Blog Posts tagged with "partnership"

We've just concluded the two big warm-up events that have brought into focus what we'll be doing at the NATO Summit in mid-May, scheduled to be held in Chicago.

The first was a meeting with all of the NATO Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs (Secretary Panetta and Secretary Clinton and all their 27 contemporaries). 

The second was a meeting last week of all the military chiefs of defense, including U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey and his peers. Both were vibrant and lively conversations.

I gave several briefings to both groups concerning global situation from an operational standpoint.  In addition to discussing Afghanistan, Syria, the Pacific, the Balkans, and the lessons of Libya, we finalized the key topics for the upcoming Summit:

Afghanistan:

        Overall, everyone seems satisfied with the current plan to get us from now through the end of 2014, when the Afghan Security Forces will be fully in charge of security.  The Afghans control security for 50% of the population, with an announcement expected shortly that will bring transition to the 75% level.  Violence against our forces is down 20% from last year, and the Afghan ability to respond to attacks is quite good -- they lead 40% of all operations today.  Despite the occasional "high profile incident," the broad strokes of that campaign continue along reasonably well.

        At Chicago, the key will be on the post-2014 commitment.  I think that the 28 NATO nations and the additional 22 partner nations will make a decade-long commitment to Afghanistan post-2014 -- funding their security forces at a reasonable level, engaging in civil-military cooperation, continuing efforts on economic development and education, and all the other things underway.  This commitment will send a strong and vital signal to the Taliban that the international community is here to stay.

Missile Defense:

        The NATO nations were happy to see the successful deployment of a US-based missile defense shield into Europe. They agreed to fold it into the NATO defensive structure, thus fulfilling treaty commitments as well as finding ways to contribute both financially and with their own systems in the future.

Smart Defense:

        In an era of constrained defense budgets, nations need to undertake efforts to specialize in operating high cost systems.  Not everyone needs a submarine force, and one ally's euros might be better spent on minesweepers or special forces, for example.

        Nations also need to pool and share resources.  A good example is what is called "Baltic Air Policing," where nations with high performance aircraft operate an air shield over the Baltic nations.  In return, the Baltic nations can concentrate on infrastructure to support the deployments and building their own capabilities in other areas.

        Missile defense is of course another good example of smart defense.  So is the Alliance Ground Surveillance System (AGS), which buys a Global-Hawk like unmanned aircraft fleet and deploys it to Italy under control of the NATO Command Structure.

USS The Sullivans (DDG-68) steams alongside the Royal Netherlands navy frigate HNLMS De Ruyter.

Partnerships:

        NATO has been very successful in partnering with a wide variety of nations in missions across the last ten years.  In Afghanstian, we have 22 international partners with troops on the ground, from Tonga, Australia, and New Zealand in the south Pacific to El Salvador (and soon, hopefully, Colombia) from Latin America.

        In the Libyan campaign, we also had the good fortune to have five partners from the Arab world, as well as traditional ally Sweden.

        And in the Balkans, where events continue to be challenging, we have Austria, Finland, Sweden, and other European partners working alongside our NATO forces.

        At the Chicago summit, there will be several "partnership events," to include a wide variety of nations working with NATO around the world.

So, as we think about the importance of the NATO alliance -- 140,000 troops around the world in current operations in Afghanistan, the Balkans, piracy, Libya until recently, and on patrol protecting the alliance -- we should have a lively discussion from all of the heads of state and government in Chicago!

Best,
Jim

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

Today, Baden-Württemberg (BW), Germany, celebrates the 60^th anniversary of officially becoming a state. I heartily congratulate them on this historic occasion.

BW has served as the host location for U.S. European Command (EUCOM) Headquarters since 1967. Our partnership with the community here has been an integral part of our command’s success, as we share the common vision of promoting a peaceful, stable region.

The year 2012 also marks the 60^th anniversary of EUCOM, which was established August 1, 1952. Over the past 60 years, the world has seen a lot of changes. However, one thing that has never changed is our need to forge and maintain ongoing solid, trusted relationships with countries in EUCOM’s area of responsibility – especially within NATO. By working together, and increasing our understanding of each other’s capabilities, we will continue to enhance our ability to respond to today’s global challenges and opportunities.

Those challenges are numerous. For example, last year we worked together with our NATO allies and coalition partners to save tens of thousands of lives from a despotic and unstable regime in Libya. Other examples include supporting continued progress and transition in Afghanistan and maintaining a safe environment in the Balkans. By sustaining vital relationships with our key allies and emerging partners in the region, the U.S. and its allies will be prepared to face the security challenges of the 21st century.

Baden-Württemberg represents a great combination of tradition with progress. I wish the people of BW a very happy birthday, and I look forward to continuing our valued partnership for years to come!

Best,
Jim

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

“You have words and… swords. We, on the other hand, only have our words.”  This was a poignant point made by Francois Bellon, the Head of Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross to both the EU and NATO. J9 invited Monsieur Bellon to visit the command earlier this month, the first senior ICRC visit to EUCOM in nearly two decades.

François Bellon, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross Delegation to NATO, EU and the Kingdom of Belgium, addresses military and civilian officials from EUCOM.

Mr. Bellon and his colleague, Mr. Aleardo Ferretti, came to Stuttgart with a world-wide breadth of experience with the Red Cross. Between them they have been posted in Beijing, Moscow, Tblisi, Tel Aviv, Beirut and Washington, DC.  They see the need for open communication with all parties; with strong superpower militaries like that of the US, but also with “the other side”; Taliban, Malian Toureg rebels, Al Shabab in Somalia etc.  They are fiercely impartial, neutral, independent, never armed, and use this stance and their words to achieve their humanitarian objectives.

I liked the analogy that Mr. Bellon used during his presentation; "we are in the same river, but different boats." We tend to look at a crisis, in Syria for example, from our military perspective; the ICRC does so from their humanitarian perspective. Both boats have good intentions: defending the rights of the wounded and detainees, the protection of innocents, and the rights of a populace to select their own leadership. But it is essential that these two important boats be able to communicate with each other. Hence the invitation to the ICRC to visit, so that we can build bridges, know each other before a crisis, and better understand each other’s perspectives.

Mr Bellon indicated that the ICRC are also the protectors of the Geneva Conventions. They are in my mind, a bit like the Knights Templar guarding the Holy Grail in the movie, “Indiana Jones and the Fountain of Youth;" for me, the ICRC is today’s Knights Templar, guarding the nearly 150 year-old  Geneva Conventions and fundamental human rights. They of course do so… without the sword.

Mike Anderson
Acting Director
J9-Interagency Partnering Directorate

In today’s budget-strapped environment, President Obama’s administration has called for more public-private collaboration.  Recently the President appointed a Principal Director for Community Partnership to the National Security Council staff to address how the government might partner more with outside entities and individuals.

The Department of Defense and most other U.S. government agencies are also looking for ways to improve effectiveness and efficiencies by reaching out to collaborate with private businesses, non-profit organizations and academia. EUCOM has already been working on initiatives like this for some time in areas such as cyber-security, communications, and humanitarian assistance, among others.  For the most part, this collaboration is focused on sharing expertise, exchanging information, and executing projects and operations.

This collaboration is especially beneficial to the government, as most of the cutting edge work, primarily technological, that once was done by the government is now being done in the private sector. The government now relies on private sector expertise to maintain its lead in defense, space and other national security issues.

Perhaps one of the most robust partnering initiatives EUCOM employs is the National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP) – where Guard personnel conduct some of the most enduring military-to-civilian – and even civilian-to-civilian – activities.  The SPP was initially launched as a political and military outreach initiative to the new democracies in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union in the 1990s and is now a key security cooperation tool. National Guard members now work with EUCOM partner nations on such issues as military justice, disaster response planning, military medical preparedness, search and rescue techniques, border and port security, counter trafficking and counter terrorism among others.

Non-state actors, terrorists, media magnates, cyber hackers, and other nefarious characters can function today with fewer constraints than ever, so the government is going to be continually challenged to protect national security and its citizens.  We here at EUCOM recognize the need to harness the know-how and resources of corporations, universities, research institutions, and charitable and development organizations. We continue to seek out opportunities for public-private cooperation initiatives because today’s problems will not be solved by government alone, but in increasingly in partnership with global business, partnerships with civil society.

Evelyn N. Farkas, Ph.D.
Senior Advisor for Public-Private Partnership
to the Supreme Allied Commander (SACEUR) and Commander, U.S. European Command

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Want to read more on this topic? See the related article penned by Admiral Stavridis and Dr. Farkas or the recent blog by Admiral Stavridis.

