Blog Posts tagged with "France"

As a mother and military spouse, with three very active children, our household is much like any other family: the hustle and bustle of everyday life often distracts us from realizing how lucky we really are. In the few quiet moments I have, I often give thanks for being an American in the 21st century. Although these quiet moments are too few and far between, I realize that my right to “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness,” wasn’t just handed to me, but fought for by the many who served and died.

Knowing the importance of imparting the value of freedom on our children, our family recently visited the historical battlegrounds on the coastline of Normandy where 160,000 allied troops valiantly served to free France and fight the oppressive Nazi regime. My husband and I wanted to show our children the stories of that 50-mile stretch of coast.

We started at Pointe du Hoc, its terrain still riddled with craters from heavy shelling, was a tangible history the kids explored with enthusiasm, hiding themselves in the abandoned bunkers, running through the craters, at first not realizing the extent of the fight of 225 Rangers who heroically scaled the steep cliff to secure the critical enemy post that overlooked the coast.

President Ronald Reagan once described the battle:

“The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers at the edge of the cliffs shooting down at them with machine guns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again. They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe. Two hundred and twenty-five came here. After 2 days of fighting, only 90 could still bear arms.”

Later at the American Normandy Cemetery and Memorial overlooking Omaha Beach, I was struck by the monumental challenge of storming the beach below. Our 13-minute walk to the bottom paled in comparison to the three-hour uphill battle it took the soldiers who were lucky enough to survive that far. The serenity of my children playing and the sound of their laughter, the blowing wind and crashing waves made it difficult to imagine the gunfire and bloodshed of 67 years ago.

Sainte-Mère-Église, the first town liberated in France, was a flurry of activities -- actors depicting soldiers and medical staff, a military caravan, music of the 1940’s -- offering a glimpse of an era where every man with a pulse voluntarily signed up to fight. At one point, I noticed a veteran in a wheelchair nearby. My mind went to thoughts of what history has witnessed: multiple U.S. military conflicts, man landing on the moon, the fall of the Berlin wall, and the terrorists acts of September 11, 2001. I teared up thinking of his long life and how very soon, we will only know his generation through the pages of our history books.

During the quiet moments of our journey home, I thought of my grandfather, a World War II veteran, who received orders for the “duration of war.” He used to say, “I never thought I’d live to see my 21st birthday.” I thank God he did. He never said much about his time while serving overseas, but I am sure he had many stories to tell. I wonder how the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq will be depicted in 67 years, and the history we will learn of brave service members who fought to keep America safe.

I am hopeful that the coast of Normandy and its rich history made an impact on my children, giving them a better understanding of the real price of freedom. The trip gave me a renewed sense of gratitude for those who currently serve and those who have served before us. Moreover, as a military spouse, I felt empowered to deal with my challenges: long separations; worried thoughts; missed birthdays, holidays and anniversaries; and striving to emulate the strength and courage of “the Greatest Generation.”

Jennifer Sheppard
Military Spouse

I'll admit I've never been big on history, but there's something surreal about visiting the tiny villages our American Soldiers helped liberate 67 years ago. After meeting several D-Day veterans, walking on the beaches where thousands fought and died, and seeing the steep cliffs where they encountered enemy fire made history real for me. It's no longer just a documentary or war movie on television.

Seeing the French people here in Sainte-Mere-Eglise dressed up in WWII-era American military uniforms tells me these people want to continue to remember the sacrifices our troops made during World War II. At least during this week each year, they do not take their freedom for granted. It truly touched my heart to see American flags on cars, people and businesses everywhere. Outside of military installations, I haven't seen that since moving to Europe four years ago.

The majority of the people joining in the D-Day commemoration events weren't even born in 1944, but they remember. The streets were lined with American flags all week, and thousands of people clapped and cheered as our American troops marched through the small town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise after the June 5 ceremony for peace. The rainy weather didn't seem to deter anyone, as there was barely space to move. Little kids wore military uniforms bearing the patches of the 101st and 82nd airborne divisions and waited in line to have their pictures taken with veterans and current Soldiers. The reverence their grandparents and great-grandparents felt for the troops that liberated their French villages obviously has been passed down through the generations.

When I met Jim "Pee Wee" Martin, who served in the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division on D-Day, I had to fight back tears. It has been 67 years, but he still comes back to France because so many of his comrades died here, and he wants to honor them even now. That level of dedication shows how he believes in what he did. I can only hope the memories of the thousands of troops who have given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan in the modern-day conflicts have the same dedicated battle buddies who will continue to share their stories for generations to come.

