Combined Endeavor Overview

The U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) is sponsoring the fourteenth annual "in-spirit-of" (ISO) Partnership for Peace (PfP) communications and information systems interoperability exercise from May 1 through 14 at Lager Aulenbach in Baumholder, Germany, and at the forward operating site  at Lara Naval Base in Split, Croatia.

Dubbed COMBINED ENDEAVOR 2008 (CE 08), the exercise is the largest and most powerful security cooperation effort of its kind and directly supports the transformation of U.S. European Command. The exercise is a demonstration of true "Active Security" - a peaceful engagement that can result in the prevention of future conflicts. The exercise emphasizes command, control, communications and computer (C4) integration and interoperability as its goal.  NATO, Partnership for Peace and strategic partner nations come together to plan and execute interoperability testing of C4 equipment systems from participant nations which support combined humanitarian, military, peacekeeping and disaster relief operations.  The overall objective is to achieve a level of interoperability and compatibility allowing nations to successfully conduct future multi-national operations.  The exercise reduces the likelihood that discovery learning will occur on deployment.

COMBINED ENDEAVOR increases the participating nations' flexibility, agility, and efficiency by enabling rapidly project expeditionary forces to be prepared to rapidly deploy for joint and combined operations.  Last year, these nations were operationally successful in real-world operations including:

• France, Russia and Italy on the United Nations deployment to Lebanon
• United Kingdom, Lithuania and South Eastern European Brigade (SEEBRIG) preparation to support the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan

In addition to developing strategic partners on four continents, the nations are able to integrate and test the world's best C4 equipment, which often leads to nations being able to skip generations of technology as a result.  The simple concept that the original EUCOM planners envisioned thirteen years ago of enabling countries to effectively communicate has the potential to evolve into a "Global Endeavor" of worldwide workshops. A similar Combined Endeavor workshop was held in the Pacific Region (September 2005) and in Africa (July 2006). Africian Endeavor 08 is planned for July 2008.  U.S. Southern Command, focused on operations in South America, is currently investigating holding a communications interoperability workshop as well.

More than 1,200 personnel from more than 40 nations over four continents and two unified commands as well as NATO will participate in the exercise this year at the two locations.   More than 1200 military and civilian personnel will be supporting the exercise at Lager Aulenbach, Germany including more than 200 German military personnel who will be providing transportation, housing, food, security and medical services and equipment.  An additional 150 personnel will be supporting the forward deployment site in Croatia.  

COMBINED ENDEAVOR is leading the way in enabling and enhancing nations in their quest to achieve a higher level of operational readiness not only within the U.S. European Command's area of responsibility, but with other nations around the world. Combined Endeavor is achieving what was once unachievable - open communications and interoperability between nations.

Combined Endeavor 2008 Objectives 

Combined Endeavor 2008 Participants 

Combined Endeavor: Participants, Observers and Visitors Defined                           

Combined Endeavor: Overall Leadership 

Combined Endeavor Planning Process 

Combined Endeavor Phases 

Combined Endeavor 2008 Hosts 

Test & Demonstration Overview 

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