Montenegro partnership for peace country attends Combined Endeavor 11

Combined Endeavor
Story by Sgt. Brian Rodan

Date: 09.14.2011
Posted: 09.14.2011 07:36
News ID: 77000
Combined Endeavor 2011

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany -- Montenegro is among the 40 nations that are participating in Combined Endeavor a multinational exercise, from Sept. 9-22, 2011.

The goal of the exercise is to improve North American and European military communications, and computer network inter-connectivity to help nations partner together in responding to regional crisis or disaster.

1st Lt. Isak Mrkaic, Montenegro army, said Combined Endeavor gives us the chance to improve our military capabilities. CE is a huge military exercise for Montenegro since we are a partnership for peace country, and this is one of the only multinational exercises that we have the opportunity to participate in with not only other PFP countries, but NATO ones as well.

The exercise gives nations the opportunity to train and practice setting up coalition networks that benefit them now and in the future.

“During Combined Endeavor we test our equipment, and we also get the chance to improve our language skills. Our country gets to see different solutions from the other countries in which we take back to our country. Then we can implement those different solutions in our own military systems,” said Mrkaic.

Nations that have previously participated in Combined Endeavor claim their experiences during the exercise benefit them in the present and in the past.

“From previous experiences with Combined Endeavor we tested some open source solutions in which we implemented into our army,” said Mrkaic.

“We also get to see what the other bigger armies are using for their telecommunications systems. Which gives us the chance to buy equipment that has been proven to work from other armies.” said Mrkaic.

While working with other nations in a coalition environment like Combined Endeavor you create friendships and bonds that will benefit you in the future.

“Combined Endeavor is such a huge exercise so this is a great opportunity not just to test equipment and communications, but to build relations between us and among other countries so it's a really great experience,” said Mrkaic.