Kelli Bland
Outreach Chief
USEUCOM Public Affairs

Here we are in the middle of what I believe is the most important week of the year for U.S. European Command.  On one end, a long weekend recently completed in honor of Memorial Day.  On the other end of this important stretch of days - D-Day.

Second from left, Lt. Gen. Gardner during ceremony in Cambridge, England

If you follow EUCOM on Twitter or Facebook or our EUCOM website, then you've probably seen the recent Memorial Day coverage that had over half of our public affairs office spread out over the weekend to cover some of the 22 ceremonies that took place throughout Europe.  We created a page for all of the collected efforts so you could get live updates as they happened.

As the live pictures, videos and messages came in from different locations, it gave me an even greater appreciation for the sacrifice made by more than 104,000 U.S. service men and women buried at 20 American cemeteries throughout Europe with an additional 20 thousand missing servicemembers listed on the memorial walls.  No longer were they just locations I knew of.  No longer just a holiday.

They were where our EUCOM Deputy Commander, Lt. Gen. John Gardner had traveled to at the American Cemetery in Cambridge, England to pay his respects and give remarks during their ceremony.

Brig Gen Scraba gives remarks in Florence

Or Brig. Gen. Mark Scraba, Deputy Director for EUCOM J5 Plans and Policies-International Military Partnering, whom I traveled with to the American Cemetery and Memorial in Florence, Italy to pay respects to the over four thousand of our military dead.

The general said something during his remarks that really stuck with me.  He said, "The heroes buried here in Florence were ordinary men and women who rose to meet seemingly impossible odds and did extraordinary things.  These brave men and women left the safety of their sovereign soil to defeat tyrants, ensure justice and fulfill the promise of safety and security for our US citizens and all the citizens of Europe.  Their lives were dedicated not to conflict or death, but to compassion, to freedom and to life."

The American Battle Monuments Commission does an extraordinary job maintaining these cemeteries located in Europe.  With so many things in life where the pictures are way more impressive than the real deal, the opposite is true with these memorials.  As my local commuter bus dropped me off seven kilometers outside of Florence and at the front of the site on an early Memorial Day morning, pictures fail to serve the beautiful and immaculately kept grounds.  As the morning led to the mid-day ceremony, the grounds filled with U.S. and Italian active duty and veterans, local townspeople and visiting Americans standing side by side as they did across all the ceremonies in six different European countries.

The images and words still resonate with me back at the office.  But this week isn't over.

Tomorrow begins four days of D-Day events that are taking place in the Normandy region of France.  US, UK, French and German military members will take part in a number of ceremonies with the local French people in small towns and on the beaches of the region that commemorate over 100,000 Allied troops that took part that day and those that paid the ultimate sacrifice.  I was the public affairs officer last year for the 66th anniversary of D-Day events and it remains the most memorable time of my duty in Europe.

US Army Airborne pin their wings on their French counterparts during D-Day ceremony last year.

Some of that coverage (blogs, photos and videos) is currently on the D-Day section of our website and additional coverage on my site.  Kelli Bland, our outreach officer, will be covering D-Day events for this 67th anniversary, so check back to our D-Day page and social media accounts for updates.  Our social media team plays an important part of that coverage.

Memorial Day events and annual D-Day commemorations that occur during a year that doesn't end in a zero or five hardly gain any media attention, but that doesn't make it any less important to EUCOM.  It doesn't mean the events are supported any less than any other year because these historical dates and their significance are ever present to help act as a foundation for who we are as a command and our strong partnerships with our partner nations in Europe.  Social media coverage from our office helps to show that commitment.

Aristotle said, "If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development."  EUCOM continues to remember and honor the beginning of our military service members' sacrifice in Europe that has developed into the current strong partnerships we share in the region.  In my opinion, that makes this an important week for our approximately 90,000 US military members serving in Europe to always remember.  Join us!

Lt. Cmdr. Taylor Clark, U.S. Navy
Social Media Chief, U.S. European Command

Last year my grandfather died on the anniversary of D-Day. Pop was never in the military, but his older brother Chester, was and he fought on the fields of France. He’s buried in Brittany and it is him who I choose to honor in this Memorial Day blog.

As clear as if I’m looking at it now, I can remember Uncle Chet’s picture hanging in Pop’s bedroom on the family farm. When I last saw my grandfather, he was bedridden but completely coherent. He pointed at the picture and looked at me and said, “go see him.” So, for the year I’ve lived in Germany, it has been my plan to visit Uncle Chet’s grave; but life happens and other things came up and I hadn’t made it there. But my chance has come and I’m not missing it this time. My parents are here to visit and my mom insisted that we go (she told me last night it's on her "Bucket List")…and to make things even sweeter, we’re in Brittany for Memorial Day.

