Within EATC‘s building French Major General Pascal Valentin, Commander of the EATC, welcomed Air Transport (AT)-leaders of the Participating Nations (PN) at the Eindhoven Air Base, offering a good opportunity to exchange experience(s) in the wide field of AT.
A forum of ideas and synergies
The Commanders Conference focuses on the flying groups-, maintenance groups- and squadron leaders level with an increased number of participants compared to last year’s edition.
The first briefer during the conference was the Head of the Operational Division (OPSD), Dutch Colonel Jurgen van der Biezen, who described current and future projects of “his” division, that runs the AT of the EATC with more than 130 aircraft – daily and world-wide. In his briefing he focused on the current achievements and the challenges that the OPSD is facing: “It is clear that the EATC is already a reference in AT and will progress constantly and effective as service provider in various AT-matters. The achievements of the EATC are beneficial to the PN and the results show a significant contribution to the initiative to enhance international military cooperation in pooling and sharing military assets.” Daily the EATC proves to be as “effective as needed and efficient as possible”.
During the day the participants were presented several briefings with operational and functional topics and were involved in discussions all with the intent to enhance the relationship and to improve our organization. The multinational part of the conference ended with a social event in the Novotel Eindhoven.
The next day the conference continued led by the Senior National Representatives focusing on national items and to improve working relationships with national counterparts in close relation to the daily work within the EATC.
Again, the 2013 EATC Commanders Conference proved to be a great success by exchanging information and gaining more trust and confidence.