Force Command Heidelberg
Encyclopedia
Allied Force Command Heidelberg (HQ FC HD) is a unit with the NATO Military Command Structure
responsible for providing Deployable Joint Staff Elements (DJSE) in support of NATO operations world-wide. HQ FC HB is garrisoned at Campbell Barracks
, Germany
and reports to Joint Force Command Brunssum, the Netherlands
. HQ FC HB currently provides command and control elements for the International Security Assistance Force
, Afghanistan
.
at Campbell Barracks, Heidelberg, Germany. When the Bundeswehr
was activated in 1955, some German personnel were assigned to the plans section of CENTAG.
In April 1959, the plans section of CENTAG became Headquarters, Central Army Group and was commanded by an American general. It remained at Campbell Barracks and was charged with defending southern Germany against any prospective Soviet attack. It consisted of the German II Corps, the German III Corps
, the US V Corps, and the US VII Corps.
In August 1961, CENTAG was relocated to Hammonds Barracks, Seckenheim, Germany and remained there until December 1980 when NATO determined coordination was better when three headquarters were located on the same installation. CENTAG was returned to Campbell Barracks to be collocated with the 4th Allied Tactical Air Force (4 ATAF) and the Allied Command Europe Mobile Force-Land (AMF(L)).
Structural changes began in June 1993, when CENTAG and the Northern Army Group
(NORTHAG), Mönchengladbach
, Germany were deactivated and combined to form Allied Land Forces Central Europe (LANDCENT), which was activated in Heidelberg on 1 July 1993.
LANDCENT's mission was to:
At the lower level, all strictly national corps in the central region were superseded, in wartime plans terms at least, by the mid 1990s. All NATO corps, except for the German IV Corps, were then multinational. In the mid-late 1990s there were four multinational main defence corps in NATO's Central Region: one Danish-German (LANDJUT), one Dutch-German (I. GE/NL Corps
) and two German-United States (II GE/US and V US/GE). The two German-United States corps were strictly wartime command organisations.
Originally, LANDCENT command was to be rotated between German and Dutch generals. In 1996, The commander of US Army Europe
(USAREUR) assumed an additional role as commander of LANDCENT with General William W. Crouch
assuming command. The dual command of USAREUR and LANDCENT allowed the continued integration of American forces
into NATO's post-Cold War structure. In addition, an agreement was made which set out the arrangements under which the European Corps
(Eurocorps), consisting of units from Belgium, France, Germany
, Luxembourg, and Spain
, would be made available to NATO in times of crisis.
Beginning in 1993, LANDCENT provided troops in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1995, LANDCENT provided troops for the Implementation Force (IFOR) and later served as the headquarters of the Stabilization Force (SFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina. When NATO acted in Kosovo in 1999, LANDCENT began operations in Pristina
, Kosovo
and Skopje
, Republic of Macedonia
and would serve as the headquarters for the Kosovo Force (KFOR).
In 2006, NATO recognised the need for a more flexible command and control structure. To augment the current operational level commands, NATO experimented with the use of Deployable Joint Staff Elements (DJSE). The DJSE allow Joint Force Command Brunssum, Joint Force Command Naples
, and Joint Command Lisbon
to command multiple operations from their home headquarters. CC-Land HQ HB was chosen to test the concept, and was designated Force Command Heidelberg (HQ FC HB) in 2010. The first operation in which the DJSE have played a role is commanding the International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF), Afghanistan
.
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
responsible for providing Deployable Joint Staff Elements (DJSE) in support of NATO operations world-wide. HQ FC HB is garrisoned at Campbell Barracks
Campbell Barracks
Campbell Barracks, in Heidelberg, Germany, is the location of the Headquarters of the United States Army in Europe and Seventh Army Campbell Barracks, in Heidelberg, Germany, is the location of the Headquarters of the United States Army in Europe and Seventh Army Campbell Barracks, in Heidelberg,...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and reports to Joint Force Command Brunssum, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. HQ FC HB currently provides command and control elements for the International Security Assistance Force
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
History
The Central Army Group (CENTAG) was established in 1952 and assigned to work with US Army EuropeUnited States Army Europe
United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army and the land component of United States European Command. It is the largest American formation in Europe.-Invasion of Sicily:...
at Campbell Barracks, Heidelberg, Germany. When the Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
was activated in 1955, some German personnel were assigned to the plans section of CENTAG.
In April 1959, the plans section of CENTAG became Headquarters, Central Army Group and was commanded by an American general. It remained at Campbell Barracks and was charged with defending southern Germany against any prospective Soviet attack. It consisted of the German II Corps, the German III Corps
III Corps (Bundeswehr)
III Corps was a corps of the German Army active from 1957 to 1994.The preparation of the staff of the corps took place from 16 March 1957 at Gneisenau-Kaserne, Koblenz; the corps was officially formed on 6th April 1957. Initially, the 2nd Panzergrenadier Division and 5th Armoured Division from the...
, the US V Corps, and the US VII Corps.