I learned about Uncle Chet only after marrying an Army man and more so after deciding to move to Europe. It seems that there was a lot of confusion regarding his death. The family story goes it that when my great-grandmother was notified, she insisted the unit was wrong. Adding to her heart break, she continued to receive letters from Chet after she had been told he died. To try to piece the puzzle together and glean some more information about his service, Chet’s nieces and nephews later tried to get his official records, only to learn they were lost in the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Mo.

All we have are his picture, his service cap, his medals, the letters to my great-grandmother, a headstone in a France, and the stories Pop told us about Chet. His letters are especially poignant. The farm boy who liked cars was in a foreign country, wondering why he was there, and seemingly devastated that his beloved mother and siblings weren’t writing to him. I can only imagine the loneliness he must have felt. The first time I read his words, I fought back tears. Pop loved his brother heartily until his last breath -- Chet’s picture was always on the wall within sight of Pop’s bed -- but I fear Chet died not knowing how truly loved he was. This Memorial Day it is our mission -- my mom, my dad, and me -- to “go see him” and maybe, hopefully, let our souls (and his) rest easier knowing we have made the journey to properly tell him good bye.

The day didn't really turn out as expected, but we met up with a gentleman from the American Battle Monuments Commission who helped us to find Chet. As we were nearing the plot, we realized that the marker we were looking for was right there in front of us; we found the section and row and there he was right on the end! I think it goes without saying that this was a rather emotional moment for all of us. Finally, there was some sense of rest for this long awaited reunion of sorts.

While we lingered there, a Frenchman came over and looked at all we had laid out at the grave site and noted how moving it was for him to see. We came to learn that he was one of the people who volunteers to care for the grave markers at the cemetery. He's probably only about 40-years-old and of course did not know any of the men buried there, but he expressed his gratitude for the Americans. He told us bits of history he knew about Chet's unit and offered to help us get in touch with his friend, a historian, who may know more to help solve our family puzzle. It was truly an amazing coincidence to run into him and to have the chance to talk to someone who tends to the men like my uncle when our families cannot.

It is good to know that Chet has been cared for all these years, and as I looked around me at this beautiful cemetery in this beautiful countryside, I cannot help to think that he's been resting in peace all this time, it has been us -- the ones who followed -- who haven't had that rest; but now we can.

I am glad I was able to take my parents to Brittany. Had my earlier plans of visiting panned out (or even the plans for the day), there is not chance it would have been as magical as the coincidental meetings we had with the people there today. I know my grandfather is proud of us for going, but I regret not having gone sooner to be able to tell him this story in person.

Cathy Gramling
EUCOM Social Media

*For more pictures of the Memorial Day ceremony at the Brittany Cemetery and others around Europe, visit EUCOM.mil or facebook.com/eucom or check twitter for #eumday.

Last week I completed my sixth trip to Afghanistan since becoming SACEUR. As always, I was struck by the challenges we face – corruption, ANSF attrition, and IEDs to name a few. More importantly, however, I am encouraged by the progress I saw during my visit and am more convinced than ever than we can succeed in Afghanistan.  

Talking with French troops during a visit to Forward Operating Base Morales-Frazier, Afghanistan

I spent the bulk of my time visiting NATO forces in Regional Command East. In this region, one size does not fit all. The provinces vary significantly in many ways – enemy, terrain, economy, ethnicity, etc. Effective counterinsurgency requires experienced, well-trained leaders and forces that can think their way through complex situations and find just the right combination of programs and actions to stabilize the area. I was uniformly impressed by the quality of the comprehensive counterinsurgency operations our forces were executing.  

Task Force Lafayette, our French Battlegroup, operates to the northeast of Kabul in Kapisa Province. This fine unit has mastered the art of partnering and mentoring the ANSF. OMLTs and POMLTs operate throughout the province training and operating with their Afghan colleagues. As a result, the confidence, competence, and capabilities of their partner units are improving.  

Southwest of Kabul in Ghazni Province, Task Force White Eagle, our Polish Battlegroup is in a difficult fight with a determined enemy. In situations like this it is easy to default strictly to kinetic operations. Despite the challenge of a very dangerous enemy, Task Force White Eagle continues to take an integrated civilian military approach to stabilizing and developing Ghazni Province.  

Meeting the Polish commander at Forward Operating Base Ghazni

Overwhelmingly, I was struck by the quality of our servicemen and women. Both the French and the Polish Troops represented their nations and NATO in a superb fashion. I was delighted by the Afghan Forces I visited with, as well.  

I met with the faculty of Afghanistan’s National Military Academy. The graduating class of 2009 was 84 students, and the class of 2010 was 212. These are great numbers, but more encouraging is the fact that there are more than 3000 applicants for 650 available seats in the class of 2014.  

