Assistant Chief of Staff J9, Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Brigadier General Dieter Kohl opened the first workshop in conjunction with the Qatari Armed Forces Acting Deputy Chief of Staff for Joint Operations and Chief of Military Training Authority, Major General Jassim Al-Mohannadi.
Brigadier General Kohl highlighted the importance of REGEX 23 for rebuilding TRUST after the Covid restrictions.
REGEX 23 is to strengthen NATO’s ties with Qatar, enhance Partner nations’ knowledge on the NATO Exercise Planning Process, and improve Interoperability.
Each senior leader wished the participants success, stamina, and energy for the successful completion of the exercise.
The Regional Exercise (REGEX) program is a NATO-supported opportunity for Partner Nations to plan and conduct an exercise from beginning to end, while meeting their own unique training requirements. It involves a designated Partner Nation acting as host, whilst inviting other NATO Partners to participate in the planning and execution of a national exercise. NATO provides support to the exercise planning workshops by offering:
Major General Jassim Al-Mohannadi (QAF, front row, center) and Brigadier General Dieter Kohl (DEU-A, front row, 4 from left) stand with the participants of REGEX 23 in front of the Qatari Armed Forces Joint Warfare Training Center.
It involves a designated Partner Nation acting as host, whilst inviting other NATO Partners to participate in the planning and execution of a national exercise. NATO provides support to the exercise planning workshops by offering:
· Training during the first two planning workshops on NATO Exercise Planning Procedures.
· Subject Matter Expertise and mentoring through all phases of exercise planning and execution.
· Funding support for participants from eligible partner nations.
The State of Qatar graciously offered to serve as the host nation for REGEX 23, adding to the robust list of previous host nations including, Bosnia and Herzegovina (REGEX 16), Jordan (REGEX 17), Serbia (REGEX 18), the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (REGEX 19), and Morocco (REGEX 22). Of note, REGEX 23 is the first full-scale REGEX conducted since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the first REGEX hosted by a member of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.
A JFC Naples J7/J9 team, in conjunction with host nation personnel from Qatar’s Joint Warfare Training Center facilitated the Workshop where more than 60 participants encompassing NATO, Qatar and 12 additional Partner nations took part.
Allied Joint Force Command Naples intends to organize further REGEX 23 workshops that prepare for the culmination in a Qatari Forces Exercise in November 2023.