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The Main Events List/Main Incidents List (MEL/MIL) Scripting Workshop for Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 16 (TRJE 16) took place from 5 to 14 September at NATO's Joint Warfare Centre (JWC) in Stavanger, Norway.

The JWC-led scripting workshop, together with the fast approaching Battle Staff Training, are the last two events prior to the exercise execution this autumn, which will certify Allied Joint Force Command Naples (JFC Naples) to assume command of the 2017 NATO Response Force (NRF).

During the TRJE 16 Scripting Workshop, nearly 200 military and civilian personnel from JWC, NRF 17 NATO commands and additional external sources were tasked with developing the final MEL/MIL exercise script for a total of 97 Incidents with multiple complex operational dilemmas covering all domains, including land, air, maritime, space, cyberspace and information environment, based on the fictitious SKOLKAN training scenario.

The aim was to stimulate joint, operational level challenges to support the Training Objectives of the exercise and fully challenge JFC Naples and its Component Commands at the operational, strategic and tactical levels.

In addition to NATO Command and Force Structure headquarters, liaison personnel and planners from the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Ministries of Defence also attended the workshop.

"JFC Naples had two expectations from this Scripting Workshop," said German Army Lieutenant Colonel Stephan Dirr, Chief Trusted Agent from JFC Naples. "Firstly, preparing a solid base to conduct a successful execution of TRJE 16 and, second, to organize the Battle Staff Training to fully prepare the JFC Naples staff."

Lieutenant Colonel Dirr added: "And that's what we achieved here. Thanks to the outstanding support delivered by JWC, the different Component Commands and contractors we now have a solid grounding for a successful execution of TRIDENT JUNCTURE and the invaluable possibility of improving our professional knowledge."

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TRJE 16 will train NRF 17

TRJE 16 is an Allied Command Transformation (ACT)-sponsored computer assisted/command post exercise (CAX/CPX) that will train and evaluate JFC Naples' command and control (C2) of NRF 2017, together with NRF 2017 Component Commands, including Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO), Allied Air Command (AIRCOM), NATO Special Operations HQ (NSHQ) and the Joint Logistics Support Group (JLSG).

The Psychological Operations Task Force and the Combined Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Task Force HQs will also support the exercise. Additionally, within TRJE 16's NATO Article 5 context, the exercise will train the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) provided by the United Kingdom's 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade.

Last but not least, TRJE 16 is also the first exercise in which JWC works together with the Estonian NATO Force Integration Unit (NFIU).

In his closing remarks on 14 September Polish Army Major General Andrzej Reudowicz thanked all the workshop participants, saying that the workshop's success was due to their collective effort especially in the field of Comprehensive Approach which highlights the importance of establishing an effective cooperation between nations, international organisations and non-governmental organisations and all relevant NATO bodies during a Crisis Response Operation.

Overall, the TRIDENT JUNCTURE series of exercises provides NATO's exercise and training framework to prepare and certify NATO's two operational headquarters, JFC Naples and JFC Brunssum, to command and control the NATO Response Force each year.

As NATO's principal facilitator for command post exercise/computer assisted exercises (CPX/CAX), the Joint Warfare Centre acts as Officer Directing the Exercise (ODE) during all TRIDENT exercises.

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