On a tour in the National Military Afghan Academy, talking to Afghan Commando Soldiers.

While at the academy, I was honored to meet with the ANA Commandos, an elite unit that maintains an impressive 100% retention rate. These great Soldiers, along with other SOF elements, have an enormous operational tempo. In the last 90 days, they executed 4000 precision operations taking the most dangerous enemy leaders off the battlefield. With such high standards and phenomenal retention rates, this unit is producing leaders that will help move the ANA forward for years to come.  

Undoubtedly, there are many challenges facing us in Afghanistan. The great news is that NATO and Afghan National Security Forces are meeting these challenges head on.  

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

I’m finally back home after nearly two weeks on the road and it has been more than a week now since I jumped into Iron Mike Drop Zone in Normandy, France to commemorate the 66^th Anniversary of D-Day.  I’ll never forget the experience –  not just because of the historic significance, but also because of those that jumped with me that day.  As you probably well know, British, Canadian and American forces jumped to secure the Allied flanks on D-Day, but personnel from Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Poland also took part in the landings.  On D-Day 66, I hit the ground, collected my parachute, and then walked off the drop zone with British, French, Polish, Dutch, German and fellow Americans paratroopers surrounding me.  On my aircraft alone, we had Dutch, German and Polish paratroopers and I earned both the Dutch and Polish jump wings that day.  
  

German and Polish paratroopers sit amongst SOCEUR Soldiers on the aircraft prior to jumping onto Iron Mike DZ in Normandy, France, June 5, 2010.

Whoa!  Come again you say?  Tucked in that list was…German paratroopers?  Yep, they jumped with us!  It goes to show how far we’ve come that we can jump with those who 66 years ago would have been shooting at us as we descended from the sky.  Why were they there?  Well, one of their special operations officers explains it best here during an interview with LCDR Taylor Clark of the EUCOM Public Affairs Office.

Immediately upon my return from the D-Day anniversary, I headed straight to Krakow, Poland to prepare for the upcoming Jackal Stone 2010 exercise. Jackal Stone is a multi-nation partnership building exercise designed to build Special Operations Forces’ capacity.  While there, I really was able to appreciate the significance of the camaraderie built during events such as the D-Day anniversary jump as I met up with one of the Polish jumpers I had exchanged wings with in Normandy. 

British, French, Polish, Dutch, German and American paratroopers float to the ground during the 66th D-Day Anniversary jump onto Iron Mike DZ, June 5, 2010.

As we worked at Polish Special Operations Command Headquarters with special operations leaders from Poland, Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, and the Ukraine, we talked about jump-day memories and the relationships we built in Normandy.  It transcended beyond just the U.S.-Polish bonds and was a precursor to the relationships we will strengthen when we all gather in Poland and Lithuania this upcoming September.

It all goes back to why we (U.S. forces) are here in Europe – so that we can cooperate better with our partners and allies.  I wrote about it previously here, but it is so cool to see it in action.  Common experiences bind us together like nothing else, and in times of crisis, it is these common experiences that will pay immeasurable dividends.  

MAJ Jim Gregory
SOCEUR PAO

Last year when I attended the 65th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion, I left Normandy, France feeling the proudest I’ve ever been wearing the U.S. Army uniform. So this year when I boarded the MC-130 Shadow aircraft to Normandy, I was excited to return to a place where the American Soldier is so adored and appreciated.

Just like last year, American Soldiers attending the event were invited into the home off a French family for dinner in one of the many local towns throughout the region. After I ensured the many Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen were shuttled to their destination; I was left with two young French women to go to their residence for dinner.

I was quite surprised that both Nathalie, age 23, and Angelique, age 24, could speak English pretty well, as normally the language barrier makes the encounter a little difficult initially for both Soldier and the family members. Welcoming me to her home, Nathalie, was continuing a tradition that she’d experienced throughout her entire life growing up in this part of France.

The people in this region have been inviting American Soldiers into their homes as an expression of gratitude for delivering them from tyranny from the Germans during World War II. Nathalie told us stories of how her parents always had Army veterans who served in either the 82nd Airborne Division or 101st Airborne Division as guests in their house.

Some would stay as long as a week at a time for the commemoration of D-Day activities in the Normandy area. She talked about waiting for her opportunity as an adult to one day have Soldiers come to her own place so she could continue the tradition of expressing the gratitude of Soldiers on behalf of her family lineage. On this night, Nathalie was very proud.

I tried not to wear my journalist hat very long as I asked both women questions on various topics. I asked how do the elder French people who lived here during the time of war feel about Germans. Both were candid and honest in their answers. They both mentioned how painful it is for many of the elders and their lack of love and forgiveness to the Germans.

