TALLINN, Estonia -- The Estonian NATO Force Integration Unit headquarters opened their new building in Tallinn, Estonia, June 13, 2016.
The Estonian NFIU is one of six 40-person NATO headquarters established along the Alliance's eastern flank. Designed and manned to facilitate the reception and movement of NATO and partner nation forces within the country they reside in, NFIU's are part of NATO's adaptation to a security environment dominated by a resurgent and aggressive Russia.
The grand opening of new Estonian NFIU building at the Estonian Military Headquarters base in Tallinn, Estonia comes one year after it was established.
Although only a year old, the Estonian NFIU is already fully capable providing support to Exercise Saber Strike 16, a NATO exercise being hosted by Estonia.
Canadian Lt. Cmd. James Baird-Foley, the staff supply officer assigned to the NFIU, said the NFIU gives a permanent NATO presence here in Estonia.
"We've always heard about persistence presence, but this is a full part of NATO that falls under the multi-national core North-East all the way up top to SHAPE," Baird-Foley said. "We are not part of the Estonian Defense Forces, nor are we an official NATO organization so we provide that full-time NATO presence in Estonia."
Baird--Foley said the creation of the NFIUs was agreed to at the Wales Summit in September 2014 as part of NATO's Readiness Action Plan: a comprehensive package of measures designed to respond to the changed security environment on the Alliance's borders.
"If NATO troop had to come into any of the countries that have an NFIU, we must facilitate the arrival of the very high readiness task force and follow on forces," he said.
The creation of the NFIUs was agreed to at the Wales Summit in September 2014 as part of NATO's Readiness Action Plan: a comprehensive package of measures designed to respond to the changed security environment on the Alliance's borders.
Currently there are NATO Force Integration Units in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania.
The NATO Force Integration Units (NFIUs) have been active as of September 1, 2015. They are expected to be fully operational ahead of the Warsaw Summit in 2016. The NFIUs are based in Sofia (Bulgaria), Tallinn (Estonia), Riga (Latvia), Vilnius (Lithuania), Bydgoszcz (Poland) and Bucharest (Romania). Estonian Lt. Col. Janno Mark, J-3 NFIU, said the first six NFIUs were activated September 1, 2015 to respond to the changed security environment on NATO borders.
"Their main role would be to facilitate allied forces deploying to the region and also to contribute to the comprehensive defense planning and act as an interface between NATO and national planning, as well as assist in training and exercises," Mark said.
"Today's ceremony is very important," Mark said. "In addition to receiving the new building, within the last year, we've achieved full capability."
The ceremony included comments from the Estonian Commander of the Defense Forces Lt. Gen. Riho Terras and Lt. Gen. Manfred Hofmann, commander of the Multinational Corps Northeast
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