. This run was led by amember of the Foreign Legion, an ex-patriot from the USA, who took pityon the mostly 'older' NATO NCOsand returned us safely to our bar-racks.

That morning we departed forCarpiagne where we visited 1-11 RC- CIABC, a French Army Leclerc MainBattle Tank Regiment. We were wel-comed by Capitaine Janodet whoprovided us with an informative briefon the history of the Regiment andthe capabilities of the Leclerc MBT.On completion of the brief a demon-stration of the Leclerc simulator wasgiven where a number of our grouphad the opportunity to try out theirtank driving skills, much to theamusement of our

All the participants of the NCO Professional Devel-opment course.

NCONCO TTrainingraining

17

NCO TNCO Trainingraining

guide who politely declined to recruit anyone. Then it was off to the tank main-tenance and storage area where we received an up close and personal look atthis lethal and modern MBT. The Leclerc tank is not simply a tank within theclassic meaning of the term, but rather a weapon system. As a tank incorpo-rating the most recent technologies, it reaches a level of excellence on eachtraditional armored quality: mobility, protection and firepower. The tank in-cludes a gun with an automatic loading system which fires at ranges of morethan 3000 meters. With a maximum speed of 71km/h and a range of 550km,the Leclerc Tank is truly an impressive machine.

After thanking our host for a very interesting and informative visit, we de-parted for Aubagne and a visit to the French Foreign Legion Headquarters.Upon arrival, the group was greeted by Sergeant Major Jorand, the HQ SGM.An imposing and distinguished soldier, SGM Jorand personified the quintes-sential example of what one might associate with being the senior NCO in aRegiment. We were then hosted in the NCO's mess for an afternoon coffeeprior to our scheduled lunch. During this time we were entertained by listeningto the colorful stories told by veteran Legionnaires whose exploits are oftenlegendary. After completing our wonderfully prepared and delightful lunch,served with the famous (infamous?) Legionnaire wine, which as directed by theFFL SGM, was to be "drank, not tasted", the group was ushered to a confer-ence room to be briefed on the history, customs and past battles. Of particu-lar note was the dynamic mix of the various nations that make up the Legion,consisting of soldiers from over 150 countries. During this brief we were visit-ed and welcomed by the overall Commandant of the French Foreign Legion,BG Dary.

The next treat in store for us was the chance to visit one of the most highlytreasured and important historical museums in the Legion. We were transport-ed back in time to the earliest days of the Legion's existence where we wereeducated on past battles and the transition from the days of its early austerebeginnings to it's present modern and highly technical military capabilities.We learned of the famous 'White Kepi', first worn in 1939. This headdress wasdesigned to protect against the hot African sun during operations on that Con-tinent. It would be remiss if a brief description of the most famous battlefought by the Legionnaires was not mentioned; which occurred in Mexico on30 April 1836 at a place call 'Camerone Hacienda'. During this battle three of-ficers and 62 Legionnaires resisted 2,000 Mexicans. After a day of heroicfighting the last five survivors fixed bayonets and charged, with the outcomenot in the Legionnaire's favor!

18

NCO Training

The Legion has also served with honor in numerous other campaigns suchas Tonkin, Sudan, Dahomey, Madagascar and Morrocco. These were just a fewof the Legion’s exploits since its inception on March 10, 1831. The overall hos-pitality shown by the Legionnaires to our group was superb, a memorable ex-perience we will not soon forget.