But these two young women also expressed that things today are different. They acknowledged that was history, but now they both think of the Germans as their friends – with Angelique admitting how she loved learning how to speak German.

We talked about U.S. and France relations, how it soured after the Iraq War. I admitted that coming here to Normandy both last and this year, has been the most rewarding experience I’ve had as a Soldier. And I was thankful from the bottom of my heart to be amongst people who has kept our legacy alive from generation to generation.

So as we dined and drank, a friendship was forged between people who were once strangers. In this age of modern technology, we were able to exchange e-mail addresses and of course Facebook page information. Anything I can do to preserve the legacy of that Great Generation of Soldiers who liberated the people of Normandy is something that I will proudly do. After all, there are a generation of French people who are doing the same.

Master Sgt. Donald Sparks
SOCEUR Public Affairs Chief

I finally arrived in Northern France to St. Mere Eglise (SME). My hotel is located just to the outskirts of town and was an easy walk into the town square. It is a surreal feeling to walk through such a historic location without the aid of an Xbox game controller while playing the latest Call of Duty video game or through a production that either starred or was directed by Tom Hanks. Here it was in real life and it really feels like history is alive here.

This small town was founded in the 11th century but will forever be known as one of the first towns to be liberated from Nazi Germany by the Allied Forces during the Normandy landings to include the 82nd Airborne and U.S. 101st Airborne Divisions on June 6th, 1944.

The most famous of those first troops was John Steele, whose parachute was stuck on the town chapel in SME during the early morning hours of June 6th. SME was targeted for attack and a stray incendiary bomb had set fire to a house east of the town square. The church bell was rung to alert the town of the emergency and townspeople turned out in large numbers to form a bucket brigade supervised by members of the German garrison.

The mannequin paratrooper hangs below the parachute.

By 0100hrs, the town square was well-lit and filled with German soldiers and villagers when paratroopers from the 1st and 2nd battalions were dropped in error directly over the village. After John Steele's chute caught on the chapel, he played dead for two hours and watched his fellow soldiers fight it out before the Germans cut him down and took him prisoner. The town was finally taken from the Germans by 0500 that morning.

Steele's ordeal lives on today by the mannequin in uniform that hangs from the same spot on the chapel in the center of town. This mannequin now has the best seat in the house as U.S., French, British and German troops descend upon SME and Northern France to commemorate the 66th anniversary of D-Day events throughout this week. Along with the current service members from these countries are the veterans of those allied forces that will always remember and families of the local French communities that will never forget.

Stay tuned for more!
LCDR Taylor Clark

I was deep in the heart of France yesterday during Memorial Day as I'm on my way to provide support for the events scheduled in commemoration of the 66th anniversary of D-Day. I left out from our U.S. European Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany and stopped at the halfway point on the way to the beaches of Normandy.

After nearly 19 years in the Navy, I've spent my share of Memorial Days honoring the sacrifices of those who gave their lives to the greater good. I've placed flags at cemeteries and saluted color guards that passed before and after ceremonies on this important day. I spent the majority of this Memorial Day packing up the car and getting on the road to join up with the other military members supporting the D-Day events this year.

Reims (pronounced like "rance"), France was my halfway point on this wet and congested Memorial Day. This city, located about 80 miles to the northeast of Paris, was meticulously reconstructed after both WWI and WWII. After reading the short write up about the town in my travel guide, the thing that popped out to me the most was a date 65 years ago.

On May 7th, 1945 at 2:41a.m., Nazi Germany signed an unconditional surrender bringing an end to six years of war in Europe. The surrender was signed in U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower's war room of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) in Reims. Media that covered the event in the days that followed called the headquarters "the little red schoolhouse" for its simple red-brick look and resemblance to a schoolhouse (the majority of the building is a technical university today).

I arrived in Reims with no idea where to go. I headed close to the center of town down winding French streets blindly turning down any road that had a sign that pointed toward a hotel. Luckily I'm equipped with GPS or I would struggle with getting out of town. When I arrived at one that had potential, I stopped, checked in and dropped off my bags.

The Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force or "little red schoolhouse."

Heading back out of the hotel for dinner while conferring with the front desk free map, I looked across the street about a half a block and there was a building of red-brick schoolhouse motif with the flags of France, UK, USA, Russia and Germany in front. A city of a couple hundred thousand spread out over 18 square miles and I land at the hotel across the street from the site of the end of World War II in Europe. What luck!

