Command Senior Enlisted Leaders (CSEL) of the Alliance’s land forces familiarised with conscript training of the Army at the Jaeger Brigade

On 16 September 2025, Command Senior Enlisted Leaders (CSEL) of NATO member nations’ land forces familiarised with conscript training of the Army at the Jaeger Brigade during the NATO Land Command conference (LC3).

The conference convened commanders and senior enlisted leaders to strengthen the alliance’s unity, exchange information, and network. The event demonstrated that although technology supports communication, personal encounters are still indispensable in multinational cooperation.

“It is important to show the Commanding Senior Enlisted leaders of NATO headquarters the readiness and competence of our conscripts. In addition, the conditions in the north must be considered – troops are better commanded and controlled when soldiers have experience of the region,” said Sergeant Major of the Army Esa Ek.

NATO Land Command Senior Enlisted Leader (LANDCOM CSEL) CWO Jonathan Ellis and Sergeant Major of the Army Esa Ek led their international colleagues into an operational environment familiar to non-commissioned officers, i.e. to the field. The youth serving in the Jaeger Brigade, known as the Defenders of the North, were prepared to demonstrate the operating of a Jaeger platoon in the base area. They demonstrated how to maintain operational capability even in cold conditions and how to force protect from enemy fire and surveillance.

“The 27th Allied Land Corps Commanders Conference (L3) is a fantastic event that allows commanders and Command Senior Enlisted Leaders (CSEL) to connect. Knowledge sharing and networking is a key output from LC3, providing CSELs with a platform to not only build coherence in the Alliance, but also an opportunity to translate and communicate the plan. However, as the Military/Society becomes more reliant on technology to help share information, networking events like LC3 remain vital and must endure to ensure a strong multinational alliance.”, said Paul Steel, Command Sergeant Major from ARRC.

“The Sergeants Major were very focused on listening to the presentations of the conscripts including women in voluntary military service, and they were really positively surprised by how truly professional soldiers the defenders of the North were who have now served for six months. One of the key weapons of our soldiers, their attitude, is in good shape.”, said the Jaeger Brigade's Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, Sergeant First Class Riikka Nyström.