The following day the NCOs set off for a visit to EUROCOPTER, Europe'spremier helicopter assembly plant. After a short introduction and brief on EU-ROCOPTER's line of commercial and military helicopters, we were given a rareand much appreciated tour of several models of helicopters in various stages ofassembly. Most impressive was the military line of helicopters. The EC 120, EC635, NH 90 and EC 725 all were designed with military applications in mind.But the one aircraft that held all of our attention was of course, the TIGER Com-bat Attack Helicopter. A formidable weapons platform, the multi-role TIGER iscapable of 275 kms/h and able to carry a wide variety of munitions. All of thementioned helicopters are in use by more than 40 Armed Forces worldwidewith EUROCOPTER being the world's leading manufacturer of helicopters.

shoreline, one could easily see thedifficult and precarious route the Al-lies would face in attacking thefortress. Although today the view isspectacular and peaceful, overlook-ing all of Toulon, one can appreciatethe tactical advantage the Germanshad over the allies in the defence ofthe harbour and surrounding areas.Nonetheless,

That afternoon it was off to Toulon toconduct a battlefield orientation andhistory lesson on the liberation of thatarea by the Allies in Aug 1944. Thefirst stop involved taking a cable carto a remote and almost inaccessiblehill top fortification what was held bythe Germans prior to the invasion. Itis now the site of the 'Mont Faron'sMuseum' which houses various arti-facts and exhibits that describe thechronological events that transpiredduring the invasion. 'OPERATIONDRAGOON', as the invasion wascalled, took place between Toulonand Cannes and was executed on 15Aug, 1944. Originally called 'ANVIL',the name was changed by WinstonChurchill, who claimed to having been"dragooned" into accepting it. Fromthe hilltop, approximately 15 kmsfrom the

The LAFAYETTE--one of France’s newest warship.

19

NCO Training

the Allies were successful in the assault and Toulon was liberated by 18 Aug.Both sides in this conflict fought bravely, with the hilltop museum and memori-al remaining a stark reminder of an all too important event that contributed tothe end of WWII.

Following a much-needed rest by the NATO contingent, the next dayproved equally interesting. A visit to Toulon's waterfront and the immediateboarding of a tour boat for a scenic tour of the harbour and its various docksand jetties where French Naval vessels were abundant. We viewed aircraft car-riers such as the 'CHARLES de GAULLE' along with various frigates, destroy-ers, submarines and lesser ships. A visit to the French Navy's Toulon museumwas also an interesting stop. We were received by the museum's curator andgiven a private tour of the facilities. We were shown models of French 17th and18th century sailing warships, every detail intricately crafted to give an exactreplica for use in designing full sized vessels. Paintings of war ships locked inbattle adorned the walls, while various naval paraphernalia such as torpedoeswith cut-out sections to view the internal workings, are located throughout themuseum.

Certainly the highlight of the day was a visit to one of France's newestwarships,the LA FAYETTE. We were again treated to a privileged and rare guid-ed tour of this futuristic stealth frigate. The LAFAYETTE's main role is surface-to-surface and surface-to-air warfighting. With her sleek hull configuration, de-signed to deflect and minimize its radar signature, the vessel can become vir-tually invisible to enemy detection. She carries a wide variety of weaponssystems including guided missiles, naval gun support and self-defenceweaponry. The LA FAYETTE is crewed by approximately 150 personnel, with alarge percentage being female sailors.

After visiting the French Naval base in Toulon our Staff Ride was com-plete. The next day found the NCOs from CC-Land HQ Heidelberg on theirway back to Heidelberg. Of all the benefits that came from this team buildingexercise, the one which was invaluable was the spirit of cooperation andfriendships that were fostered among the NCOs who participated in the StaffRide. This camaraderie will continue in our day-to-day activities in our work-place, improving NCO relationships thus benefiting the headquarters as awhole. Professional development is the Commander's and RSM's top prioritywhen it comes to NCOs in this headquarters, and the PD programme beingproposed for 2005 will be challenging, worthwhile and certainly welcomed.

,

20

In the Headquarters

MISCELLANEOUSMISCELLANEOUSStudents from the Belgian Defence College visitedCC-Land HQ HD as part of their graduation require-ment. Students recieved a briefing about NATO and

CC-Land HQ HDfrom different sec-tions.

Students from the Baltic DefenceCollege are welcomed by theCommander CC-Land HQ HD.

