The Joint CBRN Defence Centre of Excellence (JCBRND COE) hosted a visit by the Austrian Defence Attaché to the Czech Republic Colonel Karl FITSCH on the 10th September 2019. This was the first official visit by the Austrian Defence Attaché, since he took over this responsibility in 2018. The aim of this visit was to gain insight into the JCBRND COE in Vyškov and to establish a personal contact to the Austrian CBRN Defence Staff Officer, who is working in the Transformation Support Department since October 2016, as a Capability Development and Defence Planning Deputy Section Chief.
The director of the JCBRND COE Colonel (GS) Vratislav OSVALD (CZE-A), accompanied by his Deputy Director Colonel Wolfgang REICH (DEU-A), welcomed the Austrian Defence Attaché at the JCBRND COE and provided the traditional command briefing, informing on NATO’s COEs in general, and particularly on the JCBRND COE’s development, mission, tasks, and structure. Additionally, Col OSVALD mentioned the duties of the departments of the JCBRND COE, focusing mainly on the Transformation Support Department (TSD). Especially the very complex involvement and the big role the JCBRND COE is playing in the NATO framework, was of a very high interest of the Austrian Defence Attaché to the Czech Republic.
The command brief was followed by two very interesting briefings of the Operation Support Department (OSD), focusing on its main efforts on CBRN Reachback, and Modelling & Simulation. They could clearly express their high capabilities and knowledge.
The visit was concluded by a national first-hand introduction into the detailed tasks of the Austrian member working at the JCBRND COE, to provide the Austrian Defence Attaché a detailed overview.
Finally, the Austrian Defence Attaché to the Czech Republic announced his high appreciation and gratefulness to this informative, very well organised and comprehensive event and he is looking forward to meeting the JCBRND COE Director soon in the future.
Author: LtCol Roman LAIMER (AUT-A)