Blog Posts tagged with "Coalition"

In the world of security, we are generally focused on "risk."  We worry about the chances of war, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, the likelihood of a ballistic missile attack, or the possibility of a biological contagion. Understanding risk allows us to calculate how much we should spend on defense compared to what our potential opponents are spending.

Focusing on risk for organizations like NATO and the Department of Defense in the United States makes sense, of course.

But I think we should spend a bit of our most precious resource -- time -- on thinking about and developing opportunities.

Members of the Italian navy's Gruppo Operativo Incursori board a commercial ferry via fastrope from a US Navy Knight Hawk helicopter.

One way to think about the principal opportunities in the realm of security is building bridges.

Indeed, in this turbulent 21st century, security will ultimately come from building bridges, not walls. Frankly, we saw what 20th century security, which focused on walls brought us: the Maginot Line, the Iron Curtain, the battle formations of the Fulda Gap -- 60 million dead in the 20th century's wars.

I would argue that we need to take a lesson from the cyber world, where much is made of open source software and courseware, plugging together bodies of knowledge and making them widely available. It is a classic example of building connections and bridges.

What we need is "open source security." Not in all situations or with all actors, but rather as a part of a careful approach that exploits opportunities even as we prudently assess the risks.

Some of the areas that might yield results in searching for opportunities include:

• Coalitions and Alliances working together -- NATO, ISAF in Afghanistan, KFOR in Kosovo, and the multi-national counter-piracy efforts off the Horn of Africa are all good examples.
• Convergent technology -- IT, info, surveillance, and cyber all offer opportunities, to include the power of social media as we see in the continuing "Arab Spring"
• Private-Public Cooperation -- offers potential in humanitarian activities, medical diplomacy, disaster relief, and linked development. See my earlier blog on this exciting opportunity, as well as the linked article.
• Trends in Democracy -- the long sweep of history increasingly appears to be on the side of freedom and liberty, with all the attendant challenges.  That means it is harder for despots like Kaddaffy or repressive regimes like the Taliban to hold onto power.
• New Geopolitical Actors in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and other parts of the world who are emerging as positive actors with significant capability -- Brazil, Colombia, South Africa, and Indonesia, are great examples and there are many more.
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  Innovative Technologies with positive social implications -- there may be promise in desalinization, biological approaches to crop and food stocks, renewable energy sources, new approaches to education and healthcare.   See "Abundance: Why the Future is Better Than You Think" by Peter Diamandis.  All of these create opportunities in the security sector as well.

Let's face the fact that the world remains a very dangerous place, and risk analysis (and mitigation) is at the heart of defense planning -- rightly so.  But we should also find time for some "opportunity analysis" as well, to include exploring the idea of "open source security" where appropriate.

The future may be a bit brighter than we think.

Best,
Jim

Admiral, USN
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Commander, US European Command
"Stronger Together"

Here I am saluting Afghan police students during my visit to NPTC in Wardak, Afghanistan.

I just attended literacy training -- in Wardak Province, Afghanistan.

The class was full of Afghan National Police recruits.

It is part of the ongoing effort to increase literacy in the Afghan Security Forces, led by the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan and US Army Lieutenant General Bill Caldwell. The visit was the capstone event in a three day trip to Kabul, Kandahar, and Wardak.

Overall, the trip reinforced my sense that we are making good progress in the security sector. In briefings by the Commanding Generals in the South and East of the country -- where most of the security challenges lie -- it is clear that they have solid plans, sufficient forces, and are making steady inroads into the insurgency. In the south, for example, there are 20,000 coalition troops; but more importantly, there are over 40,000 Afghan troops. That 2:1 ratio of Afghan to coalition repeats itself in the east.

This is a big improvement over the past couple of years. It is also the reason that enemy-initiated attacks are down overall around 10% across the country from last year, and much more than that in the south and southwest. The *fighting season* has clearly been a disappointment to the Taliban who predicted a big upsurge in attacks and casualties, which has not emerged.

Afghan national police students during a dynamic presentation at NPTC in Wardak, Afghanistan.