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.
•  

  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"

I watched the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four last week while on temporary duty in basketball-crazy Lithuania. It somehow seemed appropriate to be watching in such a hoops-passionate nation. In Lithuania, basketball transcends sport; it is a lifestyle, nearly a religion.

For years, Lithuania has sent players to the NBA. They traditionally compete well in the Olympics (#4 in 2008 Beijing Olympics) and recently hosted the European Basketball Championships. I saw more kids playing basketball here than the more traditional European sport of football (soccer). The present location of the Lithuanian Energy Security Center, which I visited, is even co-located with the military academy’s basketball court! As I said, Lithuania was a fitting venue .

As I followed the Final Four I was reminded that there were four common requirements necessary both for this basketball tournament and for interagency partnering, my line of work at US European Command (EUCOM).

1. Structure. For college basketball, there are preliminary regional tournaments, and season-ending play-offs with brackets, all culminating in the Final Four.
   
   For interagency partnering the structure at EUCOM is the J9 Directorate. The J9 was established in November 2009 and has since been emulated at other U.S. geographic commands. We all see the value of having a structure to host interagency partners and to champion collaboration. Without the structure, interagency partnering might look more like a street ball, pick-up game; fun perhaps, but not nearly as effective.
    
2. Leadership Support. Both interagency partnering and the college basketball tournament have benefited immensely from top-down support. The tournament was created and is actively promoted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). They’ve made March Madness part of the fabric of American society. Even here in Lithuania it is avidly viewed, as some 14 Lithuanians play NCAA ball.
   
   Our commander, Adm. Stavridis, has been consistent and ardent in touting the importance of interagency partnering. His advocacy for whole of government thinking has made that mindset pervasive among our enterprise.
    
3. Right People. Three of the Final Four teams were brimming with NBA-caliber talent. The fourth team, Louisville, may have lacked NBA-level gifts, but was guided by an exceptional coach. Clearly, the right people, whether players or coaches, are necessary for basketball success.
   
   In J9, we have sought out the right people; consciously recruited and hired them, professionally developed them, and worked hard to retain those that embody a team spirit.
    
4. Relationships.  The coach of the University of Kentucky’s basketball team attributed their victory to…well…teamwork. He credited their success to the strong relationships among his team members.  We find the same in Stuttgart. One can have the structure (J9 Directorate), top-down leadership (support of our Commander), the right people ( a good mix of agency partners, joint active and reserve military, civilians and contractors), but in the end the success of interagency collaboration depends on relationships. Trust is essential. Trust grows both on the basketball court and in our directorate through hard work, practice, a willingness to suspend doubt, by listening, seeking compromise, keeping egos in check, helping out, and playing to each other’s strengths. Like the Wildcats, in J9 we also feel these investments have been worth it: a slam dunk.

Mike Anderson, Acting Director
J9 Interagency Directorate

James Dehart, Department of State, listens to Dr. James MacDougall, George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies.

I'm thinking about how to connect public and private efforts to create security.

In this turbulent 21st century, security is not about creating walls. We won't deliver a secure world strictly from the barrel of a gun.

Instead, we need systems to connect and integrate. Why? Because the security challenges require teamwork. Think about the threats: trafficking in narcotics, arms, weapons of mass destruction, and humans; cybercrime; ballistic missiles; natural disasters and their aftermath; terrorism. All of these cross borders effortlessly and therefore require connective activity to solve.

I think a good expression for this is "open source security." This means that wherever we can, we should be creating teaming arrangements between nations (international); governmental organizations (interagency); and -- this is what I've been working lately -- private-public.

There are lots of ways private sector efforts can connect with the public domain to help create security. A few we've been pursuing include:

• 

  USAREUR's 12th Combat Aviation Brigade conducts a resupply mission with the Montenegrin Red Cross to deliver medical supplies to Montenegrins stranded by severe weather in Northern Montenegro Feb. 22.

  Humanitarian Assistance: Combining non-governmental organizations with public sector actors like USAID, Department of Defense (we build schools and clinics all over the world), State Department.
• Disaster Relief: Responding to big events like the Haitian and Pakistani earthquakes, the Indian Ocean Tsunami, and the Japanese nuclear incident requires a mix of everything from the US Navy to Doctors without borders.
• Medical Diplomacy: Look at the USNS Hospital ships COMFORT and MERCY They have done hundreds of thousands of patient treatments all over the Caribbean, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans. They are crewed by a mix of public and private entities, notably Operation Hope.
• Maritime Protection: In response to piracy off the coasts of Africa, public actors like NATO, EU, and various global Navies are working with Merchant shipping corporations and the International Maritime Organization to create "best practices" that keep mariners safe.
• Cyber:  In the turbulent cyber "seas," both public sector actors (in the case of the US, Department of Homeland Security, Justice, Department of Defense, NSA) as well as the big internet providers, server and cloud organizations, and literally billions of users are all stakeholders. This is an area where we must all cooperate and the work between private and public is crucial.

From a NATO and a US European Command perspective, we'll continue to work on this. In NATO, we call it the "comprehensive approach," and on the US side we are enabling a small cell of folks to work actively on private-public partnership. In both cases, we hope to contribute to security in sensible but non-traditional ways.

Best,
Jim

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

“Zdravo” from Podgorica, Montenegro! This is Will Poole from the International Cyber Engagement office at Headquarters, United States European Command.                                

I spent last week in the warm and hospitable city of Podgorica, Montenegro, with a EUCOM team executing the first-ever regional Cyber Endeavor event.

To reinforce the understanding of what Cyber Endeavor is and why we do it, allow me to reiterate here:

Cyber Endeavor is the United States European Command's paramount cyber security collaboration, familiarization and engagement program designed to strengthen partner nation cyber defense capacities through seminars, events and exercise support.  These cyber defense seminars go a long way towards building cyber defense partnerships with our partner nations with the end goal of improving force readiness for deployment in support of exercises, multinational crisis response and future missions.

Deputy Minister Mira Cerović, who is responsible for Development and Protection of Information and Communication Systems, opening the Cyber Endeavor Seminar along with Lt Col Božo Đurović, Acting Chief of Communication and Information System (J-6), General Staff.

From February 28 to March 1, two EUCOM-based subject matter experts -- James Nettesheim and John Riddlemoser -- provided a cyber defense seminar entitled “Malware Analysis & Reverse Engineering Malicious Software.”

Diverse Group of Participants. The Cyber Endeavor Seminar included technical experts from Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine and the United States. (See this link below for translated Montenegrin Armed Forces article and photograph of Cyber Endeavor participants.)

We had 25 cyber defense subject matter experts from 15 nations involved in this Cyber Endeavor event. The seminar was three days long and covered the basics of malware and malicious code, vulnerabilities and exploits, investigative techniques, on-line tools and resources.  The participants also learned about disassembling executables, obfuscation, malicious document analysis, creation of intrusion detection system (IDS) signatures and other malware defenses.

James Nettesheim and John Riddlemoser providing some hands-on help.

What’s next? Cyber Endeavor Seminar #2 will be hosted in Vilnius, Lithuania, April 17 – 19. The seminar is entitled “Incident Response and Network Forensics” and topics will include an overview of proper incident response procedures to include identification, containment and preservation/restoration.  Incident identification will be presented using many examples from live network captures along with associated Intrusion Detection system products.  And lots more……

COL Thomas, Lt Col Božo Đurović, the EUCOM team and all the Cyber Endeavor participants after closing ceremony.

And after that? In September, we will execute Seminar #3 (focused on computer forensics) at Grafenwöhr, Germany, and also our Capstone event with two tracks (Management and Technical) offering many diverse seminars. 

I’ll keep you posted as things move along. If you have any questions or comments, contact the International Cyber Engagement (ICE) team at ICE@eucom.mil

Will Poole
International Cyber Engagement

After landing in Podgorica, Montenegro, last week for the  LOGEX 13 Main Planning Conference I quickly realized the urgency of the Montenegrin government's request for assistance due to the large amounts of snow in the southern portion of the country. On the way to the airport it was hard not to notice the bent and broken trees that lined the road; the pieces of overhang that were bent or broken on the roofs of houses and buildings; the caved in roofs; and of course the piles and piles of snow along the roads and in the parking lots. 

 

It is important to know that Montenegro does not have a Director of Logistics in their Ministry of Defense -- all logistics support is handled at the company level. This system is advantageous because tasks can be organized and executed very quickly, while a disadvantage is that it is difficult to manage several logistical units to accomplish a large task.