In August 1961, CENTAG was relocated to Hammonds Barracks, Seckenheim, Germany and remained there until December 1980 when NATO determined coordination was better when three headquarters were located on the same installation. CENTAG was returned to Campbell Barracks to be collocated with the 4th Allied Tactical Air Force (4 ATAF) and the Allied Command Europe Mobile Force-Land (AMF(L)).
Structural changes began in June 1993, when CENTAG and the Northern Army Group
Northern Army Group
The Northern Army Group was a NATO military formation comprising four Western European Army Corps, during the Cold War as part of NATO's forward defence in the Federal Republic of Germany.- History :...
(NORTHAG), Mönchengladbach
Mönchengladbach
Mönchengladbach , formerly known as Münchengladbach, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine half way between Düsseldorf and the Dutch border....
, Germany were deactivated and combined to form Allied Land Forces Central Europe (LANDCENT), which was activated in Heidelberg on 1 July 1993.
LANDCENT's mission was to:
- 1) contribute to the protection of peace and deterrence of aggression,
- 2) plan, prepare and direct operations of allocated land forces for the security and defence of his area of responsibility,
- 3) plan, coordinate, and conduct synchronized air/land operations in support of CINCENT's theater campaign, and
- 4) be prepared to conduct peace support operations
At the lower level, all strictly national corps in the central region were superseded, in wartime plans terms at least, by the mid 1990s. All NATO corps, except for the German IV Corps, were then multinational. In the mid-late 1990s there were four multinational main defence corps in NATO's Central Region: one Danish-German (LANDJUT), one Dutch-German (I. GE/NL Corps
I. German/Dutch Corps
1 German/Netherlands Corps is a multinational formation consisting of units from both the Royal Dutch Army and German Army. It is also part of NATO's Response Force, a military force consisting of approximately 25,000 troops. The Corps' headquarters are situated in Münster , formerly the...
) and two German-United States (II GE/US and V US/GE). The two German-United States corps were strictly wartime command organisations.
Originally, LANDCENT command was to be rotated between German and Dutch generals. In 1996, The commander of US Army Europe
United States Army Europe
United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army and the land component of United States European Command. It is the largest American formation in Europe.-Invasion of Sicily:...
(USAREUR) assumed an additional role as commander of LANDCENT with General William W. Crouch
William W. Crouch
General William Wright Crouch is a retired United States Army four star general, and former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army.-Military career:...
assuming command. The dual command of USAREUR and LANDCENT allowed the continued integration of American forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
into NATO's post-Cold War structure. In addition, an agreement was made which set out the arrangements under which the European Corps
Eurocorps
Eurocorps is a multinational standing army corps available for the European Union and the Atlantic Alliance.Headquartered in Strasbourg, France, the force was created in May 1992, activated in October 1993 and declared operational in 1995....
(Eurocorps), consisting of units from Belgium, France, Germany
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
, Luxembourg, and Spain
Spanish Armed Forces
The Spanish Armed Forces are the military forces of the Kingdom of Spain. The Spanish Armed Forces are a modern military force charged with defending the Kingdom's integrity and sovereignty...
, would be made available to NATO in times of crisis.
Beginning in 1993, LANDCENT provided troops in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1995, LANDCENT provided troops for the Implementation Force (IFOR) and later served as the headquarters of the Stabilization Force (SFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina. When NATO acted in Kosovo in 1999, LANDCENT began operations in Pristina
Pristina
Pristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
, Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
and Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
, Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
and would serve as the headquarters for the Kosovo Force (KFOR).
Reorganisation
The departure from the Cold War era brought the implementation of a new NATO Integrated Military Structure and LANDCENT was formally designated as Joint Headquarters Centre (JHQ CENT) in a ceremony held in March 2000. The new structure, which accompanied this designation, included personnel from five additional nations: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Norway and Poland - making a total of 12 NATO Nations contributing to the Headquarters. In July 2004, JHQ CENT was once again reorganised and designated as Component Command-Land Headquarters, Heidelberg (CC-Land HQ HB).In 2006, NATO recognised the need for a more flexible command and control structure. To augment the current operational level commands, NATO experimented with the use of Deployable Joint Staff Elements (DJSE). The DJSE allow Joint Force Command Brunssum, Joint Force Command Naples
Joint Force Command Naples
Allied Joint Force Command Naples is a NATO military command. It was activated on 15 March 2004, after what was effectively a redesignation of its predecessor command, Allied Forces Southern Europe , originally formed in 1951...
, and Joint Command Lisbon
Joint Command Lisbon
Allied Joint Force Command Lisbon or JFC Lisbon is one of the three main subdivisions of NATO's Allied Command Operations. It is based in Oeiras, near Lisbon, Portugal...
to command multiple operations from their home headquarters. CC-Land HQ HB was chosen to test the concept, and was designated Force Command Heidelberg (HQ FC HB) in 2010. The first operation in which the DJSE have played a role is commanding the International Security Assistance Force
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
(ISAF), Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.