People involved with the military, such as Major General Steve Maranian, understand why it is necessary to have training exercises when it comes to providing national security. The purpose of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, for example, is to provide safety and security to several allied countries throughout Europe and North America. Here are some of the reasons why this organization, formed in 1949, continues to hold regular training exercises for its member forces.
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To Ensure Proper Training
It is a good sign when there are not many urgent situations for NATO members to deal with, as this is indicative of relative peace between allied countries and their potential adversaries. However, members must remain prepared to respond to a dangerous situation at all times. When there are no real-world difficulties to respond to, member forces maintain their expertise with training exercises. According to Maj. Gen. Steve Maranian, examples of NATO training exercises might include:
- Using ships or aircraft to respond to a simulated attack on a country
- Providing assistance to a simulated humanitarian crisis, such as a devastating hurricane, forest fire or another natural disaster
- Helping to rebuild communities hypothetically destroyed by war
The last thing that allied nations want is for on-the-job training to take place during a crisis. This is why regular training that replicates real-world disasters is important.
To Evaluate How Countries Work Together
It can be difficult for people from the same culture to work together closely, let alone people from many different cultures. Interoperability refers to how well groups of people are able to work together, particularly when it comes to members of a military or political organization.
When gauging interoperability, members of authority may evaluate the performance of allied nations on their exercises and provide suggestions or orders regarding what forces should continue doing and where they need to improve. This way, NATO countries are better prepared to work together under conditions of high stress and higher stakes.
To Test Various Procedures
The people in charge of NATO operations are constantly thinking of new and better ways to perform their tasks. However, they do not want their first time going forward with a procedure to be when it actually matters, for example, when responding to an attack. Allied troops test procedures and strategies ahead of time to make sure that they work in practice and to make any needed adjustments to ensure readiness in a real-world scenario.
Major General Steve Maranian Bio
Born in Natick, Massachusetts, Maj. Gen. Steve Maranian is a decorated combat veteran whose career includes 12 overseas tours completed. Gen. Maranian holds academic degrees from Bucknell University, Webster University and the United States Army War College. Among his many accomplishments includes a fellowship from the prestigious NATO Defense College.