LCDR Taylor Clark
Chief of Media

I just completed an excellent visit to Canada, our neighbor and NATO partner just north of the United States.  As every U.S. citizen learns in elementary school, we sit side-by-side along the longest undefended border in the world, completely at peace with good friends who live in a land of remarkable beauty and culture.

Every time I go to Canada, I am struck by the bilingual / bicultural nature of that nation of 33 million.  With a population that has both strong French (30%) and English (60%) linguistic roots, they carefully balance the language, education, government work, and laws to ensure that both languages and cultures are nurtured and protected.  In the Canadian military, for example, the more senior an individual becomes the greater requirement for facility in both French and English.  Living as I do now in the similarly bilingual country of Belgium (French and Flemish, principally), I know this is challenging but important.

My trip to both Ottawa and Halifax balanced previous trips I've made to Calgary and Vancouver in the west; and Montreal and Quebec City in the east.  The geographic diversity of Canada is striking, running as it does from the gorgeous rocky eastern coast to the high Rocky Mountains in the west.  But nothing is more dramatic than the high north, over which I have flown dozens of times. 

The high north is much discussed these days in terms of a "new Great Game," i.e. a competition zone among nations for the natural wealth and trade routes that become more accessible as global warming opens the Northwest Passage.  In that regard, my good friend General Walt Natynczyk, the Canadian Chief of Defense, was asked the other day if he was worried about an invasion of the Canadian high north by some unnamed nation in pursuit of hydrocarbons.  He said, slightly tongue in cheek, "if we were invaded in the north, my first duty would be to rescue them."  It is a humorous way to highlight the harsh conditions and supreme difficulties of even operating routinely "up there."

Canadian Forces Chief of the Defence Staff General Walt Natynczyk and I visit the World War I Memorial in Ottawa, Canada.

My own view of the high north is that we all need to work hard to prevent the region from becoming a "zone of competition," and make sure it becomes a "zone of cooperation."  There is a lot to talk about among the nations involved -- Canada, Russia, U.S., Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and others.  Some of the ways we can cooperate include navigation, search and rescue, buoyage systems, climate change, endangered species, conservation, communications, pollution, traffic monitoring, and resolving outstanding territorial disputes.  The Arctic Council, an organization of involved nations, is a good forum for this.

I also had a chance to visit with the very capable Minister of National Defence, Peter MacKay.  I've enjoyed getting to know him over the past couple of years, as he has a strikingly focused view of global security activity and leads his military with great enthusiasm and style.  Full of new ideas, he is a strong participant in international dialogue through NATO.
       
Canada is a strong friend and ally to the U.S. and a forceful participant in NATO operations world-wide.  They have 2,830 troops in Afghanistan, focused in the southern part of the country, doing good work in a tough place.  Their frigate HMCS Fredericton just arrived on station in the waters off Somalia for counter-piracy operations.  My Director of Staff at my Headquarters in Mons, Belgium -- a crucial job -- is a Canadian Brigadier General, Jim Selbie.  Every Canadian military member I met in my three day visit was very upbeat and positive about their involvement in NATO operations, and we are lucky to have them with us!

(As most know, I am dual-hatted as the European Command Commander and also the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe.  Although Canada is not in the EUCOM area of responsibility, I felt it was important to include this blog on the EUCOM site as well to keep you up to date on all of my travels and experiences.)

I’ve just returned from Bratislava, Slovakia where the NATO Fall '09 Defense Ministerial was held, followed by an official visit to Slovakian senior defense leaders.

The Defense Ministerial is a chance for all 28 of the NATO Defense leaders (Ministers and Secretaries of Defense) to gather in a plenary session for a couple of days and discuss key issues.  Our new Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, led the event.

General Lubomir Bulik, Slovakia Chief of Defense and I walk to the office of the Slovakian Minister of Defense. This was my first official visit to the country since taking command of SHAPE in July.

Bratislava is Slovakia's historic capital perched on the Danube River. The city of a half-million in a country of some five million is full of lovely classic European architecture and within a few minutes drive from  the Tatra mountain range and hundreds of medieval castles and historic villages, some of them declared UN world heritage sites.

The conference began with speeches and a brief presentation of Slovakian culture, including short performances in opera, contemporary ballet, and vibrant folk dancing.  The President and Minister of Defense of Slovakia welcomed everyone, and we swiftly went off to a working dinner.  In the conference hall, a huge circular table seated all 28 Defense leaders as well as the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Italian Adm.Giampaolo DiPaola; the Commander of Allied Command Transformation, French Air Force Gen. Stephan Abrial; and me.  The dinner meeting was crisply run by the Secretary General, and afforded both me and Gen. Stan McChrystal, International Security Assistance Force commander, the chance to report on the situation in Afghanistan.

