On February 12 the Joint Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces hosted a Planning Conference for the Movement Control Multinational Integrated Logistic Unit (MOVCON MILU) which is led by the Logistics Command of the Lithuanian Armed Forces this year.
11 participants represented 8 countries, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and the United Kingdom, at the Planning Conference.
In the opening address Chief of Staff of the logistics Command Lieutenant Colonel Klaidas Tolys welcomed the guests and expressed a regret that representatives of Hungary, Canada and the U.S., member countries of the MOVCON MILU, were not able to attend. He also wished to the participants a wonderful experience during the visit in Lithuania and a productive Planning Conference.
Representatives of the Lithuanian Logistics Command introduced at the Conference to the party states to the project the Lead Nation Action Plan and discussed two key exercises for logistic personnel for 2015, Capable Logistician and Trident Juncture. At the meeting the participants agreed that there was a need to draw up a rotation schedule for deployments to Operation Kosovo Force (KFOR) and to extend the rotation schedule of the MOVCON MILU lead nations. Two exercises that Lithuania will host in summer and in winter also to prepare the MOVCON MILU for deployment in Kosovo were also discussed.
The Movement Control Multinational Integrated Logistic Unit is a joint unit formed by NATO countries to maintain readiness to deploy in an operational theatre alongside other NATO forces in order to render movement control support during the deployment, sustainment, relocation and redeployment stages of a NATO-led operation or exercise.
Lithuania, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Slovakia and Hungary signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the formation of a Movement Control Multinational Integrated Logistic Unit in Brussels in 2010.
Five more NATO countries - Poland, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, the United States and Romania - have joined the project since then. Participants of the MOVCON MILU project rotate to assume command of the MOVCON MILU for a period of one year. The Logistics Command of the Lithuanian Armed Forces is carrying out this duty from January 1 till December 31 of 2014.
Since 2012 one MOVCON MILU team has been permanently deployed with Kosovo Force (KFOR) where it is ensuring a fluent movement of NATO forces, providing planning and assistance in organisation of personnel and shipment transportation, mediating in border crossing procedures, supporting control of personnel travels via roads and in airports. In 2013 the Lithuanian Armed Forces were contributing one movement control officer to various MOVCON MILU positions in KFOR on a rotational basis every three months.
Information by the Logistics Command of the Lithuanian Armed Forces
