IV. Relevant actors
4.2. The HN and domestic CIMIC
The HN is a critical factor in the civil environment as part of the operating environment and, as such, for CIMIC.
A HN is, by NATO definition, “a country that, by agreement:
1) receives forces and materiel from NATO member states or other countries operating on/from or transiting through its territory;
2) allows materiel and/ or NATO and other organisations to be located on its territory; and/ or
3) provides support for these purposes.”
The HN does not necessarily need to be an Allied Nation. It can also be a partner or any other nation which has agreed to host the NATO force.
Allied Nations have their own military, governmental, and administrative structures, as well as their own liaison arrangements and responsibilities. They will therefore conduct their CIMIC tasks in their unique way. In other words, 32 nations, 32 systems. Figures 4.1 and 4.2 show two examples of national systems.
Figure 4.1 - The German System
Figure 4.2 - The Polish System
The NATO and domestic tasks responsibilities within the NATO Command and Force Structure often overlap. Domestic tasks, being a national responsibility, are grounded in national sovereignties, and the nation’s expertise in national defence plans and national civil/military liaison structures is invaluable in this context.
Aligning NATO-CIMIC procedures with domestic procedures is imperative to ensure effective
civil/military cooperation through military-military cooperation. This necessitates establishing a common understanding of Domestic CIMIC versus NATO CIMIC.
Therefore, Domestic CIMIC can be seen as a nation’s military function that conducts CFI and CMI to support the accomplishment and synchronization of national and NATO missions and military strategic objectives in peacetime, crisis, and conflict.