5th Group CIS

The 5th Group Communication and Information Systems, commonly abbreviated 5 Gp CIS, was a military communications and information-systems unit of the Land Component of the Belgian Armed Forces. Established in 2003 and headquartered at Saint-Jean Barracks in Tournai, it was the only Land Component formation located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. Its motto was Partout et toujours, meaning “Everywhere and always.” The unit emerged during the Belgian Army’s restructuring and modernisation of its communications organisation. Its creation followed the development of a central Centre de compétences Communication & Information Systems at Peutie and a network of regional support structures. The new arrangement placed five CIS groups under the Land Component, with the Tournai-based group serving as the formation responsible for communications support in its area and for operational deployments. Parliamentary material also linked the unit’s origins to the earlier TTR designation. 5 Gp CIS provided secure communications and information-systems support for Belgian national missions and international operations. Its responsibilities included communications infrastructure, information technology support, maintenance of equipment, and assistance in keeping deployed personnel connected with Belgium, including contact with their families. The group had approximately 200 personnel and supported the Land Component both inside Belgium and in expeditionary settings. Between its creation and dissolution, the group participated in 36 overseas missions involving 234 Belgian personnel. Its areas of activity included Africa, Asia and Europe, with deployments or support connected with Afghanistan, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, Lebanon, Chad and Kosovo. In February 2010, members of the unit formed part of the final Belgian detachment supporting the country’s withdrawal from the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission. The unit’s final years coincided with a substantial Belgian defence reorganisation. The Transformation Plan sought to reduce personnel numbers and reorganise the Army around two principal brigades, including the creation of the Medium Brigade. Parliamentary and regional discussions in 2009 and 2010 considered the future of communications formations and the effect of planned changes on Tournai and Hainaut. The 5 Gp CIS was scheduled for dissolution in January 2011 and was formally disbanded during 2011. A farewell ceremony was held in Tournai on 24 March 2011, attended by Belgian and French military personnel. The former unit is therefore a historical military formation rather than an active commercial brand.

Belgian military communications have roots in the First World War, when telegraph companies and sections were established for fortified positions, army formations and headquarters. A wireless service was created in 1917, and communications personnel and equipment expanded rapidly during the conflict. These historical signalling organisations formed part of the institutional background from which later Belgian military communications units developed. The 5th Group CIS was created in 2003 during a broad modernisation of the Belgian Land Component. The reform placed a central CIS competence centre at Peutie alongside regional support and service centres and five CIS groups. The Tournai formation was one of those groups and was associated in parliamentary discussions with the earlier TTR designation. It operated from Saint-Jean Barracks, a site with a long military history that had previously housed artillery and logistics-related formations. The unit’s core function was to deliver secure communications and information-systems support. This included supporting Belgian domestic missions, maintaining communications equipment, providing operational information technology capabilities and helping deployed personnel stay in contact with Belgium. Its role was not limited to a fixed local area: the group supported the wider Land Component and could deploy internationally. From 2003 until its dissolution, the 5 Gp CIS contributed to 36 overseas missions involving 234 Belgian personnel. Its operational reach covered Europe, Africa and Asia. Missions associated with the group included activities in Afghanistan, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, Lebanon, Chad and Kosovo. The unit’s participation in the last Belgian detachment in Kosovo in February 2010 was particularly notable because Belgium had been involved in KFOR since 1999 and was then completing its withdrawal. The group was also affected by the Belgian defence reforms of the late 2000s and early 2010s. Parliamentary discussions in 2009 addressed the reorganisation of the communications structure and the future of military facilities in Hainaut. In December 2010, the Ministry of Defence confirmed a wider Transformation Plan involving personnel reductions, a reorganisation around two principal brigades and the creation of the Medium Brigade. The plan included the dissolution of the 5th Group CIS. The group was scheduled to cease operating in January 2011 and was formally disbanded during that year. Its departure from Tournai was marked by a farewell ceremony on 24 March 2011 at the Grand-Place, attended by approximately 150 Belgian and French soldiers, including personnel from France’s 41st Signals Regiment in Douai. Lieutenant-General Marc Compernol, then Commander of the Land Component, presided over the event. With its dissolution, the 5th Group CIS became a historical Belgian military formation rather than an active organisation.

• 2011

  Disbandment and farewell ceremony

  [1]5th Group CISen.wikipedia.org

  The group was disbanded under the Belgian Army Transformation Plan, with a farewell ceremony held in Tournai on 24 March.

• 2010

  Participation in final Belgian Kosovo detachment

  [2]Belgian mission in Kosovo winds downvrt.be

  Personnel from the unit participated in the final Belgian detachment associated with the country’s withdrawal from Kosovo Force.

• 2003

  5th Group CIS established

  [1]5th Group CISen.wikipedia.org

  The unit was formed as part of the reorganisation of Belgian military communications and based at Saint-Jean Barracks in Tournai.

• 1917

  Wireless service established

  [1]5th Group CISen.wikipedia.org

  Belgium created a wireless service and expanded radio sections across major military formations during the First World War.

• 1913

  Early organised Belgian military signalling

  [1]5th Group CISen.wikipedia.org

  Telegraph companies were established for the fortified positions of Liège and Namur, marking an early institutional foundation for Belgian military communications.

A deployable Belgian Army communications formation focused on reliable, secure and flexible information-systems support for domestic defence activities and international operations.

• Military communications · 2003

  Secure communications support

  The unit provided secure communications capabilities for Belgian domestic defence activities and international deployments. Its work supported command, coordination and the continued flow of operational information between deployed personnel and Belgian military structures.

• Information systems · 2003

  Military information-systems support

  The 5th Group CIS maintained and supported information-systems equipment used by the Land Component. Its responsibilities included operational technical support and the upkeep of communications equipment used by personnel in Belgium and abroad.

• 2010Belgian withdrawal from Kosovo

  Kosovo · Belgium

  Members of the 5th Group CIS contributed to the final Belgian detachment supporting the conclusion of Belgium’s KFOR participation. The unit provided communications expertise during the closing phase of the mission.

  Outcome. Belgium completed the withdrawal of its KFOR contingent, and the unit returned to its remaining national responsibilities before its later dissolution.

  Source

• 2010

  Dissolution under the Belgian Army Transformation PlanStrategy

  Background

  Belgium’s defence reform sought to reduce personnel numbers, consolidate structures and reorganise the Army around two principal brigades, including the Medium Brigade.

  Action taken

  The Ministry of Defence confirmed the planned dissolution of the 5th Group CIS as part of the restructuring of communications and logistics formations.

  Aftermath

  The unit was disbanded in 2011 and ended its presence at Saint-Jean Barracks in Tournai.

  Source

• 2003

  Creation within a reorganised CIS structureStrategy

  Background

  Belgian defence authorities were modernising and decentralising military communications support through a central CIS competence centre, regional support structures and five Land Component groups.

  Action taken

  The 5th Group CIS was established in Tournai to provide communications and information-systems support for national and overseas operations.

  Aftermath

  The group operated for approximately eight years and supported dozens of overseas missions before being affected by a later defence transformation.

  Source

1. 15th Group CISen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Belgian mission in Kosovo winds downvrt.be
3. 3Belgian Chamber of Representatives: Question and response concerning military communications reorganisationdekamer.be
4. 4The 5th Group CIS bids farewell to Tournailavenir.net