Colonel Rifet Kosavac, the Montenegro Deputy Minister whith whom we met before the start of the conference, was very grateful for the support that is being provided by Belgium, Greece and the United States. He mentioned specifically the two helicopters and crews provided. He went on to say it is difficult to prepare for a situation like this because they typically don’t see the amount of snow they recently received in a normal winter -- he called it a fifty year storm. 

Colonel Kosavac stressed that they are working to increase the number of English speaking officers, purchasing weapons and equipment that meet NATO standards, and working to incorporate what they are learning at the LOGEX workshops into the daily job. 

For this, the second of five scheduled LOGEX workshops, we drove to a training center in Danilovgrad, Montenegro, to meet with 17 Montenegro military personnel and observers from Armenia, Moldova, Azerbaijan and Serbia. The objectives of the workshop:

• train logistical staff officers,
• increase familiarity of logistics staff officers with use of NATO procedures for logistics planning and implementation,
• increase cooperation and coordination among logistics staff officers for future combined operations,
• assess logistics support requirements,
• practice NATO reporting procedures, and
• using NATO logistics C4 systems such as LOGFAS.

In the end, Montenegro developed a Detailed Deployment Plan (DDP), equivalent to the Time Phase Force Deployment Data (TPFDD).  

The week’s worth of training was vital to ensure a successful exercise in February. During the week participants were introduced to NATO/National Security Element (NSE) guidelines, the NATO Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF), Deployed Contracting, Acquisition Cross Service Agreements (ACSA), NATO Contracting, NAMSA  and participated in five breakout sessions to develop and build their National DDP to use during execution. The Main Planning Conference (MPC) was held at the same location and overlapped with three days of the workshop. Colonel Mirsad Pajevic, from Bosnia and Herzegovina; Colonel Rifet Kosovac, the Montenegro Deputy Minister; and ten other representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Macedonia, Serbia, Sweden, and United Kingdom attended the MPC. These attndees reviewed and finalized the the draft Exercise Specification (EXSPEC) was review and finalized. Due to increased interest, they decided Medical Logistics and Engineering will be added to the scheduled workshops and the concepts and procedures will be intriduced in the last LOGEX 13 in October.

In all, the participants of the workshop gained a better understanding of how Deployed Contracting and RSOM occur during NATO operations and they learned how to build their National DDP.  The participants of the MPC finalized the Exercise Specification (EXSPEC) and worked to add two additional functional areas to the workshop. As I observed the interactions of the country reps in action, I felt pride in the accomplishments these countries are achieving with their participation in LOGEX. 

The ultimate goal for the Partnerhsip for Peace country participants in LOGEX is NATO membership. It’s a long road and a lot of work for them, but major progress is being made. In the end I look forward to see the culmination of all their hard work when they participate in the two week exercise in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Maj. Todd J. Morin, U.S. Air Force
EUCOM J4
Logistics Support Division
Multinational Exercise Cell Chief

Ah, the Munich Security Conference.

Certainly the most prestigious of all the global security conferences, with routine appearances by heads of government, Defense and other ministers of state, brilliant academics, journalists and even a few Admirals and Generals.

This year's event over the past three days featured four key elements to my eye.

The first was a rare "dual appearance" by the US Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State, Leon Panetta and Hilary Clinton. They spoke in sequence to the audience, and their remarks were streamed live as well.

The theme both of them hit hard was the enduring importance of the European partnership to the United States.

Secretary Clinton said, "Europe is the partner of first-resort of the United States," and echoed President Obama's quote that "Europe remains the cornerstone of US engagement in the world." Secretary Panetta lauded European participation around the world with the US, notably through the NATO alliance. As he pointed out, there are nearly 40,000 European troops in Afghanistan alongside 88,000 Americans -- and their proportional casualty rates are as high overall.

The Munich Security Conference.

Certainly there are questions in the minds of Europeans as the new US defense strategy articulates an emphasis on the Pacific and Middle East.

My view is that while the US sees strategic challenge in the Pacific and Middle East, we see enduring strategic partnership in Europe; and strategic opportunity globally, to include Latin America and Africa.

The US is a global power and will continue to work broadly in the world, alongside our best "pool of partners" -- Europeans.

A second key theme that emerged was concern over events in Syria.

Several commentators, including Senator John McCain and the Nobel Laureate Tawakkul Karman, commented on the need for the international community and especially the UN security council to condemn the violence of the Assad regime. Senator McCain and Secretary of State Clinton both spoke in particular on the need for Russia and China to cease their vetoes of appropriate resolutions.

A third dialog that caught my attention was on cyber. I feel as though in the world of cyber, we have the greatest gap between the level of threat and the degree of preparation -- we have a long way to go. I'm working with the NATO Center of Excellence for cyber security and thinking through how we might be more operational, a la the new US CYBERCOM.

Fourth and finally, there seemed to be clarity on the overall timeline in Afghanistan.The NATO alliance and the ISAF coalition of 50 nations all concur that we are on track with our transition to Afghan led security operations, and we intend to hand over security responsibility for the entire country by the end of 2014. We have already moved to place 50% of the nation's population under Afghan security responsibility. This will allow us to continue the process of turning over to our Afghan partners, recognizing that there will be combat operations throughout this period -- albeit with an increasing role for support to Afghans.

There is also a nascent discussion about what the ISAF and NATO presence will be post-2014. It will clearly include ongoing cooperation in the security sector, as evidenced by pledges at the 100-nation / international organization Bonn conference last fall -- stay tuned for the May Chicago NATO/ISAF summit.

All in all, a good conference that lived up to its billing as a top-flight gathering of those concerned about 21st century security.

Best,
Jim

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

“Duqu”, “Stuxnet”, “Zeus”, or some combination of all three - a “Super Trojan”, attacking your critical infrastructure? Who ya gonna call? 

Cyber attacks are not just an odd jumble of names, but a favorite terrorist approach requiring an effective, comprehensive counter-offensive -- the kind of collaboration that EUCOM’s J9 Interagency Partnering Directorate champions. We advocate cross sector cooperation and interagency coordination.

Recently, Germany’s Ministry of Interior’s Federal Office for IT Security invited me and more than 130 other from more than 20 nations, including Israel, Estonia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Norway, to observe its exercise that addressed cyberterrorism and explored collaborative solutions. The broad interest stemmed from the realistic scenario: cyber attacks on critical infrastructure. Each year 20 million new viruses are detected worldwide. Just five years ago that number was only 3 million per year.  Botnets, malware, phishing, hacktivists: this is the language of today’s new security threat.  The response to cyber attacks can consist of an equally obscure new language of honeypots and spam traps meant to frustrate or deceive botmasters. 

Though the terms may be unfamiliar, the havoc they wreak unfortunately is not.  We know that cyber attacks are employed not just for cyber crime (i.e. to access your bank account), but also to discredit national agencies and governments (i.e. the cyber attacks against Estonia and Georgia). It is incumbent on all of us to “know our enemy” to best defend against such attacks. The best means for doing so is for governments to regularly partner with academia and the private sector (i.e. with IT safety enterprises) to form a sort of cyber coalition. 

Clearly, the defense against cyber attacks is much more than just a fight against malware. This is an area that calls for “whole of society” responses, involving national leaders managing situations in a comprehensive approach. Such an approach should involve law enforcement, businesses, international organizations such as the EU and NATO, the military and academia.

J9 is a “whole of society”-focused directorate. Notably, we are home to EUCOM’s critical infrastructure expertise. This team of engineers is conversant, for example, with the Global Information Grid (GIG), the terminus of transatlantic undersea cables, and Department of Defense-operated satellite facilities here in Europe, and we work to ensure the reliability of this infrastructure against cyber attacks so it can assist our own military missions. The Interagency Partnering Directorate is also charged with reaching out to academia and to the private sector. Recently, we have worked with private companies such as Cisco, McAfee and Symantec and with the Business Executives for National Security (BENS) to assist a NATO nation in bolstering its cyber understandings. Finally, the J9 hosts representatives from federal interagency partners including the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. federal lead for cyber response. Those partners also include representatives from Departments of Justice, Energy, and State, among others. 

All of us are interested in cross sector cooperation and comprehensive solutions. I believe, as demonstrated in recent exercises involving cyber crime, that “whole of society” coordination is indispensable. A good German phrase sums up our thinking: Uebung macht den Meister (“Practice makes perfect.”)

Mike Anderson
Acting Director,
J9 Interagency Partnering Directorate

As I look back on 2011, I think we had a reasonably good year in the operational sense.  Lots of good “end of the year” retrospectives are appearing in various magazines and on-line sites, and I thought I’d chip in with my own top five operational moments for the Alliance this past year – and a hope that it stays at least relatively quiet between now and the end of the year.

