From March 4-14, the United States European Command (USEUCOM) conducted Exercise Austere Challenge 2024 (AC24) virtually across the European Theater to practice US response to a major fictional crisis. Both military and civilian personnel participated in the exercise which occurred in two phases. In Fall 2023, USEUCOM staff completed the Deliberate Planning phase to increase cohesion and integration across North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Allies in the European Theater including the US, NATO, and other Allies. Then, in this most recent operation, USEUCOM staff completed the execution phase to coordinate US operations in support of NATO’s defense.
According to an article by USEUCOM, the purpose of this exercise is to “prepare U.S. and NATO forces to operate across the full range of military operations in joint, trans-regional, multi-domain, multi-functional, integrated and contested environments.” This most recent iteration of the AC series of exercises is part of a larger series of exercises planned and executed since the 1990s focused on “training combatant command coordination, command and control and the integration of capabilities and functions across USEUCOM’s headquarters, its component commands, other combatant commands and U.S. government agencies.”
US Army V Corps and 310th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
As part of AC24, the US Army V Corps and 310th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) (ESC) stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky completed some of the virtual exercise. Several members of Team Joint Enterprise Data Interoperability (JEDI) were onsite during the virtual exercise to assist V Corps and 310th ESC in the use of NATO Logistics Functional Area Services (LOGFAS) and the JEDI Multinational Logistics Common Operating Picture (MNLOGCOP), a capability which helps decision makers to understand logistics and operational data by automating the production of a Recognized Logistics Picture (RLP).
Simultaneously, other Team JEDI members were present in the European Theater to provide support and training for LOGFAS and the JEDI MNLOGCOP leading up to and during the exercise in Kaiserslautern, Germany, where the US Army 21st Theater Sustainment Command (TSC) is headquartered, Wiesbaden, Germany, and Grafenwoehr Training Area, also known as the U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwoehr, a US Army military training base in Germany. The 21st TSC’s JEDI Movement Center Europe (JMCE) serves as the 21st TSC LOGFAS Center of Excellence, effectively leveraging LOGFAS in day-to-day mission support and in US and NATO exercises including AC24.
LOGFAS and MNLOGCOP Successes
Thanks to V Corps, 310th ESC, and those in the European Theater, there were LOGFAS and the JEDI MNLOGCOP successes during AC24. During the exercise, almost one hundred LOGFAS user accounts and almost two hundred JEDI MNLOGCOP user accounts were created for US, British, and Estonian users, representing a greater commitment to the integration of these essential capabilities in a multinational environment. Exercising this capability led to improvements in network interoperability, allowing for the expanded usage of these capabilities in future exercises.
V Corps’ usage of LOGFAS in this exercise marks a significant step towards further integrating US Forces into NATO systems and procedures. V Corps used LOGFAS and the JEDI MNLCOGCOP to simulate the planning, collaboration, and execution of various movement missions throughout the European theater for AC24. They primarily utilized the LOGFAS transportation and movement applications of Effective Visible Execution (EVE) and Coalition Reception Staging Onward Movement (CORSOM). During the exercise, V Corps’ commitment to utilization of these capabilities resulted in their creation of over a thousand missions in EVE and over one hundred custom exercise locations in the LOGFAS Geo Manager. Similarly, those in the European Theater during AC24 utilized LOGFAS and the JEDI MNLOGCOP to effectively simulate and respond to the exercise’s needs. Many future opportunities were identified throughout the exercise that will better improve NATO’s multinational interoperability.
Future Opportunities
Today, the NATO alliance remains a critical pillar of transatlantic security, serving as a forum for political and military cooperation among its members. In the face of evolving security challenges, including Russian aggression, terrorism, and cyber threats, NATO plays a crucial role in promoting stability and security in Europe and beyond. The use of LOGFAS and the JEDI MNLOGCOP during AC24 opened future opportunities for improvement in these capabilities and further expansion of their use by other NATO Nations and Allies. The integration of US Forces into NATO systems, as demonstrated in Austere Challenge 2024 through the use of LOGFAS and the JEDI MNLOGCOP, underscores the enduring commitment of the United States to the alliance.