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Partnership for Peace Workshop 2009: “The Mission of the Associations of the Reserve Officers in the Condition of the Professionalized Armed Forces”

Objavil Matej Fugina, 18. julij 2010

International workshop titled The Mission of the Associations of the Reserve Officers in the Condition of the Professionalized Armed Forces took place between the 15^th and 18^th of October 2009 in the organization of Union of Slovenian Officers (USO) in cooperation with Partnership for Peace Committee (PfP Committee) and Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR). Members of the Slovenian Student Association of Defence Studies participated in the reception of participants as keepers of the minutes for each workgroup and helped in finalization of final reports. We are publishing these shorts reports in order to share important key points that were revealed and stressed out at the workgroup’s final presentations and conclusions.

Photogallery can be seen here. Workshop’s agenda can be seen here.

Workshop’s main topics inter alia consisted of:

• balancing full-spectrum (multidimensional) national defence and smaller professionalized (expeditionary) forces
• relation between strategic and contract (voluntary) military reserve
• integration of the reserve in concept of collective defence
• balancing the need of professionalized military officers and reserve officers with special technical skills
• CIMIC (civil-military cooperation)
• doctrinal transformation: usage of reserve officers in peacekeeping operations and also in modern combat operations
• integration of the reserve with professional armed forces (specially in the field of critical infrastructure)
• balancing security architecture of NATO and EU – managing critical infrastructure
• reservist and associations of the reserve officers as an essential link between armed forces and society
• the need to use reserve officers as a promoters of armed forces and carriers of essential civil knowledge into the armed forces (constructive criticism and dialogue with the armed forces) etc.

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Workgroup I: Professionalization of Armed Forces – Impact on Reserves (Matej Fugina, Dejan Redek)

• Expanding of professionalized armed forces at the beginning of the 21st century is a fact,
• Training of reserves became less important – not the case in all countries,
• Reserve Officers Associations (ROA) remain the power promoting positive attitude toward country defence and security system in civil society,
• International community is every year more intensively involved in international operations and missions,
• Deployment of reservists should be based on the careful study of their capabilities and qualifications,
• Reserve personnel to be deployed should be trained at a militarily acceptable level,
• ROA should be the principal adviser on reserve matters at the national level,
• ROA as NGO holds unique position between military and civil society,
• For effective use of reservists a database of civilian skills is essential,
• ROA is best suited to represent reservists to parliament, its committies and members,
• ROA cannot be responsible for the reintegration of reservists returning from deployment: that is responsibility of the government,
• As the reservists only depend on the military budget for a short time, their service is cost effective,
• The level of ambition as a political decision is of paramount importance.

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Workgroup II: Practices and scenarios in CT and intelligence – fact sheet on cooperation and information exchange (Matej Ramuta, Lan N. Janković)

Main problems:

• easier to gain information via social networking (even outside legal terms),
• formal and legal information exchange is time consuming,
• informal situations are backing-up or replacing formal ones (information technology, using internet instead of intranet etc.),
• lack of formal power or mechanisms in organizational structures in CT (or intelligence) to enforce horizontal cooperation or horizontal exchange of information,
• lack of horizontal communication (bypass through the peak of the pyramid),
• layers of decision making are main problem in vertical structures of CT or intelligence,
• national security councils are without adequate rules of procedure (in horizontal cooperation),
• unequal participation of departments (ministries) in CT strategy,
• horizontal cooperation is also the key on tactical level of organization (in CT cooperation of military and police with sharing of experience),
• problem: how to achieve military goals with political means,
• hierarchy only works on strategic level,
• military is under strict legal frame, rules and SOPs – lack of flexibility,
• the need of cooperation with judiciary system: processes ought to be parallel in time (first is slower than the police),
• the need for case studies,
• problem of different responsibilities (rules of  engagement, sharing of information etc),
• lack of cooperation between military and civil intelligence,
• problem of competition between departments (ministries), lack of political will,
• lack of coordination mechanisms,
• lack of international cooperation between military intelligence systems (Iraq, Afghanistan),
• the need to process information (to avoid information or raw data overload).

Good practices:

• roundtables are a possibility of good practice of horizontal cooperation and information exchange,
• universal military school or academy (for all branches of the military, police, customs, gendarmerie etc) produces coordination and social networking,
• money as a main tool to motivate: the need to achieve new behavioral and thinking model (motivation through demands of security etc.).

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Workgroup III: Facing a smaller financial support for activities of Associations of Reserve Officers (Luka N. Končina, Janja Jamar)

1. How much of resources should be dedicated to the reserve officers?

The members of different countries have similar problems, problems with the funding of their reserve organizations and their reserve branches. Due to the financial crisis it is increasingly hard to find resources of financial support and logistic support to fulfil their main objectives.

• Government funding: Participants stated that it would be easier for their work if they had a fixed budget or a percentage of the Armed Forces budget so that they could better plan and execute their programs and ideas.

• Non-governmental funding: Options for non-governmental funding were given from almost all participants, some of the organizations are funded solely by members. Others on the other hand get their funding by organizing activities for their members and other interested groups by charging them for their services.

Of course organizations can be funded only by contributions which can be incorporated into the organizations budget.

2. How to sustain the interest of former (reserve) officers for the promotion of the Armed Forces and passing on their military experiences?

• Legislation: By changing existing legislation or at least taking an active part and supporting Reserve Officer Organizations. The former reserve officers can strengthen their position in the eyes of the members and future members. In number of countries the status of reserve officers must be upgraded. Rights and obligations of reserve officers have to be made clear, i.e. obligations of the reservist to the MoD and the obligations of the MoD to the reservist.

• Effective promotion of the associations: We have determined that a number of the associations which participated in the workshop aren’t that effective in reaching out to potential members. A lot has to be done in that field.

Each organization approaches the problem differently:

• Visible actions (Does the public understand the organization?),
• How professional are the organizations?
• Getting more horizontal connections with other military organizations,
• Cooperation and education for the young (Are you relating yourself and your association to the younger generation?),
• Promoting the values of military life,
• Building the bridge between armed forces and civil society (in countries that have professional armed forces there is an ever increasing gap between the armed forces and the civil society. Are we reaching out to the community? ),
• Are the organizations giving back to the community?
• Do reservists feel they need these organizations?
• Better multilateral communication between groups under umbrella organizations,
• Educating the decision makers etc.

3. How to get the knowledgeable core to participate in the association?

Not only does the membership need to sustain the organization, the membership must engage the people with experience who understand the needs of reserve officers and NCOs. One way of getting this force is from the retired officer community because they are extremely knowledgeable and want to contribute.

• Every officer, NCO and soldier is the mirror of the organization he/she is working for: Getting their input is necessary to promote their rights and status.  This will help to enhance their role in society and the organization.

4. Other ideas that should be looked into

International cooperation of ROAs can act as a safety net or better yet as a connecting bridge between parties that were involved in conflicts, so that future conflicts can be prevented. At this point it was stated that CIOR can help countries via PfP to bridge the previous gaps that were created. We are all professionals fighting for the same cause, so we should stand together regardless of nationality. Projects such as international military competitions should be considered.

It was stated that more cooperation is needed among countries that are not currently involved in CIOR. Help should be given to countries that don’t have established ROA’s. Transformation from big conscript armies to small professional armies is difficult. We have learned a lot during this transition period.  We can share our experiences. ROA’s can make these transitions easier due to their vast experience.