Libyan Operations.  At the top of my list is the seven month operation we undertook at the request of the United Nations to protect the people of Libya from a repressive and ruthless dictator.  It was successfully completed in late October. 

DECIMOMANNU - A Dutch F-16 fighter takes off from Sardinia, Italy. The Netherlands contribute to the enforcement of the Operation Unified Protector No-Fly Zone. (NATO photo)

We conducted 26,000 aircraft sorties and intercepted over 3,000 ships in the course of conducting a no-fly zone and an arms embargo.  In order to limit the ability of the Libyan regime to attack its own people, we conducted nearly 9,000 strike sorties and hit well over 6,000 targets, effectively destroying much of the “kill chain.”  While no operation is perfect, we tried very hard to limit collateral damage to the minimum.  Overall we learned a great deal and will work on improving targeting, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, air refueling, and other aspects of our capabilities.

Afghanistan Transition and Operations.  In November, the government of Afghanistan announced a second group of provinces and districts that began transition to Afghan Security Force-led operations.  This brings about 50% of the entire population of Afghanistan under the protection of Afghan Army and Police units, with the international coalition and NATO in a support, mentorship, and training role in this area.

Our plan to complete a full transition by the end of 2014 remains on track, although significant challenges remain, especially in relations with Pakistan.  We suffered from a cross-border incident that included the tragic deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers and is under investigation today.  We’re hoping to improve coordination and cooperation across the border as the New Year unfolds.

Due to a series of violent incidents in northern Kosovo, our NATO Commander requested and has in hand an over-the-horizon security force to help maintain a safe and secure environment.  I’ll be headed there personally soon to evaluate and present options to NATO.  Clearly, this is a politically charged situation and the EU is working hard to bring the parties together.

Reductions in Piracy.  After several years of rising attack levels, we may be seeing progress against attacks in the second half of 2011.  Success rates for attacks have dropped considerably, and there are fewer attacks than during this period last year.  Some of the reasons for this include patrolling by NATO, EU, and various national forces at sea; pressure ashore militarily and in the area of development; better practices at sea by civilian mariners (convoys and citadels, for example); and the addition of armed security teams. 

NATO remains committed to the counter-piracy mission, and our ships will continue to sail in the area off the coast of Africa for the foreseeable future.

Missile Defense Unfolding.  The first steps in creating a new, alliance-based missile defense system in Europe are in progress.  The United States, providing a sea-based AEGIS system initially, has sent ships to sea as a framework.  NATO is putting in place the command-and-control system to ensure we do this right.  The hope is to offer an initial capability in time for the May 2012 summit in Chicago.  While a challenging timeline, I think we can and will make it.  Stay tuned!

Overall, we’ve done quite a bit in NATO operations in 2011 – with 170,000 operators on three continents at our peak during Libyan operations.  We’re also doing things in cyber, restructuring and stream-lining our command structures (cutting 6 major HQ and 4,000 billets, for example), air policing, and many other things.

It’s been a busy year, but a good one overall. 

Admiral James Stavridis
Commander
U.S. European Command

During the past two weeks I really came to realize what a joint environment was really like. Having worked for the EUCOM J4 for only three months my experience was limited at best, despite three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan under my belt.

When we landed in Kiev, Ukraine, we hit the ground running and began training on our duties as the exercise trainers/advisors. After two days, the exercise participants arrived and we began working with them to get a feel of their knowledge base, allowing us to tailor the exercise injects to their skill and knowledge level. Once we felt everyone was on the same page, we held a mini exercise to work out any communication issues and allow personnel to build working relationships, since this was the first time personnel from five different countries were working together.

We successfully made it through the mini exercise, and were ready to start the full exercise. This was my first time in LOGEX and I wasn’t able to participate in any of the workshops and planning meetings, so it was an eye opening experience to see people from different countries working together on an exercise that took more than a year to plan and put together. 

My assignment at EUCOM is similar to the job I had when deployed to Afghanistan as the Partnership Logistics Center OIC; I worked closely with the Afghan Special Forces to supply them with their logistical needs. However, instead of supplying actual logistical support, we taught and guided the participants to think short term and long term to provide logistical support to their countries – we never really moved any forces or equipment.

Despite being from five different countries, communication was never a real problem because everyone practiced using the English language...even our British colleagues.

LOGEX 2011 Distinguished Visitors

The exercise participants enjoyed having the 18 distinguished visitors from fifteen countries come see what they were working on and it allowed the exercise participants to vocally express what they were learning and reinforce the need for LOGEX and more joint exercises. Among the visitors were Lt. Gen. Mukola Khyzhyi the commandant of the National Defense University; Rear Adm. William “Andy” Brown, EUCOM Director of Logistics; and Brig. Gen. Murray, Joint Staff J7 Assistant Deputy Director for Joint Training.

In all I look back at this great experience and realize that work that was accomplished during LOGEX 2011 couldn’t be done without the hard work and dedication of many nations and people working for a common cause the bonds and friendships that are built and strengthened during the LOGEX events are lasting ones and everyone looks forward to the next event to build on those bonds.  I look forward to sharing more about our LOGEX events.

Capt. Todd J. Morin, U.S. Air Force
EUCOM J4
Logistics Support Division
Multinational Exercise Cell Chief

Just last week, I visited the Krakow School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, which was heavily damaged in the spring floods of 2010, to deliver furniture and pianos donated by the U.S. Government.

The pianos, desks, chairs and shelves – which replaced equipment destroyed in the flood – were excess items from Department of Defense schools in Europe. The Krakow school trains the students in music and piano tuning, so the pianos are invaluable in the Polish students' education and training.

Maj. Gen. William L. Enyart, Adjutant General Illinois National Guard, meets students from the Krakow School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

The gratitude expressed to me for the contributions of the school equipment was nothing short of overwhelming. The good will engendered among local and provincial officials, school administrators, students, parents and the public at large cannot begin to be measured. This was truly an example of American "soft power" at its best.

During the visit, I had the opportunity to meet and interact with several local dignitaries and community leaders, including the deputy governor of Malopolska Province, Andrzej Harezlak; the commander of Maloposka Province fire brigades, Col. Andrzej Mroz; and his deputy, Col. Jozef Galica; professors Jozef Danko and Rafal Danko, engineering professors at the AGH University of Science and Technology; as well as Director Barbara Planta of the school. U.S. Deputy Consul General Jeffrey C. Vick also attended the ceremony with several consular staff. 

This event, in my opinion, clearly burnished the American military image in this important area of Poland. 

Mr. Vick took the opportunity to increase military contact by inviting the school to participate in the consulate’s program for school children to make and send Christmas cards to Task Force White Eagle, the Polish battle group in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan. When Polish military aircraft pick up the cards in Krakow, the school children are allowed to tour the aircraft and meet the crews. 

Since the Illinois National Guard has a long-standing relationship with Poland through the State Partnership Program, this was not my first trip to the country. I attended the state funerals last year, which Mr. Vick said had a very positive impact on public opinion toward the U.S. in general and the American military in particular.

The Illinois National Guard has been developing its partnership with Poland since 1993.  It has developed over the years from a basic military exchange program to a bilateral relationship that enhances regional security and has assisted in the transformation of Poland’s former Soviet-bloc conscription force to the current all volunteer, professional military.  Since the initial entry of Polish forces into Iraq, Illinois National Guard forces have deployed with the Polish Task Forces, a relationship that continues today. 

Currently, 18 Soldiers from the Illinois National Guard are embedded with and filling critical leadership and support roles with Task Force White Eagle. 

At the Illinois National Guard, we believe the single greatest contribution we can make to the long-term security of the U.S. is the relationship we have forged with Poland, which not only leads to a stable central Europe, but also adds a valuable ally in our long-term commitment to fight terrorism and instability throughout the world.

William L. Enyart
Major General, The Adjutant General
Illinois National Guard

“Up from the ground, come a bubblin’ crude, oil that is, Black Gold, Texas Tea…”

If you grew up in the U.S. in the 1960s you can probably finish the rest of this song or at least hum a bit of it -- the opening lyrics of the then popular TV show “The Beverly Hillbillies”.  I believe that this was my first exposure to the power, importance, and wealth of oil -- heck, the discovery of it by Jed Clampett was potent enough make him a millionaire and  transport him and  his family of Jethro, Elly May, and Granny to the warm environs of southern California complete with “... swimmin’ pools … movie stars!”

