Contingent Owned Equipment
Deployment to mission area
The UN is financially responsible for the costs of contingent deployment to the mission, and arranges a commercial contract or Letter of Assist (LOA) to transport the equipment, either by Sea, Rail, or Road. Troops are transported by air, with a cargo limit of 45kg per troop. Equipment is deployed for the duration of the service to the mission. Troop rotations are scheduled to occur on a periodic basis, usually every 6 months.
Self sufficency and UN support
Once a contingent arrives in the field, it may need to be responsible for the provision of all its needs -- self-sufficient in providing own rations, water, petrol, oil,
and so on — for the first 30 to 90 days.
Following this initial self-sufficiency period, for the remainder of the contingent’s life in a mission, the following items and services will be provided by the UN:
- Ammunition (by LOA)
- Food, water and bulk fuel
- Blood and blood products
- MEDEVAC/Level 2+ Medical Contingent
- Engineer Contingent, Base Camp Upkeep, Road / Other Infrastructure Upkeep, and Mine Clearing
Inspection regime
Upon arrival in the mission area, the Contingent Logistics Officer is expected to immediately contact the mission COE focal point. The initial contacts will consist of the introductory COE Briefing, introduction of the contingent self-reporting scheme, and coordination and planning for the first inspection.
The contingent should supply the following documentation to their COE contact before the inspection:
- A complete list of major equipment, which includes item quantity, serial number, make and model, national registration number, operational status (yes/no), location, odometer/hour meter reading) and color (painted in national or UN colors).
- A list of personal weapons.
- List of rations, POL, food, and water brought for initial self-sufficiency purposes. This list should include prices in US $ and dates of expiration.
- A list of ammunition and explosives holdings indicating type/calibre and number of rounds/volume.
Using this information, COE Inspectors conduct the arrival inspections, establish and maintain inventories of equipment, and identify major equipment and self sustainment shortfalls or inefficiencies. When not on camp locations conducting inspection, COE staff are in continuous contact with their contingent counter-parts concerning regular inspection planning, contingent self-reporting, and mission support issues. COE Staff work closely with the mission logistics operations center and the director of mission support.
The same arrangements used in the deployment phase-- UN arrangements for moving troops and equipment to port, etc -- are in effect for redeployment/repatriation. The COE staff conduct departure inspections, and the mission is responsible for base camp closure, rear party support, and provision of a departure security force in necessary.
About COE staff in the mission
The number of COE inspectors per mission varies depending on the size of the mission, the number of MOU to verify, and other factors. Typically, a mission will have a COE Unit consisting of inspectors, a database manger, and administrative support staff. COE Unit staff will be joined by technical experts (civilian/military/police personnel) on days of inspections.
Mission COE staff have a variety of backgrounds, many involving national or international logistics support operations. Many have served in the military, with specialties in transport, information technology, and administration. Others have experience as inspectors in the private sector. Some have advanced University degrees; some have previous peacekeeping experience, either as UN staff or service as soldiers. Despite this diverse background, COE staff share at least one thing in common: a desire to serve in United Nations peacekeeping operations.