We followed up the next morning by a busy day of meetings and a working lunch that included the 28 NATO leaders, the 14 Ministers of Defense from Troop Contributing Nations who are engaged in Afghanistan outside of NATO (e.g. Australia, Sweden, New Zealand etc); Minister of Defense Wardak of Afghanistan; and Ambassador Kai Eide, the UN High Representative.  Both are good friends and colleagues doing hard work in challenging circumstances.  Again, the meetings focused on Afghanistan, the upcoming Presidential run-off election there, and the ISAF mission in general.

In addition to the obvious and vital discussions on Afghanistan, there was time to speak of the NATO Response Force, the Alliances “Quick Reaction” capability; transformation and the potential for reform and reorganization; missile defense and the new U.S. proposals with an eye toward NATO involvement; and a variety of other key issues.  Both Secretary General Rasmussen and Secretary of Defense Bob Gates highlighted the Alliance's solidarity during their press conferences, and I echo their sense of alliance solidarity across the wide range of topics.  There was plenty of spirited discussion and challenging questions, but I came away from the meetings – my first as SACEUR, although I’ve attended many in other jobs – with a very positive sense of the alliance and the individual leaders.

As the NATO conference concluded on Friday, I was invited to remain for a series of meetings with Slovakian defense leaders.  My host was the Chief of the Defense Staff, four-star General Lubomir Bulik.  He and I attended meetings with the Slovak Minister of Defense, Minister of Interior, and Chairman of the Defense Committee in the Parliament.  At each meeting, we discussed the strong Slovak commitment to NATO in general and the mission in Afghanistan in particular.  I was also able to discuss some topics of interest under my U.S. European Command hat, including mutual use of training areas for preparation of allies for the ISAF mission.

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

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For the first time in more than forty years, a French four-star General is again in command of one of the key military positions in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Boarding the plane in Mons. Photo by David Kennerly.

After President Sarkozy of France announced his nation’s full re-integration into NATO (or OTAN for its initials in French), the Alliance responded by asking France to nominate an officer as one of the two Supreme Commanders.

My position is Supreme Allied Commander, Europe or SACEUR as I am commonly called. My command is Allied Command Operations, which means from my headquarters in Mons, Belgium I am responsible for all NATO operations world wide.

The co-equal Supreme Allied Commander, Transformation or SAC-T is located in Norfolk. It is the only NATO command on U.S. soil, and is NATO’s leading agent for change, driving, facilitating, and advocating continuous improvement of Alliance capabilities to maintain and enhance the military relevance and effectiveness of the Alliance.

France nominated, and the Alliance gladly accepted, General Stephane Abrial, the former commander of the French Air Force. General Abrial has an extraordinary and distinguished career.

In addition to multiple command tours with the French Air Force, he has served several times in the United States – including a year at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and another year at Air War College in Maxwell, Alabama. In fact, his oldest daughter was born in Alabama.

French Air Force General Stephane Abrial at the SAC-T Change of Command ceremony. Photo by David Kennerly

He is, in every sense, an international officer. In addition to his native French and perfect English, he speaks excellent German as his wife is of German birth. General Abrial has served throughout the alliance in both Europe and North America, and has a well developed view of international economics, strategy, policy, and, of course, military technology.

The Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, of Denmark, praised and challenged General Abrial, pointing out that now more than ever we need strong leadership in the hard and important work of transformation.

General Abrial’s leadership of Allied Command Transformation comes at a crucial time for the alliance which has 70,000 troops on three continents, including major land deployments to the Balkans and Afghanistan. New threats are emerging, including piracy, cyber threats, and increasing competition in the High North. All of this occurs with a backdrop of declining defense budgets.

Over a hundred years ago, the brilliant British Admiral, Sir Jackie Fisher, famously remarked in a similar era of declining budgets, “Now that the money is running out, we must all think!” In selecting an equally brilliant French General, NATO has found a leader who will lead us all in thinking through transformation.

Comme on dit en français, c’est un jour très important pour la France, mais aussi magnifique pour l’Alliance Atlantique/ As one says in French, this is an important day for France, but a magnificent day for the Alliance.

Welcome aboard, Stephane!

Admiral James G. Stavridis
Commander
U.S. European Command

I started last week in Lisbon, on the heels of a trip to Stuttgart the previous Friday for staff briefings at European Command (EUCOM) and EUCOM's Annual Summer Reception, which included a spectacular concert with an Elvis Presley impersonator in full U.S. Army regalia!

I was in Lisbon for a significant event: the change of command of the major NATO Headquarters there, where a senior French officer took command of a key NATO military post.