During my service with the military I’ve come to appreciate the value of energy writ large, not just oil or gas for heating, but other hydrocarbon products such as refined gasoline for powering military vehicles, aircraft and field generators, and more recently, non-traditional “green” energy sources, such as wind and solar, used to provide power to deployed, remote Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) or bases. 

Indeed, Energy Security has today become a U.S. national security issue and is among NATO’s emerging security challenges. NATO’s 2010 Strategic Concept charges the Alliance to “…develop the capacity to contribute to energy security, including protection of critical energy infrastructure…and contingency planning.”

In response to that charge, Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of National Defense established an “Energy Security Center” in Vilnius in January 2011. The then-U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, congratulated the Lithuanians on the launch and promised in a March 29 letter that “European Command (EUCOM) will have a team visit Vilnius in conjunction with its interagency representatives…”

Two days later I was proud to lead that EUCOM delegation to Vilnius. I travelled there with J9-hosted agency representatives from the Department of Energy and the Department of State, as well as a J9 critical infrastructure specialist.  At the conclusion of our two days of meetings with our host, former Lithuanian Ambassador to the United States, Audrius Bruezga, and members of his team we brainstormed about how EUCOM could best support the innovative and embryonic center. We promised to invite our Lithuanian allies to view a EUCOM exercise, encouraged them to interact with the Business Executives for National Security (BENS, a private sector organization), and together we considered the possibility of signing an informal partnership agreement between EUCOM and the Lithuanian Energy Center.

Well, fast forward 8 months and here in Stuttgart this week we signed such a partnership agreement:  a “Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Energy Security Center under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania and the United States European Command.”

Rear Adm. Charlie Martoglio, our Chief of Staff, signed for EUCOM and Ambassador Bruezga, now the Director of the Lithuanian Center, signed for his government. The Lithuanian Center has also made promising contact with the BENS organization and attended our annual exercise Flexible Leader and took back to Vilnius valuable lessons, ideas and best practices.    

Cooperation on Energy Security issues is in Lithuania’s and the United State’s common interests. The MOU outlines ways in which both organizations, EUCOM and the Energy Security Center, can continue to work and coordinate together. But not just common interests brought us together. Like the good judgment that oil-rich Jed Clampett often exhibited, this arrangement also makes good common sense, sense that even Jethro, with his vaunted “6th grade education”, would recognize.

Mike Anderson
Acting Director, J9-Interagency Partnering Directorate

Every year the Agency for International Development gathers together their 80 mission directors from around the world. At the invitation of my good friend and colleague, AID Administrator Raj Shah, I had the chance to speak to his senior team about their extraordinary work on global issues of poverty, disease, and economic development.

Admiral Jim Stavridis discusses the importance of interagency cooperation and the key role of USAID during the 50th Anniversary USAID Mission Director's Conference.

It may seem a bit strange for a senior military officer to come and speak to the leading practitioners of "soft power;" but it was a true honor for me. It reflects our approach at the Department of Defense to support our interagency partners in helping create security where and when we can.

AID was born out of the turbulence and destruction of the Second World War. It began as the Economic Development Agency to administer the Marshall Plan, then under the auspices of both State and Commerce Departmenst -- the beginning of the idea of private-public cooperation, as many of the senior leaders came out of the private sector.

The organization was formally created by President Kennedy in 1961, and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. While "50" may not sound like a big number, it is impossible to quantify the hundreds of millions of people touched in positive ways by AID.

Today AID is using new technologies and approaches. With only 8,000 employees, about half of them non-US citizens in host countries, they need to be nimble and creative. Drawing on the private sector, they are pushing creative solutions to the field -- ranging from solar-powered pumps that can supply water to thousands of students in Afghanistan to new cell phone applications that put sophisticated crop production information in the hands of farmers in rural areas.

AID is innovative and fits into the vision of such global thinkers as Bill Gates, who recently delivered a paper on innovation to the G20 in Cannes, France. They are also committed to private-public partnering, something we are exploring in US European Command. AID has relationships with 300 private voluntary organizations, and over 3,000 American companies.

Dr. Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator, thanks Admiral Stavridis for his participation and presents him with a token of appreciation on behalf of USAID.

I talked about the growing and valuable partnership between the Department of Defense and AID. In my three years as Commander of US Southern Command, I learned a great deal about the impact of development on security -- notably in Colombia, where AID did a great deal to bring a virulent insurgency under control. In those days we worked together on everything from hospital ship deployments to legal training and human rights.

Together with State Department, this interagency approach can be called "the 3Ds -- Development, Diplomacy, and Defense."

In this turbulent 21st century, we need to build fewer walls and more bridges. US AID, under the creative and able leadership of Raj Shah, is doing exactly that.

Best,
Jim

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

Recently, I attended the "2011 Soft Power Symposium" hosted by Pepperdine University and the League for Hope, a non-government organization (NGO) that promotes public-private partnership to foster educational, medical, and commercial opportunities for disadvantaged populations. 

I wasn't familiar with the organizers and expected a conference with some discussion that might be new to me, some that would be standard, and a healthy bout of networking. It turned out to be all of that, but even better. The organizer, Rosalie Wyatt, was action-oriented and so was the discussion!

The purpose of the symposium was to develop agreement on common language and procedures to encourage the private sector to participate in U.S. military and diplomatic efforts. Such shared efforts are of particular interest in the current, increasingly austere, economic environment.  At this meeting, representatives from NGOs, government agencies, five COCOMs (EUCOM, AFRICOM, CENTCOM, NORTHCOM, SOUTHCOM), think tanks, and private industry discussed how they have conducted public-private partnerships to date, and the lessons they have learned. They also responded to the conveners' charge to them to consider some concrete measures.

I was joined on the first panel on best-practices by my colleague Lisa Samson, the J9 Director at the U.S. Southern Command; a representative of the U.S. Africa Command; Alan van Egmond, USAID's senior advisor on Afghanistan and Pakistan; and several private sector representatives.

I gave examples of EUCOM's public-private collaborations - our workshop with transportation executives on the Northern Distribution Network and Modern Silk Road; our teamwork with Project Hope to work with counterparts in the Baltics to address Traumatic Brain Injury; our projects involving Business Executives for National Security and our support for USAID's calls for help during the Russian wildfires and Pakistan floods last year.

The emphasis of this short symposium on processes for encouraging and institutionalizing public-private collaboration is well-placed - especially as budgets are being constrained. It would also be useful to include in future discussions methods of measuring the effectiveness of these partnerships. This could further inform how and when the government would seek private partners or collaborators. What do you think? Please share your views with me and my J9 Interagency Directorate colleagues.

Evelyn N. Farkas, Ph.D.
Senior Advisor for Public-Private Partnership
to the Supreme Allied Commander (SACEUR)
and Commander, U.S. European Command

I’ve just returned home from several days in Russia, a country which has always fascinated me. We need to learn more about Russia if we are going to find ways to improve our cooperation with them in a NATO context.

During a wreath laying ceremony at the Hall of Military Glory in Volgograd, Russia

My visit was part of NATO’s outreach and desire to develop a “true strategic partnership with Russia,” as it says in the Strategic Concept approved at the Lisbon Summit last fall. In my role as the Supreme Allied Commander, I continue to search for zones of cooperation with the Russian military.

The meetings in Moscow and Volgograd were all very useful. I spent lots of time with my colleague and friend General Nikolay Makarov, the energetic and thoughtful Chief of the General Staff (the counterpart of newly installed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Marty Dempsey).

Joint press statement at the Russian MoD

General Makarov is working hard on reforming the Russian military, including developing a professional NCO corps, enhanching officer training and mobility, creating a new rational command structure, focusing on more high technology weapons systems and changing tactical structures to include a brigade-level combat formation. He faces great challenges, but is attacking them directly.

We also talked about the US missile defense system for Europe, which is beginning to take shape. This eight year project will arrive in phases and it consists of AEGIS missile ships at sea, land-based radars and eventually land-based missiles systems.

Wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow.

The US missile defense system will eventually connect with a NATO structure, and the hope is to achieve some level of coordination and cooperation with Russia. While there are technical and political challenges which we discussed frankly, I remain very hopeful and cautiously optimistic these can be overcome through dialog and transparency on both sides — time will tell.

In meetings with Foreign Minister Lavrov and National Security Advisor Patrushef, we also discussed missile defense. I met with Ambassador Dimitry Rogozin, the Russian Ambassador to NATO, who is the practical connection at the political level on all of these efforts.