More and more operations are Afghan-led and that is a good sign that the transition to Afghan-led security operations is well underway and working. Today, 25% of the Afghan population is under Afghan lead for security; within a few more months, that will be at 50%, which keeps us on track for a full transition by 2014.

There are certainly challenges in the security sector, including corruption (a "second insurgency" as one shrewd Afghan observer said to me recently). Also, the ability of the insurgency to move across the porous border with Pakistan presents a serious challenge to our efforts.

But overall, I remain cautiously optimistic about our plan and our progress in the security sector.

Here I am visiting Role 3 Hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

On my trip I also visited a hospital and saw the energy in Kandahar city, the second largest population center in Afghanistan. I received good updates on work in the judicial sector from the NATO Rule of Law Support Force. And I met with General John Allen, our superb NATO commander and the deeply experienced US Ambassador, Ryan Crocker. I also met with the Afghan Minister of Defense and lead for Transition, as well as the Chief of the Afghan Armed Forces. They have a clear-eyed view of the challenges ahead and are addressing them in a measured and sensible fashion.

But let me focus for a moment on literacy. The ability to read is limited in large segments of the Afghan population. Why? Because the Taliban largely restricted attendance to school during their period in power. They only allowed 600,000 children to attend school, all of them boys. Today there are 8 million boys and girls in school (40% female), so Afghanistan will "grow their way out" of the problem in another few years.

But today, there is a high demand for literate Afghans in all walks of life for the economy. One way the security forces can recruit for their all-volunteer force is by offering literacy training. So today all Army and Police recruits who cannot read undergo a well-taught course that starts them toward real literacy. The courses are taught by Afghan civilians, and I had the opportunity to spend some time in one of the classrooms.

Here I am speaking to Afghan police students during my visit to NPTC.

Two dozen very earnest young men in their early-to-mid twenties sit in a circle around their instructor. He is using traditional methods of teaching -- a white board, calling students to the blackboard to display their skills, books with pictures and letters. The course is fast-paced because the young recruits are hungry to learn. You can see it in their eyes and in the way their books are very thoroughly handled and marked up. The goal is to get everyone up to a 3rd grade level, and to afford downstream opportunities to continue to improve. So far, 200,000 Afghan security force members have been through or are enrolled in the training. This will be a very long lasting contribution to security and stability in Afghanistan.

Outside the classroom, not everything is going well, of course. There will be economic challenge in the next several years as the NATO-led coalition gradually reduces troops numbers and the purchase of goods and services slows in the country. Governance and corruption will present challenges as well. International conferences in Istanbul, Bonn, and the NATO summit in Chicago next spring will need to help address these problems.

But when I look back at where we were in the spring of 2009, two-and-a-half years ago, I can see the progress -- especially in the development of the Afghan security forces and the ongoing transition. I visit Afghanistan frequently, and my sense at this moment is that there is indeed hope in the time ahead, along with all the challenges.

Best,
Jim

Admiral, USN
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Commander, US European Command
"Stronger Together"

I'm flying over the Caspian Sea, returning from three days in Afghanistan.  It was an eventful visit, my tenth over the past twenty months or so.

I'm with AFG CHoD General Karimi at an honour guard ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan

The key impression I take back to NATO is one of progress, especially in the security sector.  I am heartened especially by the addition of over 70,000 Afghan National Security Forces since the beginning of 2010.  Their quality is improving as well as their numbers, with both the Army and the Police scoring over 80% in approval polls among Afghans nation-wide.  Their marksmanship scores have almost tripled and their literacy rate is climbing rapidly, as over 90,000 of the 270,000 total have completed some level of literacy training.

An ANA recruit at Kabul Military Training Center said, “The Taliban wanted to keep me in the dark. The Army is teaching me to read and write so I can come into the light and make my own decisions.”   This is a very inexpensive and positive part of training the Afghan Security Forces receive and will reap long term dividends for stability in Afghanistan.  It was an idea Ambassador Richard Holbrooke helped me to understand a couple of years ago and it shows real promise.

