READY FOR TODAY – EVOLVING FOR TOMORROW
to achieve any of the three defence
engagement objectives in order to
enhance presence as a permanent
headquarters and as a JTF in the near
future.
The ARRC attracts ‘A List’ visitors and
it is a fact that the reputation of the
headquarters is strong. In June 2018, 17
UK-based defence attachés (DAs) visited
the ARRC, representing some of its 23
participating nations (PNs). The visit was
an opportunity to advertise to NATO DAs
the role, function and professionalism
of the ARRC, encourage PN’s to send
quality personnel to the ARRC and
encourage those NATO countries that
are not represented in ARRC to consider
joining. This kind of activity satisfies
the key audience of NATO Allies and
partners. The role of the JVB through
the applicable front office staff is to help
provide continuity of message in order
to develop capacity and interoperability.
It is therefore the responsibility of the
JVB to ensure that key messages taken
from each event is evaluated and fed
back to the STRATCOM cell, with the
assistance of the Public Affairs Office, in
order to emphasise the message about
current and future commitments, force
development, training and manning.
In this case it was an opportunity to
advertise posts from to PNs and fill
them with quality personnel from NATO
members.
The same month the JVB facilitated
a visit by a number of OF-5 students
enrolled at the Ukrainian Defence
University. The visit was part of a wider
command course programme to the
UK to educate and reinforce Western
governance structures and organisations
at the strategic level, whilst exposing
students to broader defence issues such
as politics, economics and industry. This
was in line with the Ukraine’s’ Strategic
Defence and Security Review equivalent
The Strategic Defence Bulletin. The brief
given to them was, naturally, ARRC-
specific and covered: advertise we are carrying out this kind of
activity teaches us a great deal about the
perception from audiences and actors.
We need to listen and act on feedback
to maximise efforts and minimise risk
where the incorrect message is reaching
external audiences, which could have
been the case with the Ukrainians. This
was a vital piece of work and a prime
example of why it is necessary to share
information across the headquarters and
act upon it. Perhaps this process is in
need of development.
• The ARRC concept Ideal visit
• Interoperability by way of working with
other countries
• Training and deployment
• The ARRC’s staff branches
The brief included a discussion whereby
the students were encouraged to
ask questions and share personal
experiences. The questions were both
interesting and revealing. They were
interested in what NATO would do – or
would be able to do – in the event of
escalating hostilities with our common
adversary. Several comments about
the ARRC and the difference between
what they had initially thought about the
ARRC were recorded. It was interesting
to note their thoughts and impressions
of the ARRC. This is where a seat on
STRATCOM’s Information Activities
Working Group (IAWG) is important for
the JVB. Gathering external feedback
and exploiting the opportunity to
Taking our potential transition to a JTF
headquarters into consideration, KLE
is a targeting activity. Rather like a
meeting, a visit needs a purpose. Both
the ARRC and the visitor must achieve
an objective from the visit. Afterwards,
a follow-up is required and this is where
an improvement must be sought in
our internal processes as previously
identified. We need to provide answers
and feedback on the requirement for the
visit and record whether a service can be
provided; can the visit result in providing
a solution to a problem where something
we require can be achieved? This is
where the STRATCOM cell has a useful
strategy when measuring effect for
visits, during both internal and external
interaction with ARRC staff and senior
officers. Figure 1 below depicts how
each visit can filter into the system and
help convey the message or product:
ALLIED RAPID REACTION CORPS
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