NTCC meets in Warsaw to improve host nation support

WARSAW, Poland — Senior military leaders representing 20 allied and partner nations of the National Territorial Commanders Committee met here May 27 for its annual three-day meeting to streamline host-nation support coordination.

Maj. Gen.  Aundre F. Piggee, commanding general of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, led the U.S. delegation at the Polish Armed Forces-hosted event, which focused on the creation of an action plan to strengthen interagency coordination to more efficiently respond to civil emergencies, develop a database to capture host nation support of best practices of its members in support of International Security Assistance Force/Operation Enduring Freedom, and establish a framework for future membership expansion.

The NTCC, established in 1986, provides a forum for senior logistical military commanders from 20 allied and partner nations (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the U.S.), along with observers from NATO, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, the European Union military staff and the U.S. European Command, to improve host nation cooperation and enhance NTCC members’ logistics response for exercises, contingencies or operations.

“It is a unique opportunity to work with NATO, the EU and, for example, Switzerland,” said Lt. Col. Pawel Kwarto, senior host nation support specialist, Logistics Directorate, Polish armed forces general staff. “The most important benefit is a single point of contact amongst the members to ask for host-nation support. For example, if there is a transportation issue between a member state and Poland, I am the single point of contact, and I can solve the problem.”

The NTCC allows a more efficient movement of classes of supplies by assisting the member countries in planning, managing and implementing logistics support through knowledge management sharing and strengthening partnerships.

For the full story and more, visit the 21st TSC’s webpage at www.eur.army.mil/21TSC/ or their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/#!/21stTSC?fref=ts.