While corruption and a stubborn insurgency continue to hamper progress, my sense is that three transitions are in progress in Afghanistan.

Meeting with Gen. Petraeus before he finishes his time in Afghanistan.

The first is a leadership transition among the NATO military forces.  General Petraeus is departing, and is being relieved by the highly qualified and gifted Marine General John Allen.  The three-star operational commander is also changing out, as is the three-star training commander.  In both cases, the officers selected have extensive combat experience and impeccable records.  We are carefully managing this important leadership transition within the NATO command structure to ensure it is smooth.

A second transition is the most obvious one: from coalition-led security operations to Afghan-led security operations in seven key provinces and districts, representing over 25% of the total population.  This includes Kabul, where the Afghan security forces have had the lead in repelling several recent insurgent attacks.  Even the attack on the Intercontinental Hotel was largely defeated by Afghan Forces, and was contained within hours, causing only a handful of casualties.  As a point of comparison, the Mumbai attacks in 2008, where a similar number of terrorists struck, killed or wounded nearly 500 and paralyzed the vastly larger city for two days.

This key security force transition will be the crucial leading edge of our effort to give full, across-the-nation Afghan leadership in all security operations by the end of 2014.  General Petraeus and I are both confident this transition is on track and it begins in earnest next month.

The third transition is really just beginning, and I would call this the "deep transition."  This is preparing both the 48-nation coalition and the Afghan government for the post-2014 period.  There will clearly be a large reduction in coalition forces from our current level of over 140,000.  This will cause not only military changes, but also important economic changes.  We need to think now about the bridging strategy for the Afghan economy to ensure the bottom doesn't fall out suddenly post-2014.

This leads to the need for work to define what the post-2014 period should look like in terms of partnership between Afghanistan and the coalition.  With an important meeting in Bonn in December and the NATO summit next spring in Chicago, there are good opportunities to establish the plan.  Certainly long term sustainability of the rapidly developing Afghan Security Forces should be part of that.

I'm watching great NCO training at Camp Ghazi, Afghanistan.

We've invested a great deal in Afghanistan, and I believe our efforts have a reasonable chance at succeeding over the next several years.  There will certainly be setbacks like the current Kabul Bank crisis, terrorist attacks, and ongoing governance issues, as well as a complex situation with Pakistan to manage; but in the end, the effort will be worth it.

We must ensure that Afghanistan does not fall back into Taliban hands and again become a base for terror, and our commitments -- those of 48 troop contributing nations and more than 70 financially contributing nations -- should be honored.

It won't always be smooth sailing, but I think we're on the right course.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe

Greetings from Lisbon, Portugal!

Last week, William Poole and I (EUCOM Cyber Defense Division International Information Assurance Branch) wrapped up the Cyber Endeavor portion of the Combined Endeavor 2011 mid-planning conference. Let me give you a little background on Cyber Endeavor. Educators and technical professionals from governmental organizations, industry, and academia, provide cyber defense familiarization to audiences from an estimated 40 countries. Cyber Endeavor is the premier forum for international military, industry and academic professionals to collaborate and improve partnerships with the end goal of strengthening collective cyber defense capabilities.

This year, Cyber Endeavor will run almost three weeks from 5-22 September in Grafenwöhr, Germany. There will be the basic cyber defense familiarization on technical security topics ranging from securely configuring firewalls, working with intrusion detection systems, and forensics collection. A familiarization track will also be provided to mid-level managers at the policy-level, covering topics such as risk management, current industry security tools, and threats to networks. Participants will also take part in a live-fire, cyber range and learn how to identify, stop, respond to, and fight through an attack in a safe, fully enclosed environment.

For the first time in the 17-year history of Combined Endeavor, the scenario will have cyber events injected to test the readiness and response capabilities of multi-national forces. Combined Endeavor is no longer a communications exercise focused solely on ensuring communication and interoperability. It has shifted to also ensuring decision-makers can access the data and information necessary for Coalition Information Dominance. Information dominance leads to decision superiority and that’s ultimately what coalition leaders want from their communications and information systems. Cyber Endeavor will be key as it will ensure the confidentiality, integrity, availability, non-repudiation, and authentication of that information as well as raising the cyber awareness level of the participants taking part in the exercise.