Two other key topics were Afghanistan and piracy operations — in both spheres we have good cooperation with the Russian Federation. In Afghanistan, Russia has been broadly supportive of coalition efforts including affording us key transit rights, selling and donating equipment to the Afghans, and helping strongly on counter-narcotic efforts.

The piracy operation is likewise a good model of cooperation, with Russian ships alongside NATO vessels (and ships from the European Union, many Gulf states, China, and India as well). While the challenges off the Horn of Africa persist, Russian cooperation and coordination has been very helpful and we discussed how to improve it.

Battle of Stalingrad war memorial: "Motherland Calls"

On the final day, while flying home, I visited in the south of Russia with the leadership of the Russia’s Southern Military District Commander. We focused on their recent military exercises and regional security perspectives.

While there, I had a chance to see the massive memorial to the Battle of Stalingrad. It is a huge statue of a Russian woman with a sword, inspiring and protecting those headed into battle. In 1942, in perhaps the pivotal battle of Europe, nearly 3 million people died during the roughly 200 days of the battle. At the briefings later, one of the Russian Generals said simply but emotionally, “they died for Russia.”

While we certainly have areas of disagreement with Russia, the potential to improve an already reasonable level of operational cooperation with NATO is high. This trip convinced me that we should continue to pursue ways in which NATO and Russia can work together.

Best,
Jim

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

I participated on Sept. 23 in anexercise in the city where the Peace Treaty of Westphalia was signed in 1648, ending 30 years of warfare between Sweden and the Holy Roman Empire, I was left with the decided impression that today we certainly live in a post-Westphalian world. Unlike then, today’s issues are no longer solved by military means alone. This exercise, COMMON EFFORT, involved a notional UN-backed NATO deployment to Africa. It had some 500 multinational participants, 150 of whom were civilians from more than 30 organizations. Soldiers were still, like in 1648, major players, but rightfully they were only a part of the solution and not the entire solution.

Admiral Stavridis, our EUCOM Commander, flanked by the 1st German/Netherlands Corps Commander, LTG van Loon, and senior visitors to COMMON EFFORT in Muenster.

This Whole of Government-focused exercise demonstrated the criticality of constant dialogue between the military and other key stakeholders such as law enforcement, development, non- governmental, and diplomacy actors. For while the military is still very often a lead in “Comprehensive Approach” efforts, because they are often the first to deploy, the military also meets on the ground in a crisis area many other Departments, Agencies, Organizations and groups with similar objectives but different structures and cultures.

Two key lessons became immediately apparent during COMMON EFFORT; one, it is all about communication and two, negotiation is a necessary art. To be effective in responding to today’s crises, the worn mantra of “information is power” has to be overcome by transparency and information sharing. Constant dialogue was essential during this exercise; with NGOs, international partners, international organizations such as the UN and NATO, and other federal departments and ministries. We learned, adapted and exercised a kind of “interaction on steroids” and we were all better for it.

The importance of negotiation was the second important reminder for me. It is a key to engaging and overcoming the challenges presented by different cultures. Not just different national cultures, but the different cultures evident between Departments and Ministries and among NGO and military communities. It is thru negotiation that you can achieve “unity of purpose”.

In reality the Comprehensive Approach is just a means to an end. Negotiations among Departments helps leverage a cross-departmental group of experts, from Foreign, Developmental, and Defense ministries , for example, to all be focused on a common problem-set.

(L-R) Dana Chivers, OFDA, me, ADM Stavridis, Cathy Blank, DOS, Pat Shapiro, USAID, and Ambassador Larry Butler at the “US Country Team” in “Tytan”.

Our J9-Interagency Partnering Directorate replicated a “US Country Team”, an American embassy, during the exercise complete with representation from our Departments of State (DOS) and Defense and our Agency for International Development (USAID). Our Commander, Admiral Stavridis, and our Civilian Deputy to the Commander, Ambassador Butler, also attended the COMMON EFFORT exercise.

I know that we all left Muenster, voted Europe’s “most livable city” in 2009 for good cause, believing that we had just witnessed a bold exercise. This was not a typical military exercise planned in “splendid isolation”, but rather one that was comprehensive in its involvement of all stakeholders throughout the design, planning, organization and execution phases.

COMMON EFFORT was uncommonly beneficial as a template for some of our future EUCOM exercises and it was a rewarding effort, one that EUCOM J9 was pleased to have actively participated in over the past 10 months.

Mike Anderson
Deputy Director
J9 Interagency Partnering Directorate

The Quadriga atop the Brandenburg Gate, the French Embassy, the transparent cupola of the Reichstag building, Tiergarten Park, the German Chancellery, the renowned hotel Adlon, the home of the 19th century German painter Max Liebermann. These are the exquisite sites that one views from the roof of the US Embassy to the Federal Republic of Germany, on Pariser Platz in Berlin. This is a unique view, one afforded to only a select few by virtue of access to and through the embassy.

Members of the US EUCOM J9 Interagency team atop the US Embassy, Berlin

Our team was comprised of Department of State, Department of Justice and Department of Energy representatives to the command, as well as two active duty Air Force officers, a strategic infrastructure expert, and the Deputy Director of the Directorate, me. Our visiting interagency team was a representative slice of a Directorate which is a unique blending of 10 federal agency partners, together with Department of Defense civilians, military members and contractors. Together we comprise the command’s “interagency team”.

The team that hosted us in Berlin (and which enjoys this impressive view every day!) is also known as the US Country Team. Indeed we were treated to a “Country Team meeting” chaired by the Deputy Chief of Mission, the senior Department of State representative at the embassy. He was joined by a sampling of agency partners hosted at the embassy, from the FBI, to the Department of Homeland Security, to the Department of Commerce, to the Defense Department (DOD).

Our two interagency teams met and we soon discovered that we had many similarities between us. I have a bit of perspective in this regard, for while I now serve on the interagency team of the US military command in Stuttgart, previously I served at the US Embassy in Denmark and at the US Embassy in Germany…when it was located at its “temporary” home along the Rhine River in Bonn.

Despite similarities, there were also evident differences. In Stuttgart, the DOD partner greatly outnumbers other hosted agency partners; with some 800 DOD personnel matched against about 30 other agency personnel. At the US Embassy, the Department of State outnumbers all others, but the disparities are much smaller. Stuttgart’s command is led by a 4-star Admiral, while Berlin’s Country Team is lead by an Ambassador. Both organizations exercise wide control from Berlin and Stuttgart respectively, with the embassy bi-nationally focused and representing US interests throughout all of Germany, with subordinate consulates in Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg and Leipzig. While the military command has a regional focus and an “area of responsibility” of all Europe, Israel and parts of Eurasia.

Members of EUCOM’s Interagency Team; (L to R) Mike Anderson, Gary Bullard, Lt Col Patti Egleston, Jared Irish, Matt Cline, and Cathy Blank

Both organizations conduct once weekly “Country Team” meetings. The embassy’s is led by the Ambassador while the military command’s meeting (called the “Senior Decision Cell”) is co-led by the command’s two deputies; a 3-star general and a former Ambassador serving as the Civilian Deputy.

Most importantly, each organization sees the value in the active participation and hosting of other federal agency partners. Each embodies a “whole of government” philosophy fully cognizant that America’s interests abroad are best served not just by traditional executive Departments operating abroad; the Departments of State and Defense, but instead by all members of “America’s Country Team”.

Mike Anderson
Acting Director
 J9 Interagency Partnering Directorate

 

Muenster City Hall, image courtesy Wikimedia

The Treaty of Westphalia, signed in 1648 in the Rathaus of Muenster, Germany, ended one of Europe’s bloodiest periods: the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) fought mostly on German soil, and 80 years of war between Spain and the Dutch Republic. Today two nations that benefitted from that peace treaty, Germany and the Netherlands (it achieved its independence as a result), are the framework nations for a multinational NATO High Readiness Corps headquartered in Muenster.

Photo courtesy German/Netherlands Corps

Last week I attended an interagency symposium hosted by the 1st German/Netherlands Corps held at both the Corps headquarters and in the Peace Room (Friedenssaal), the signatory room of the Peace of Westphalia. Below you can see a photo of our symposium and a work of art depicting the 1648 ratification. In terms of comparisons, we had about 100 participants at our event, while the diplomats represented at the peace treaty numbered about 200. Some of our participants were women, unlike in 1648. Our own EUCOM diplomat, Ambassador Heather Hodges, the interim Civilian Deputy to the Commander, was present at our meeting and is in the front row. Another contrast: the diplomats of 17th century Europe stayed in Muenster much longer than we did, as the treaties were negotiated over 5 years - we were there for just a day.