Me handing the guidon to Lt Gen Philippe Stoltz

I was very proud to officiate and speak, along with the Portuguese Minister of Defence, Nuno Severiano Teixeira, as Lieutenant General Phillipe Stoltz, a French Army 3-star, proudly took command.  Over some good Portuguese wine in the officer’s mess later, I was able to personally welcome Phillipe. I said, “C’est un jour important pour France, mais c’est un jour magnifique pour notre l’Alliance.” (It is an important day for France, but it is a magnificent day for our alliance).

I also visited an innovative organization: the Maritime Analysis and Operations Center. This small group with representatives from seven European nations is focused on counter-narcotics from their operations center in Lisbon. Comparable to the U.S. Joint Interagency Task Force South in Key West (with whom they frequently collaborate), they seek to coordinate the law enforcement efforts of European nations to stem the flow of into the continent drugs (estimated by JIATFS to be in the region of 550+ tons of cocaine annually, for example). Headed up by an exuberant Brit, Tim Manhire, they have shown much success and I hope to partner with them under my European Command hat in interagency and international counter-narcotic work.

ANA soldier on patrol in a poppy field

From there, I flew to Kabul. I left one important area of the world to another one that I care deeply about. I had meetings first with our brilliant NATO Commander, General Stan McChrystal.  Although relatively recently arrived, the energy, drive, and intelligence of the new commander were on clear display. We had a long talk about our approach, as well as his initial tactical directives. We generally agreed that:

• Protecting the Afghan people must be the central focus of our operations   – protecting them and gaining their trust
• We must quickly build the Afghan National Army and Police to a level that permits them to gradually take responsibility throughout their land. At the end of the day, “all true security is local.”
• Cooperation with all civil elements – the United Nations mission, the various embassies, all of the international aid organizations – is crucial. Based on my experiences in Latin America and the Caribbean, I’ve come to believe that security is seldom delivered by the barrel of a gun.
• International, interagency, combined military and even private-public integration will be the keys.

President Karzai and me

I also had meetings with President Hamid Karzai; Minister of Defense Abdul Rahim Wardak; NATO Senior Civilian Representative, Ambassador Fernando Gentilini; Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Ambassador Kai Eide; and U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and his team of senior leaders (including five full ambassadors).

Minister Wardak and me

Everyone recognizes the seriousness of the situation, and there is a great deal of focus on the upcoming election, scheduled for 20 August. Ensuring proper security and a full and free path to the polling stations is foremost in everyone’s mind at the moment.

My scheduled trip to the north – to Konduz, where our German allies are working hard – fell through with an aircraft problem, but both General McChrystal and I were able to provide the North Atlantic Council and Military Committee (28 Ambassadors and 28 senior military representatives) with a full briefing from the field.

Kocatepe Mosque in Ankara

After leaving Afghanistan, I flew directly to Turkey for two days of meetings and visits with our Turkish allies.  In addition to placing a wreath at the Mausoleum of Ataturk, I held meetings with Ambassador Jim Jeffries and the Turkish senior leadership.  I had a good one-on-one with General İlker Başbuğ, the Turkish Chief of Defense, and we discussed Turkey’s excellent contributions in Afghanistan, their increasing regional leadership role, cooperation on the border with Iraq against the terrorist PKK, and future engagement.
 

Mr. Mustafa Hakki Ozer, Muftu of Ankara, Mr. Kadir Temel, Imam of the Kocatepe Mosque and me

Turkey is a vital and important NATO ally, and for me it was a chance to return to the nation from which my grandfather and grandmother emigrated to the United States, after stopping briefly in Greece.

As I write this flying back to Mons and my new home in Belgium, I am struck by the scale of the past week – Stuttgart to Lisbon to Kabul to Ankara – and the range of issues.  All are connected by the NATO alliance: the bridge that allows a flow of ideas, interaction, and good works, today on three continents in this turbulent world.

In March I hosted senior military, business and community leaders from Germany and France aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) aircraft carrier as it made its way through the Mediterranean Sea.

Today, I have the opportunity to escort military and community leaders from Poland and Germany aboard the “Ike” and I can’t think of a better platform to demonstrate the United States’ commitment to building partnerships here in Europe. It’s my sincere hope that our guests walk away with a greater appreciation and understanding of that commitment.

The importance of these visits rests on my shoulders as I continue to encourage partnerships and build friendships within the theater. The United States’ commitment to promote continued peace and stability throughout Europe is a role I don’t take lightly.

As NATO members, Germany and Poland play key roles in global anti-terrorism efforts. And the efforts by these two nations – and all nations within the European Command’s area of focus – to strengthen their commitments as strategic partners is testimony for long lasting stability in Europe.

VADM Dick Gallagher
Deputy Commander
U.S. European Command