You may be saying to yourself, “So what…it sounds like just another exercise to me”. Well, the exciting part of this event lies in the bringing together a diverse group of Cyber Defenders from 40 nations within the EUCOM AOR. That is almost twice the number of participant nations as other EUCOM exercises. These nations are learning together as a group, and are sharing their collective cyber experiences with each other. Cyber Endeavor helps to build bridges among nations and build stronger network connections. This will lead to stronger international relationships and enabling nations to see what exactly it means to protect and defend computer networks across traditional country borders.

I am very excited to be a part of this exercise. Working with my counterparts in other nations and gaining their insight into cyber issues is very interesting. It challenges you to look at issues from a different, international, perspective. It is rewarding to start work on a project like this at the ground level, and see it mature into a world-class cyber exercise.

SHAUN M. CAVANAUGH
International Cyber Defense Specialist and Cyber Patriot

Contact info: iia@eucom.mil
Follow @Cyber_Patriot for the latest Cyber Defense news

Headed home over the South Pacific after four days in Australia and New Zealand, strong allies and partners in Afghanistan as part of our 45-nation International Security Force – it was an excellent visit.

Maoris\' greet me with a traditional Wero challenge (Official NATO photo by MC2 Stefanie Antosh)

I was greeted in New Zealand by a traditional Maori "wero” or challenge and visited their evocative War Memorial with a statue of a mother and two young children. In Australia, I walked through their War Memorial and associated museum seeing panel after panel carved with the names of the fallen. These are nations that know conflict and war all too well.

As I reflect on our discussions, I am struck by the breadth of what the Kiwis and Aussies are doing across the spectrum of counter-insurgency work. The Australians have sent over 1,500 troops, a significant contribution for a nation with a population of just over 20 million; the New Zealanders have 220 people from a population base of just over 4 million.

In both cases, the men and women from Oceania are doing demanding special operations, training the Afghan security forces, flying aircraft in support of the challenging logistics tail, and engaging in the important work of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams.

In a talk I gave at the Australian Defense Force Academy, I highlighted the work of Corporal Brett Corrigan at the Provincial Reconstruction Team in training young Afghan men as carpenters. What an evocative image for what we must do in Afghanistan: create a generation of builders instead of a generation of bombers.

I also had a photograph of Captain Myles Conquest (what a perfect name!), of the Australian Army, who is part of the embedded partnering and training team with one of the Afghanistan Kandaks (battalions) operating in Uruzgan province. At the end of the day, the "success strategy” in Afghanistan will be based on our ability to train the Afghan security forces so we can draw down our own troops.

General Jerry Mateparae and I pose for a photo from the top of Mount Victoria, Wellington, New Zealand. (Official NATO photo by MC2 Stefanie Antosh)

The trip also included high level meetings with the Chiefs of Defense, General Jerry Mateparae of New Zealand and General Angus Houston of Australia. Both are the kind of straightforward yet intellectual leaders who truly understand what we seek to do in Afghanistan, where we cannot "kill our way to victory.” We found ourselves in seamless alignment on the need to focus on strategic communications, putting the Afghan people at the center of gravity, getting the civil-military balance right, and – above all – training the Afghan Security Forces.

As I look at all that is unfolding in Afghanistan, I am increasingly convinced we will be successful. The economy is beginning to click, there is great potential for resources based on strategic minerals, the body politic increasingly understands the responsibilities the international community expects it to take in fighting corruption and – from our perspective on the military side – we have stopped the Taliban momentum with the Marjah campaign.

Air Chief Marshal Houston presents me with a gift during my visit. (Official NATO photo by MC2 Stefanie Antosh)

As the spring and summer unfold, and the "clear, hold, build, and transition” strategy takes root in Kandahar and other parts of Afghanistan, I am cautiously optimistic that we will see momentum build. This will create the conditions for reconciliation and reintegration, led by the Afghans, to bring some of their "disaffected brothers” in from the cold. The upcoming international conference in Kabul itself and the Afghan "Peace Jirga” will contribute.

