Promoting Joint Staff and Interagency Cooperation in the Armed Forces of Montenegro

Abstract

Abstract : Montenegro has existed as a sovereign principality since the Middle Ages. It successfully maintained independence from the Ottoman Empire, first as a theocracy ruled by bishop princes and later as a secular principality. National independence was interrupted at the close of World War I, when it was absorbed into the confederation that, in 1929, became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. At the close of World War II, Montenegro became a constituent republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). It regained sovereignty in June 2006 on the basis of a national referendum which dissolved association with the rump Yugoslavia confederation of Serbia and Montenegro. Today, as it approaches its fifth anniversary of independence, Montenegro is actively pursuing membership in both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU). In December 2009, Montenegro was invited to participate in NATO's Membership Action Plan (MAP). MAP is a NATO program of advice, assistance and practical support tailored to the individual needs of countries wishing to join the Alliance. A key initiative supporting this effort is the utilization of the U.S. European Command's (USEUCOM) military to military (M2M) programs. Over the past three years, as part of this effort, the U.S. Army War College (USAWC) traveling contact teams (TCT) have assisted the Armed Forces of Montenegro (VCG) in the areas of joint staff structure, strategic planning processes, and national strategy reviews. As they strengthened their internal processes, the Montenegrin Ministry of Defense (MoD) and the VCG General Staff (GS) recognized the key role that interagency cooperation played in the execution of national policy and in response to natural and manmade disasters.