Why were we in Muenster? We got together to discuss the relevance of NATO’s “Comprehensive Approach.” There werediplomats present, as previously mentioned, and soldiers, academics, and representatives from think-tanks, NGOs, and international organizations such as the UN and International Red Cross. The consensus of those attending the symposium? That just as back in 1648, collaboration and cooperation are essential for peace. We agreed that the “3D” approach (Diplomacy, Development, Defense) is a necessary answer to the crises of the world. It is, in fact, indispensable.

Complex modern-day crises compel all stakeholders to sit with each other, to dialogue (“interaction on steroids,” as one participant noted), to share information, to be transparent and to use the “Comprehensive Approach” as a means to an end. This is not unlike what the diplomats of the 17th century were compelled to do in Muenster in order to bring about a commonly sought peace after decades of war.

Photo courtesy German/Netherlands Corps

EUCOM’s J9 Interagency Partnering Directorate has been working closely with the German/Dutch Corps over the past 10 months, building a table-top exercise (18-21 September) called “COMMON EFFORT” which will exercise a “3D” response to a notional crisis. Our aim -- as was noted by a Dutch speaker at the symposium --  is to seek a solution to a crisis which is “as civilian as possible, and as military as necessary.” We recognize that the military will likely often be a part of a solution to an international emergency. But we also recognized that the military was not and should not be the whole solution. For that reason, it is essential that we at EUCOM and other military commands, work closely with diplomats, development officials, and non-governmental stakeholders in order to achieve pragmatic solutions on the ground.

It was a unique experience to be in the same famed, gabled structure that once played host to one of the most famous peace treaties in European and western history. It was inspiring to be there in that room and to be surrounded by other national representatives -- French, British, Turkish, Dutch, Spanish, Norwegian, Swiss, German -- all endorsing a practical, realistic methodology for dealing with today’s crises, the “Comprehensive Approach.” Perhaps that is the way it felt back in the spring of 1648…

Mike Anderson
Deputy Director
J9 Interagency Partnering Directorate

These days The Hague, the Netherlands' third largest city, is most often in the news as the home of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the body that has recently indicted Muammar Gadaffi for war crimes or for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) which saw last week’s appearance of the former Bosnian Serb military general Ratko Mladic. Certainly both of these courts serve a valued purpose and The Hague -- with its history of hosting the first international peace conference in 1899 -- is a well-suited site for these courts.

The committee at work.

But I recently got to see a different side of that city. I participated in two Interagency Steering Committee meetings at the Dutch Foreign Ministry there. The committee is preparing a table top exercise, called “COMMON EFFORT”, designed to ensure that the international community responds as one to future world crises. While we did not meet at the ICC or ICTY or even the UN International Court in the Peace Palace, we were near each of these venues and it was not lost on the participants that the work we were doing was meant to better address crises -- similar to those of Libya and the Balkans -- which spring from complex origins, and which require long lasting comprehensive solutions.

COMMON EFFORT is an initiative of the 1st German/Netherlands Corps, one of NATO’s High Readiness Headquarters, located in Muenster, Germany. The Corps has been successful in attracting more than 16 international organizations, among them the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Development Ministries of both Germany and the Netherlands, UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency), the International Committee of the Red Cross, EUCOM’s J9 Interagency Partnering Directorate, and non-government organizations like the Germany-based Kinderberg, think- tanks such as the Dutch Klingendaal, and a number of universities.

COMMON EFFORT recognizes that governmental organizations and NGO’s work side by side in a crisis area, though they often do not work together nor have common goals. The table top exercise set for September 19-22 is an effort by all participants to come together, outline common objectives and gain a better common understanding. This effort is building a “coalition” of multinational, interagency and NGO partners. EUCOM J9, for example, will participate as a small ten-person US Government response cell during the exercise, replicating the “3D’s” of defense, diplomacy, and development with the contributions of Civil Affairs personnel and interagency partners. And while the planning and coordinating certainly is slower using this expanded method vice pure military planning, it is the right thing to be doing.

Winston Churchill once said, “the only thing worse than fighting with allies, is fighting without them.” I am convinced that this type of broadened, interagency coalition partnering is the hallmark of this century. By partnering with the entire international community, we expand our definition of security and we prepare to respond to crisis areas with the long-term firmly in mind, cognizant that after military forces have been withdrawn the humanitarian sector will likely still be on the ground for years and hence our military goals should be informed by other’s goals.

Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring"

Yes, The Hague (Dutch for “the Hedge”) is the home of a number of International Criminal Courts seeking to do justice on behalf of the world community for the most atrocious of crimes. But seen more optimistically, it is also the attractive capital of the Netherlands, an important political center for centuries, and home of one of the most famous paintings in the world, “Girl with a Pearl Earring”, painted by the Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer. Seen by many as the “Mona Lisa of the north”, this beautiful portrait was a much nicer memory of The Hague than the mug shots of Mladic, Karadic, or Gadaffi; a true “Dutch treat”.

Upon leaving The Hague, I was convinced that EUCOM, with its motto of “Stronger Together”, and the 1st German/Netherlands Corps, with their motto of “Communitate Valemus” (Together Strong), are both clearly on to something. This is the way that world crises in the 21st century should be addressed: together, in a comprehensive approach, involving the voices of many actors, both governmental and non-governmental.

Mike Anderson
Deputy Director
Interagency Partnering Directorate

A little over a week ago, at the request of EUCOM, the U.S. Embassy in Riga and the Latvian government, a small group of cyber security experts donated their time and expertise to conduct a strategic assessment of Latvia’s cyber security infrastructure.

This team was convened by the Business Executives for National Security (BENS).   BENS is a great example of the public-private partnerships that are vital to U.S. national security.  BENS and EUCOM have a long history of collaboration, and we’ve benefitted from their insight into key strategic regional issues.

The team was following-up on an October 2010 BENS visit to the three Baltic countries.

This most recent trip was designed to further discuss cyber vulnerabilities in Latvia’s government networks, the country’s financial system, and its critical infrastructure with local IT security specialists.

BENS provided Latvian officials and the participating organizations, the U.S. Embassy and EUCOM with a list of important strategic pro-active steps they could take to protect themselves from a major cyber attack.  BENS also helped me and my EUCOM staff identify ways we can work with the Latvian military and to raise awareness about cyber security threats.

This trip is amongst the best examples of useful and practical, public-private collaboration I have ever seen.

Cyber security is an important 21st century security challenge.  More importantly, cyber security requires the U.S. military to work closely with the experts in the private sector, other U.S. government agencies and our trusted partner nations.   My thanks to the BENS cyber team for donating their time, energy and expertise on this key security issue.

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

I recently gave a commencement speech to University of Miami Class of 2011 and I thought some of you may be interested in what I had to say to the next generation.  Here's a copy of my remarks; I'd like to know what wisdom you would share with the new graduates. ~ADM Stavridis

“You Never Know”

President Donna E. Shalala, Provost Thomas LeBlanc, Trustees, Alumni, Faculty, Class of 2011, family, friends, friends of the University of Miami and this wonderfully energetic, dynamic and culturally rich community –

Good morning. Good morning especially to the Class of 2011.

It’s truly wonderful to be back in South Florida, and at the University of Miami– the top rated university in Florida and home of Sebastian the Ibis.   I truly feel at home here – I was born just up the road in West Palm Beach, and my wife is from “up north” -- as in north Florida -- born in Jacksonville.  Our daughter Julia is here with us today and is a proud graduate of Our Lady of Lourdes Academy just across the highway.  We loved our three years here at SOUTHCOM.

Y para mis amigos que hablan Español, ¡Muy buenos días a todos y en especial a la clase del dos mil once!

De verdad, aquí, me siento como en familia.  ¡Gracias!

When I was asked to take the trip from Belgium – where I currently live – to speak at your commencement I was more than happy to come, and not just because of the beautiful weather and sunshine – some of you may not know this, but it rains 220 days a year in Belgium – but also to get some decent Cuban coffee.  I also hoped I could try out for the X-Factor, but I guess I am too late for that. . .

And, we have a lot of friends here, especially, my very good friend, President Shalala – who, by the way, was just nominated to the National Woman’s Hall of Fame for her ground breaking work as aneducator and public servant, with more than 25 years as an accomplished scholar, teacher and administrator.  Well deserved, Madame Prez!

Before proceeding, I want to thank all the families here today; especially the moms and the dads, as well as all the brothers, sisters, friends and other loved ones. To use a little sailor-speak, you have been the steady breeze filling the sails of these graduates, and I salute you for it. You deserve a big round of applause for the love and support you've given to make this day – and every day after it – possible.