Certainly there will be hard days ahead, with casualties and setbacks, but on the whole I believe we are moving forward in Afghanistan. But these two nations are no strangers to challenges – from Gallipoli to the Pacific campaigns of World War II to the Cold War and through today's efforts, these are the kind of friends to have at our side. Having allies and partners like Australia and New Zealand will make all the difference.

Admiral James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander Europe

Maj. Kristi Beckman is the Chief of Social Media for European Command Public Affairs

This is Day 6 for the EUCOM social media team training in Kabul, Afghanistan and it's one that I'll remember for a long time to come.

I was awakened around 6:30 a.m. by an explosion that literally rocked our entire encampment. My normal routine of listening for the alarm and hitting the snooze button to wake up peacefully was more of a split-second jump out of bed with my heart pounding uncontrollably.

While so many are used to this over here, this is my first experience. And I don’t care who you are, this sound will chill you to the bone. There was another smaller explosion and small arms fire exchange continued for more than an hour but finally ceased.

So far the reports are that there was a vehicle explosion and 2-3 suicide bombers who blew themselves up in downtown Kabul and there are at least 10 dead and more than 30 wounded. Click here for the Times Online piece for a bit more detail.

This mission over here is so important and now more than ever as these guys are literally building institutions and training the Afghans to teach themselves and protect themselves. And the Afghan people here are really amazing and want so much to turn this country around. You can see it in their eyes and when you talk to them. They just want to have normal lives and raise a family.

The fact that some maniac over here can strap on a bomb and ride a bike or drive a car into a crowded area and take the lives of those around him just sickens me to no end. I will never understand the purpose of this…terrorizing and murdering innocent men, women and children…never.

If you’re reading this from the states or from Europe or somewhere else around the globe where you get up in the morning in your house or apartment and you have running water, food, clothes on your back, a family to love, a job to earn a living, and peace of mind that you will not die today walking to the market, be very thankful…please.

And more than anything PLEASE support our troops over here who are working so hard to make a difference in Afghanistan.

The NTM-A team will keep you posted on the accomplishments AND struggles through their NTM-A Web site blogs, news stories and social media sites. Follow them and support them as they are your sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, Moms and Dads who are away from their peace and freedom and really need your support in order to make a difference!

And so began the Afghan-NATO offensive into Helmad province, known as Operation Moshtarak – which translates roughly as “Together.” We are focusing on the area around a town called Marjah, where there has historically been a great deal of insurgent activity and heroin production.

Soldiers from six nations gather to hear the three senior officers involved in commanding Operation Moshtarak, Brigadier James Cowan; Commander 11 Light Brigade (UK); Brigadier General Moyaiyodin Ghori, Commanding Officer 3rd Brigade Afghan National Army; and Colonel Shirin Shah Afghan National Civil Order Police. Images by: SSgt Mark Jones (British Army)

There are about 10,000 troops directly involved, including about 5,000 Afghan Army and Police, and about 5,000 NATO forces – U.S., British, Danish, and Estonians – under tactical command of 2-star British General, Nick Carter and Afghan 1-star Shir Mohammad.

We are working very hard (and thus far have been successful) in minimizing civilian casualties. This has been at the heart of our strategy since last summer, and is different than any of the large operations that were conducted over the previous years in Afghanistan.

To accomplish this, we have been in extensive consultation with the people of the area – notably through Shuras and other local processes – and have truly listened to them. We seek to prevent any civilian casualties and in return have received a great deal of support.

At Camp Bastion the six nations involved in Operation Moshtarak are conducting battle preparations.

Tragically, while troops were in contact with insurgents Sunday, two rockets from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launched at insurgents firing upon Afghan and ISAF forces impacted approximately 300 meters off their intended target, killing 12 civilians in Nad Ali district, Helmand province. We deeply regret this tragic loss of life and will ensure we do all we can to avoid future incidents. The use of the HIMARS has been suspended until a thorough review of this incident has been conducted.

