EUROCORPS
Menu

Common Harmony

End of Exercise COMMON HARMONY 2026: Training the Brigade to Move, Command and Deliver

7 October 2026

From 20 September to 2 October 2026, the Eurocorps Multinational Command Support Brigade (MNCS BDE) conducted Exercise COMMON HARMONY, putting its people, procedures and capabilities to the test in a demanding multinational environment.

A command post cannot simply stop operating when it needs to relocate. Personnel, communications, logistics, and command elements must be repositioned while maintaining continuity of command and control; this capability has been the cornerstone of the COMMON HARMONY exercise.

Over a two-week period, personnel from across the Brigade conducted field training, combining individual military training with collective activities focused on mobility, command post operations, communication and information systems (CIS), logistics, and force protection. The exercise was designed not only to train the Brigade but also to put it to the test: to evaluate its procedures, identify areas for improvement, and strengthen its ability to provide effective support to Eurocorps whenever and wherever required.

Training at All Levels

During Exercise COMMON HARMONY, personnel continued their individual military training alongside their specialized duties. Activities took place at a training area near Quartier Général Bastin de Stockem, home to the Infantry Academy (École d’Infanterie), in Arlon, Belgium and included live-fire drills and specialized tasks such as shooter and radio operator training, ensuring soldiers maintained the skills needed to operate effectively under demanding conditions.

Mobility was also a central element of the exercise. The MNCS Brigade conducted road marches and practiced occupying protected areas, testing its ability to deploy and relocate while maintaining command and control~~, ensuring a continuous flow of information and decision-making throughout the transition without ever losing operational continuity~~. These activities ensured a continuous flow of information and decision-making throughout each transition.

Colonel Counasse, Commander of the MNCS Brigade, considered the Brigade’s own training one of the most important aspects of COMMON HARMONY. Any incident affecting CIS, logistics, or other support functions could directly affect the Eurocorps Headquarters’ ability to achieve its training objectives. As the Colonel noted, “We are testing the Brigade’s various support functions within the Multinational Command Support Brigade—namely logistics, CIS support, and force protection—and this approach represents a shift in mindset, as experimentation allows us to identify areas for improvement.”

A Multinational Brigade

The MNCS Brigade is unique within Eurocorps due to its multinational composition, bringing together personnel from several of Eurocorps’ Framework Nations—a fact Colonel Counasse described as both “a distinctive characteristic and an operational strength. Undoubtedly, operating effectively in such an environment requires more than just common procedures; it demands trust, coordination, and a shared understanding of how military personnel from different nations work together as a team.”

Furthermore, the brigade represents a significant contribution to Eurocorps’ command and control architecture, as Colonel Counasse highlighted to General Aroldo Lázaro—the Eurocorps Commander—during his visit to the exercise with his command team on 29 September.

Lessons Learned from the Exercise

The value of an exercise lies in the lessons learned from it—particularly regarding the training of the Brigade’s personnel, which served as a key indicator of COMMON HARMONY’s success. “For me,” the colonel said, “the main indicator is the smiles on people’s faces. It is fascinating to see everyone working together and gaining valuable experience through exercises like this.”

After two weeks of intense operational activity, Exercise COMMON HARMONY concluded after achieving its primary objective: improving procedures for deploying, establishing and relocating command posts while ensuring the continuity of command and control for Eurocorps. All of this was accomplished through realistic training designed not merely to demonstrate what already works, but to discover areas for improvement.

Ultimately, COMMON HARMONY provided an excellent opportunity to showcase the capabilities of the Multinational Command Support Brigade: Ready to deploy. Ready to command. Ready to support Eurocorps.