AUGUST 28, 2024 – The United States recently began planning to significantly expand its presence at the NATO Joint Support and Enabling Command here, a move intended to improve the alliance’s ability to rapidly deploy forces.
Currently a NATO force structure organization, JSEC is set to become a full-fledged NATO command structure organization following the Washington Summit Declaration on July 10, according to Col. Phillip Borders, the U.S. senior national representative at JSEC. This change gives JSEC greater authority and access to NATO’s common funding, allowing for increased staffing and resources.
The expansion is driven by NATO’s need to bolster deterrence capabilities in the face of growing tensions along the alliance’s eastern flank. JSEC plays a crucial role in developing the Reinforcement and Sustainment Network, a critical component of the alliance’s ability to rapidly deploy forces and equipment in the alliance’s area of operations.
“JSEC’s role at the operational level is to basically serve as the middleman to enable force projection and setting the theater,” said Borders. “JSEC’s main tool right now is the series of roads, rails and interconnected waterways – the air, ground and sea lines of communication connecting from North America all the way to the eastern border of NATO.”
The increased U.S. presence at JSEC will see the number of American personnel grow from the current approximately 20 to between 50 and 70 over the next three to five years. This expansion will allow the United States to better align its efforts with NATO’s overall strategy and contribute more effectively to the Reinforcement and Sustainment Network.
While the expansion of JSEC is seen as a critical step in enhancing NATO’s capabilities, it presents some challenges. According to Borders, one of the primary hurdles is the need to establish a more robust support structure for the incoming personnel.
“We don’t have a National Support Element here in Ulm,” he said. “Unlike other U.S. units stationed in Germany, we don’t have access to some important quality of life facilities.”
“Establishing essential services, along with adequate housing and schooling options for military families, will be crucial for the successful implementation of the expansion.
“Additionally, the command will need to invest in training and equipment to ensure that personnel are prepared to handle their new responsibilities,” he said.
The timeline for the expansion is ambitious. While the official decision to make JSEC a NATO command structure organization was announced in June, the full implementation of the expansion is projected to take several years.
“A normal build takes five years for any organization,” Borders said. “But we believe we’re at least a year into that.”
The command is currently in the process of identifying required personnel and developing a plan to implement the expansion. A personnel allocation conference is scheduled for November to determine the specific staffing levels necessary for the planned expansion.
“Ulm is an absolutely great place,” said Borders. “This is one of the best work-life balances I’ve ever had in my life.”
By Troy Darr
U.S. Army NATO