It is important also to know that this is the first Afghan-led operation of this scale. It was fully briefed to President Karzai by his military and police leadership and approved by him. They have real ownership and are partnering with us in approximately a 1:1 ratio of forces.

It is crucial to know that the military phase of this is NOT the decisive part – it is the introduction of governance and the follow-on economic activity that will be key. Again, that will be Afghan led but supported by the rest of the coalition. In that sense, the military part is not the “main event,” but rather the enabling function.

As Stan told me, and I agree fully, “this is only a step on a long road - and there will be twists, turns, and plenty of improvised explosive devices along the way.” I couldn’t agree more. The key will be to be steady in the four things upon which we’ve focused for months now:

- Protecting and partnering with the Afghan people

- Effectively communicating, both in Afghanistan and our nations

- Balancing civilian and military efforts

- Training and empowering the Afghan security forces

It is clearly “early days” in this operation, but as a model for how we seek to conduct operations, it is off to a good start.

Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander Europe

Maj. Kristi Beckman is the Chief of Social Media for European Command Public Affairs

As important as social media has become in the world, it is playing an ever-increasing role in the U.S. military. I’d like to highlight a great example from the International Security Assistance Force.

There are a couple of military public affairs troops who have begun a 30-day adventure through Afghanistan with the hopes of capturing some great examples of our brave U.S. and coalition men and women serving in Afghanistan.

Their story is entitled, "30 Days Through Afghanistan."  They have a great Web site which is their social media hub, so to speak, and you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter. I’m pretty excited to see what they will be able to accomplish. But the key to all of this is that they are able to reach people in the social media realm, so the reach is endless.

Mark Glaser, from PBS' MediaShift, wrote a blog today about this adventure and I was a bit taken back by the first commenter on this blog. The commenter stated that the U.S. military should stay out of the social media realm because it is perceived as nothing more than trying to legitimize U.S. foreign policy.

I, of course, do not agree in the slightest. Social media is merely another tool for our public affairs professionals to tell our stories. But what social media allows is for us to not just TELL our story, but to get feedback on our story. We are able to talk with people and take part in two-way communication. And not to mention, social media allows for the repurposing of the story ten-fold as opposed to hoping the media will spread the word or hoping someone might stop by our Web site and read about it.

There are thousands of amazing people in our U.S. and coalition militaries who deserve to be talked about. They are brave individuals fighting for basic human rights for others and fighting to defend our freedom. Oh, by the way, that freedom includes the freedom to talk in the social media realm and have an opinion!

I’d like to know other’s thoughts on this. Is there anyone else who thinks the U.S. military should stay out of the social media realm?

Happy Holidays to everyone. It’s been a busy couple weeks for us at European Command Public Affairs and in our social media realm.  We’ve been working hard to keep our Web site current and relevant and we'll be ringing in some great changes for the New Year, but we’ll keep those a surprise for now!

I’d like to switch gears for a minute and talk about something that I think is on a lot of families’ hearts and minds around this time. They are thinking about their moms and dads, their brothers and sisters, their sons and daughters, and their loved ones who are deployed and not able to be at home during this holiday season.

This is never an easy time being separated from family. And while it’s always tough on the children, we can’t forget about how hard it can be on the servicemembers as well.

There was a great blog written yesterday by Army Lieutenant Colonel Thiebes. He is the 1-10 Special Forces Group commander and he and his unit have been in Afghanistan for three consecutive Christmases now. He writes about the importance of the mission and how the troops are taken care of during this tough time of separation.  Take a moment to read about these folks and drop them a note.

Imagine being away from your family and friends for months on end and then having to be away from them during one of the most important holiday seasons.  It’s tough being away from the ones you love during the holiday season and serving in a warzone doesn’t help matters.

There was a beautiful poem written in 1987, by Lance Corporal James M. Schmidt, called A Soldiers Silent Night. Click here to listen to a version at Military Members and Veterans Blog site. It says so much more than I ever could.

Thank you to our U.S. servicemembers and our coalition partners, during this holiday season, for giving so greatly to so many. 

