SHIRBRIG Group II staff training

From the 20^th October till the 24^th October 2008, the Group II staff training for permanent and non-permanent staff members was conducted in the Gardekasernen in Høvelte, Denmark.

The Group II staff training is part of the SHIRBRIG annual training plan and is repeated every year. During this event all non-permanent staff members are invited to come to Denmark and participate in the training. This time also 3 staff officers from the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) took part in the training. The aim of this year’s training was to learn more about the UN, UN peace operations and perform an Operational Planning Process (OPP) for exercise Viking 08.

The training audience arrived on Sunday, where they were welcomed at the airport by SHIRBRIG drivers Lance Corporal René Westh and Lance Corporal Jesper Andreasen. After a swift transport everybody was lodged in the Island hotel in Copenhagen by the Chief Clerk Personnel (WO Steffen Carlsen).

On Monday morning COMSHIRBRIG, Brigadier General Torben Lund, addressed the training audience and wished them a fruitful week. The commander also explained about the present and possible near future situation of SHIRBRIG. All non-permanent members introduced themselves to the SHIRBRIG PLANELM and to each other.

Introduction on Monday morning

Later on COSSHIRBRIG, Colonel Christof Tatschl, introduced the permanent staff to the non-permanent members and the SHIRBRIG guests. On Monday evening a well organised “meet and greet” took place in the Island hotel, where all participants had a chance to get acquainted and the older SHIRBRIG members could bring back precious memories. Every morning, the training day started with an overall briefing for the day by G3-training (Major Nol van Kemenade, also the architect of the training). The first 2 days were filled with lessons, taken out of the UN Standard Generic Training Module (SGTM) and other presentations and briefings. Although this theoretical approach is not the easiest to present and to attend, it proved to be very educating.

Also many informal contacts were very fruitful

The second part of the week, starting on Wednesday, consisted of executing the Operational Planning Process (OPP) for exercise Viking 08. Although not all non permanent members were invited to participate in the exercise in November 08 (due to a limited number of working spaces in Sweden), everybody worked very hard to analyze all information. After this all branches developed their prognoses over what they thought could happen in the future mission. From there they created some very interesting and well formulated “courses of action” in which they explained their plans to start the mission. All branches presented their final results to COSSHIRBRIG and G3 SHIRBRIG, Lieutenant Colonel Sergio Tamai, which concluded the Operational Planning Process cycle for that moment.

On Friday morning COMSHIRBRIG addressed all participants once more and thanked them for the input of their experience and enthusiasm in the whole week. For all colleagues, attending the training, it was good to see and experience that in these uncertain times for SHIRBRIG, everybody worked in a cohesive and positive attitude. There is no doubt that all participants in this training are hoping that SHIRBRIG will continue to exist. Later that day all participants were taken to the Copenhagen Airport where the normal: “hope to see you again soon” suddenly got a different extra meaning.