Around nine o’clock the first rubber dinghy hit the beach at Gniben. On board was part of the Standing NATO Response Force Maritime Group 1 (SNMG 1) staff, that will conduct the evacuation exercise from the shore.

The 15 person staff is led by Commander Chris Dickenson from fra HMCS IROQOUIS, who represents Commodore Rouleau ashore. The Commodore is on bord the Canadian destroyer where he has the overall overview of the operation.

At the moment SNMG 1 consists of three ships from Canada, Germany and USA. Right now the three nations are landing doctors, medical assistants as well as staff officers and supplies. At the beach soldiers from the First Regiment of the Royal Husars are ready to receive them.

A Royal Husar secures the area.  Photo: Martin Pedersen, RDN

During the night amd the morning the Husars have secured the area and their task now is to escort the fleeing civilians to the beach where they can be evacuated to the ships. They also maintain a perimeter around the landing site.

According to Commander Chris Dickenson it is very realistic to co-operate with army troops during an evacuation operation like this: “Our crews are very skilled but they are used to operate at sea against threats from aircraft or pirates. Our uniforms are also not very well suited for all the green stuff here on land, so therefore it is a great advantage that the army forces can secure the perimeter,” explaines the Canadian officer.

One of the great challenges both during todays exercise and during real life operations is to make sure that the right people are being evacuated. Therefore besides a field hospital and security forces, visitation facilities are being established in the area around the command post of the staff.

The exercise will be running until 5 p.m. but Chris Dickenson hopes that all civilians can be off the beach already around 1 p.m.

Text: Martin Pedersen, RDN