On 14 November 2004 German sol-diers and their American colleaguesfrom 411th BSB collected donationsfor the German War Graves Com-mission in the barracks and US shops in Heidelberg. More than 400euro and dollars were raised. Alldonations are very much appreciated!

21

In the Headquarters

Farewells and AwardsFarewells and Awards

Col Reinhart Ostermeyer (center), G7 Division Chief and SeniorGerman National Officer retired from active duty after serving 35years in the German Army.

CC-Land HQ HD recipients of the yearly award by the Commander.

Sgt Ladyka, staff assistant of theDOS, is pinned on his new rankas a Warrant Officer by DCOM, LTG Lather. WO Ladyka alsorecieved the Canadian NATOservice Medal.

22

Around the Headquarters

CC-Land HQ Autumn Ball

By Eric De Vilder,Cdt, BEL Army

On 20 November 2004, the Au-tumn Ball took place in the spectacu-lar King's Hall of Heidelberg Castle. Alarge number of guests gathered foran impressive night of entertainment,dancing and celebration in beautifuland historic surroundings. After a re-ception in the Castle's "Faßkeller",featuring the popular USAREUR Quin-tet and SBF Big Band, the guestsmade their way to the remarkableKing's Hall where the Commanderwelcomed them to the event. A deli-cious 3-course-meal followed, featur-ing the "Crispy Heidelberg Duck", atraditional Heidelberg dish preparedby the catering firm Schönmehl. Spir-its were high, and in between courses,the festive mood was even further

elevated by toasts to the Heads ofState and outstanding performanc-es by the USAREUR Rhine RiverRammlers, "Freddy the Piper", andagain the SBF Big Band. After din-ner, the guests took to the dancefloor to dance the night away. All inall, it was a wonderful event.

23

In the Headquarters

2004 German Annual ReceptionBy LTC Helmut Wetzel, DEU Army, CPIO

The northern "Zirkelbau" or quar-ter-circle building of the Schwetzin-gen Palace was a most appropriatevenue for the reception hosted by theGerman soldiers at CC-Land HQ Hei-delberg to mark the Day of GermanUnity.

Early in October 2004, numerousinternational civilian and militaryguests joined the Germans in cele-brating this event, which is so impor-tant for the Federal Republic of Ger-many.

"There is no doubt in my mindthat without the support of PresidentBush, the unification of Germany maynever have been achieved, despite allother efforts, especially those of myfellow countrymen from the east, thepeople from Hungary and PresidentGorbatschow of the then SovietUnion", emphasized Lieutenant Gen-eral Karl-Heinz Lather, the DeputyCommander of CC-Land Heidelbergin his address.He added: "Let us celebrate together!

After the reception Air ForceBand 2 from Karlsruhe performed asolemn serenade under the baton ofCaptain Heidler in the adjacentpalace garden. Illuminated by firebowls and torches, the circular gar-den was a perfect setting for the cer-emony, which ended with the Germannational anthem.

LTG Lather, Mrs Lather and COL Ostermeyer and MrsOstermeyer greet invited guests.

This unique event in the historyof Germany in the 20th century wasbrought about because we could re-ly so firmly on our allies and friendsin Europe and across the Atlantic. Itis appropriate then that those alliesand friends are represented and areamong us for this evening."

LTG Lather, DCOM addresses the guests during thereception.

LTG Lather and Mrs Lather greet guests during therecption.

HAPPYNEW YEAR!!!

FELICEANO

NOUVO!!

BOLDOG ÚJÉVET!!!

LAMIGUJUANO

GADU!!!

GELUKKIGNIEUW-JAAR!!!

BONNE ANNÉE!!!

LINKSMUNAUJU

METU!!!

GUTESNEUES JAHR!!!

GODTNYTÅR!!!

ˇTASTNYNOVYROK!!!

HÄÄD UUTAASTAT!!!

GODT NYTT AR!!!

GELUKKIGNIEUWJAAR!!!

LAMULTI ANI!!! 2005