"Having assumed the leadership of the NATO Joint Force Command in Brunssum today is confirmation of the excellence of the Armed Forces of our country and their prestige at an international level. To General Miglietta, who will be at the helm of the Command from today, the wish you good work " - Thus the Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini at the end of the changeover ceremony of the NATO Joint Force Command (JFC) Brunssum between the German Army General Jörg Vollmer and the Italian Army General Guglielmo Luigi Miglietta, which took place today in Brunssum (Holland).
JFC Brunssum is a NATO and joint force structure. Together with the two Joint Commands, JFC Napoli and JFC Norfolk in the United States, it is one of the three NATO operational Commands dependent on the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Powers in Europe - Supreme Headquarters of Allied Power Europe (SHAPE). In particular, JFC Brunssum deals with the management of the presence and deterrence on the eastern flank of the Atlantic Alliance.
The ceremony, presided over by Supreme Commander of NATO Forces in Europe (SACEUR), General Tod D. Wolters, was attended by the Chief of Defense of the Netherlands, General Onno Eichelsheim, and, representing the Chief of the Defense Staff , Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Corps General Pietro Serino, Chief of Staff of the Italian Army who declared: "The assumption of command of the Joint Force Command of Brunssum by an Italian general is significant of the strategic role that Italy plays, at the moment, in the international operational theaters for security and in particular in NATO and its flank south. A recognition of the quality of our commanders currently engaged in many missions and in increasing roles of responsibility ". General Serino then recalled the importance of the international command, which has the task of planning and predicting the future missions of the Alliance and the NATO Response Force, but above all the management of the NATO mission in the Baltic.
In his speech, General Miglietta highlighted that "The security challenges we face today are complex, multidimensional and multidomain, relentless and compelling: tackling them all will require constant attention, effective partnerships and a synergistic approach. JFC Brunssum will play a vital role in supporting NATO's determination to discourage any aggravation. of the current strategic scenario, supported by the skills and dedication of men and women in the service of the Alliance ".
Of the four main NATO Headquarters, the one located in the Netherlands is the only one commanded by a European general. In particular, since March 2016, JFC Brunssum sees Italian and German general officers alternate in the Command every three years.
Brunssum Command manages NATO's military presence in the eastern part of the Alliance. This is mainly expressed through the enhanced Forward Presence (eFP), which involves the deployment of four battle group respectively in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, fed by the Framework Nations, supported by the other Allies, on the basis of the decision taken by the Heads of State and Government of the Alliance during the Warsaw Summit in July 2016.
The eFP is a measure of a defensive nature, proportionate and fully in line with NATO's international commitment to strengthen the Alliance's principle of deterrence.
Over the course of 2022, JFC Brunssum also holds operational command of the NATO Response Force (NRF), a high-readiness and technologically advanced multinational force made up of land, air, sea and special operations forces components, which the Alliance can deploy. quickly, wherever it is needed.
