ARRC JOURNAL
Joint Force Air Component Staff
• Less a Liaison Officer, more a Joint
Coordination Officer. One could argue
the only staff officer conducting genuine
liaison is the Chief GLE. The rest of the
GLE team are fully embedded members
of their respective divisions in the Air
Component. They play an active role in
developing and preparing the ATO, and
then executing it. They are regarded
by Air as part of their own team,
notwithstanding the fact they have an
eye firmly on the needs of Land. This
is a critical distinction. It is this role of
joint coordination that defines the GLE
team, which means that the amount of
influence the GLE has within the Air
component is out of all proportion to the
number of staff officers deployed. But…
• The GLE are only as good as the
Land Component allows them to be!
The agility, flexibility and capabilities
that the Air Component offers to Land
are impressive. The Land Component
should always look to maximise these
capabilities and effects. The GLE
must be fed the appropriate direction
and guidance from the LCC as often
and as quickly as possible. If the LCC
wishes to maximise the opportunities
that the ACC has at its disposal, then
staff horsepower must be dedicated
to servicing the requirements of
the GLE. When this was done on
TRJE18 the results were impressive.
When information slowed or failed
to materialise, planning was rushed
at best and at worst the results were
frustrating.
• ATO inflexibility? No, simply book
early to avoid disappointment!
This brings us onto the last, and
perhaps most important, point that
was reinforced during the exercise.
There are many misconceptions from
the Land perspective about the ATO
and its flexibility. By its very nature and
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ALLIED RAPID REACTION CORPS
complexity the ATO takes time to build.
Planning begins three days in advance
of execution, with refinement constantly
taking place through to the moment of
execution. Within that process, which is
ruthlessly followed by the Air staff, there
is ample opportunity to be flexible.
However, Land requirements need to
be earmarked as early as possible. It
is better to make a broad assessment
that a capability will be required and
cancel it, than to make a last minute
bid. There can be a tendency for Land
to only look approximately 48 hours out
(or less) in its requests for assets. This
is late insofar as the Air Component is
concerned and can result in a build-
up of frustration from both sides as
they strive to achieve their respective
commanders’ intents. On the other
hand, if the Air and Land Components
builds up credibility and trust it is
extraordinary what Air can deliver at
extremely short notice.
Next Steps
So, we are seeing the development of a
GLE capability within 1GNC. While they
are not dedicated GLE staff officers, as
is the case with the ARRC, this growth
and commitment to the GLE capability
is welcomed. Already we are looking
to utilise this cooperation to refine the
ARRC’s GLE SOPs into wider NATO
SOPs for all future GLEs. In addition,
Allied Land Command (LANDCOM)
has charged the ARRC with pursuing
improved coherence across NATO and
Air-Land Integration doctrine, training
or procedures. The GLE in the ARRC is
presently in the ‘Understand’ phase of
this demanding task. If you are reading
this article and believe you have a role
to play in how we as an Alliance handle
this challenge, please get in touch. Air-
Land Integration and Cross Domain
Integration as a whole require all parties
to be fully engaged. It takes time and
effort, but eventually those efforts are
paid back many times over.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Colonel Richard Head is a 28-year
veteran of the British Army and currently
serves as Chief of the ARRC’s Ground
Liaison Element. In his previous
assignment he served as Assistant
Director at Headquarters, Standing Joint
Commander (UK) in Andover, England.
Col. Head has led troops across an array
of operations, such as counterterrorism,
peacekeeping and military aid to civil
authorities in locations including Northern
Ireland, the Balkans and Afghanistan.
A native of Derby, England, Col. Head
holds a Bachelor’s Degree with Honours
in Modern History from Cardiff University.