And thank you to YOU for following EUCOM and wanting to know more about who we are, what we do, and why we do it. 

Happy Holidays!

Maj. Kristi Beckman
Chief, Social Media
European Command Public Affairs

The other day, I was talking to a friend of mine and he mentioned that he was stopped in a Stuttgart-area convenience store by a local who recognized him as a U.S. service member.  Surprisingly, the local said to him, “We don’t need you here anymore!”  Stunned by the apparent hostility, my friend didn’t know how to respond immediately. 

The incident got me thinking that it is important for us all to consider why we are here in Germany – and to have the response on the tip of our tongues!  I’ve previously discussed why I believe EUCOM is still relevant, but I focused more on the fact that although current conflicts are occurring outside of the European theater, our partner engagement in the theater greatly contributes to global security. 

As for why we are still physically here, it’s important to consider how our mission has changed since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Cold War.  No longer is our presence connected to that period, where troops were stationed overseas as part of a strategy known as "forward deployment."  The thought used to be that if the Soviet Union invaded, EUCOM forces would already be located near the battlefield and would not need to be flown or shipped anywhere; but the Soviet invasion never came.  Therefore, it’s easy to see how some may feel that there is no benefit to still having U.S. forces stationed in Germany. 

Times have changed though, and the mission has changed as well.  The Atlantic Ocean is a huge barrier, and one reason why it’s important to maintain a strong presence in Europe is because from the other side of the pond (the U.S.), it is exceedingly difficult to maintain proper contact with our NATO and other partners.  Face-to-face is indeed the best method.  ADM Stavridis mentions NATO support in his most recent blog post, The Course for Afghanistan.  The bottom line is that it’s important to be in proximity to our many allies.  Within Special Operations Command Europe, frequent training with our partner forces is one of our key objectives, and we have become much more interoperable with them as a result of our forward presence.  From bilateral and multilateral training events to large scale SOF exercises like Jackal Stone, we have made great strides in the development of coalition special operations, which greatly contributes to the positive resolution to current global conflicts from Afghanistan to anti-piracy efforts to violent extremist threats world-wide.   

So, why are EUCOM forces still forward deployed?  Although the most complete answer is more complex, the short answer is that we, U.S. military forces, are in Europe so that we can cooperate better with our partners and allies.  Cooperation is essential during combined operations and in today’s world, it is critical for our forces to maintain close (read: face-to-face) ties to the many European forces with whom we will tackle our common global security challenges.

MAJ Jim Gregory
SOCEUR PAO

U.S. European Command (EUCOM), J4 Deployment and Distribution Operations Center got of to a great start at the 2009 Coalition Movement Conference. Brigadier General Mate Ostović, Commander, Croatian Armed Forces Support Command, set the stage with his opening remarks and warmly received the participants. The General commented, “Conferences like this one are very important for gaining common knowledge and understanding of important issues that we all face in our work. Whenever friends and allies get together, great opportunities arise.” With that comment the conference proceeded with a great exchange of information on how we at EUCOM, along with CENTCOM, and TRANSCOM, can communicate and work better to improve the Coalition Partners Deployment and Re-deployment program for NATO and 18 Coalition Partner Nations.

We had a full 2-day agenda, it started with an update from the EUCOM Deployment and Distribution Operations Center (EDDOC) on their roles and responsibilities and moved right into CENTCOM Coalition Cell (CCC) procedures for requesting lift support. Before the conference was over, we’d covered a wide range of topics to include proper Load Planning, Airlift Certification for Non-US equipment, and the use of Sea assets for Coalition Deployments and Redeployments.

One comment heard throughout the conference focused on the Deployment support provided by the EUCOM J4 EDDOC which seems to be at the heart of Coalition movement success. The EDDOC is engaged everyday with our coalition partners, building relationships and constantly improving our partner deployment capabilities. One of our goals in the EDDOC is to continue this support and add engagement/visits to all our partner nations on a monthly basis.

Jorge L. Cordero, LTC, U.S. Army
J-4 Logistics Action Officer
U.S. European Command