President Shalala asked me to speak for about two hours? So I brought some Power Point slides too – can we project here?  Is that OK? Everyone comfortable?  In Europe it is said that the most dangerous thing in the world is a US military officer with power point slides.  I’ll spare you that approach…

Actually, I promise to keep this very brief, because I know you’d much rather be out at the “Tavern” or “Moe’s in the Grove"; or over in South Beach – and probably will be soon.

I graduated from the Naval Academy at Annapolis approximately 1.3 million years ago in 1976 … in real terms, thinking back on my own graduation day, my standing here today would have been like a 1942 graduate talking to my class … we all would have been amazed that someone that old could actually walk across the stage unassisted, so I am under no illusions as to how I must look to all of you. In case you are wondering, I was somewhat taller with a full head of hair when I graduated …

This may surprise you, but most commencement speeches are pretty boring.  They tend to feature tired platitudes and lots of forgettable admonitions, ranging from “believe in yourself” … to … “be a team player” … to… “get out there and change the world” … to “keep your Vitamin D level up.”  Not bad advice, but somehow to my mind not really helpful.

After thinking it over, I decided the best thing I can offer you today are a few observations on one deceptive and simple thought: 

How suddenly life can come at you.

For most of you, thus far in your lives, my guess is that things have gone pretty much according to a strategic plan – grow up, do well in school, come to a fine college like the University of Miami, graduate, and …

Now it gets interesting.  Get ready.  Buckle up.

From here on out … in a phrase … “

You never know.” 

In my experience, life after college has a somewhat random quality to it that you begin to appreciate more as you move along. So many things happen that do not seem to be part of the plan – any plan – whether yours, your parent’s, your husband’s or your wife’s, or your boss’s or even – the national plan, whatever that is. 

For me, after graduation, I had a strategic plan.  I was going to go to sea, be a Naval Officer, then get out and go to law school, make lots of money, and live in one place.

And it started out that way.   Early on, I served as an engineer officer on a Navy super aircraft carrier.  I was in charge of 100 sailors, working – and sweating – side by side, seven decks down, in the fire and engine rooms, where the temperatures routinely soared over the 130 degree mark.  I knew what a spanner wrench and a tap and die set were, and perhaps even used them at one time or another.  While it probably sounds a little weird to all of you, it made sense to me.  I was a sailor, at sea, with sailors, thinking vaguely about getting out and going to law school.  That was my strategic plan.

Then it all began to change and change rapidly.

Marriage and children, disruptive but lovely and wonderful.

The law school plan sort of melted away and a series of jobs at sea and ashore followed.

Operations officer on a guided missile cruiser . . . Captain of a destroyer . . .  Strategic planner in the Pentagon.

Then, through a computer error of some kind, I became an Admiral.

It started to really get odd then.

The sea became a memory, and the jobs focused on strategy and policy and unfolding events in distant countries, most far from the sea.

I never could have predicted the twists and turns that led me to my job today, focused on Afghanistan, Libya, Russia, the Balkans, missile defense, cyber, and piracy.  Well maybe piracy … but the rest of it? 

You never know.

So – you really never know where your future will take you. 

And I think this is especially true for all of you -- the Class of 2011, the Millennial Generation.

You are digital natives – while some of you may vaguely remember life before the take off – the explosion really – of mass technology, you’ve lived most of your lives in a highly connected world, dominated by communications and media technologies, the web, Y2K, Google, Youtube, Wikipedia, instant messaging, text messaging, MP3, iPOD, iPhone, blackberry, 3G, 4G, the cloud, iPad, on and on.   The information Age . . . It is the sea in which you swim throughout your life.

You were born at a pivotal moment – in history, in technology, and in so many other fields.  In your 22 years, you’ve lived more change, more transcendental moments, greater and faster technological evolution than most other generations before you.     And you’ve lived and experienced this change at an increasing rate of speed.  Life has already come at you – and fast – though you probably have not even realized it.

So here you are – the Class of 2011 – at graduation . . . Now what?

Here’s a thought:  This explosion of technology in every aspect of our lives over 22 years was the Age of Information.  Was.  Past tense.  

What is coming is an age of fusion in which Biology and Technology and Engineering and Information and much more will all essentially fuse and accelerate.

In the next 20 years you will live through tremendous changes and you – all of you graduating today – will be key to how our society maneuvers through the fusion, revolutionary explosions and changes.

One visionary futurist, Ray Kurzweill, has predicted a profound and disruptive transformation in human capability through technology, where our intelligence will become increasingly non-biological and trillions of times more powerful than it is today.  He called this the era of Singularity in a book entitled “The Singularity is Near.”  Some would argue that this era is upon us already.

Such transformations will go beyond the incredible evolution you’ve already lived.  They will touch every aspect of our lives – our societies and cultures; economy, business and finance; leisure and entertainment; health, quality of life, and life expectancy; . . . . how we exist in the world.  And all of this will change during your lifetimes.  

Science and technology will evolve from today’s early explorations of Artificial Intelligence, synthetic biology, face recognition, robotics, airborne networks – much of which we are exploring or even using already in the Department of Defense and in the private sectors – to shape shifting materials; to molecular and nano machines; to fully sensory internet; to concepts we can only imagine today.  The fusion of information, technology and the biological will be dominant in everything.  Will machines out-think you in a decade?  Perhaps, but …

You never know.

Profoundly connected to this will be changes in Healthcare and Medicine, which will be increasingly important as populations age and new challenges arise.  We will evolve from an uncertain healthcare environment and increasing global obesity; to broader definitions of health and consumer e-health; to Bio simulations and robotic surgery; to DNA repair.  How long will you live?  A very long time, I’d guess; but …

You never know.

Information and telecoms technology will of course continue to explode, fuse, and accelerate processes and information availability.  Very soon we will see 3-D teleconferences, holographic storage, wireless recharges, quantum computing and fully immersive gaming –we will live what others imagined when they created Star Wars, Blade Runner, The Terminator, The Matrix, A.I., and I, Robot.  In fact, you may ALREADY be living in the Matrix, and you just don’t know it yet.  I doubt it; but …

You never know.

This is not science fiction – this is the direction of current trends that will continue to unfold between now and 2050, and probably sooner.

What does that mean for you?

The concept of a “Life Strategy,” such as that your grandparents knew, or I expected when I graduated from Annapolis before you were born, is irrelevant.

Your life will be tactical, not strategically defined.

You will experience a series of lifelong learning events to keep you relevant and literate and interested in the world in which you live.   Those of you entering the workforce today are likely to experience ten to fourteen major “career” – and I put “career” in quotations – changes in your professional life.  You will need to constantly acquire new knowledge throughout your professional life.  

In an increasingly weightless economy where ideas and information are principal commodities, innovation in collaborative communities will matter deeply. 

In this environment the concept of Partnering – something I’ve worked particularly hard on as a member of the Department of Defense – will be necessary regardless of the field to address the many challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.    Some have called this the development of Megacommunities –  partnerships between governments, civil society, the private sector, and international institutions.  

All of this means you live will live increasingly complicated and increasingly fascinating lives, especially compared to those of us at my advanced age.

May I put in a small plug for something from the past that still matters?

It is service.

Related to partnering and the concept of megacommunities, more and more success in any field will also be tied to service.  Private companies will be required to do more than provide goods and services to the public; they will need to serve the public good.  Find time for some form of service, because as Wikipedia teaches us, the greatest knowledge comes from not one of us alone, but all of us thinking together. 

I believe that your “profession” – again in quotation marks -- will likely not be strictly some form of engineering or business in a classic sense – it will likely be a combination of many competencies and always changing.

Your success in your career will depend on how well you integrate ideas, innovate, partner and collaborate, and serve into all you do.

A last thought. 

Finding your life balance is essential.  In the end, it will be your family and friends that give it what meaning it will have. 

As for me?  I was lucky to marry my childhood sweetheart, Laura, who is in every way my lifelong partner.  Together, we've raised two daughters -- Christina and Julia -- who continue to take my breath away and who, as your peers, are beginning their own unpredictable journey.

Who could have guessed at the joy these women have brought into my life?  I wish you the same in your life partners. 

Who will they be? 

You never know.

If you remember anything from this small talk, it should be three things:

First, life comes at you fast, starting today, in a world that will fuse biology, technology, engineering, information and many other disciplines in ways we can only dimly comprehend today – it will be challenging and exciting and amazing;

Second, as you launch on the gorgeous trajectories of your lives, it will be the tactics of your life that will ultimately define its quality and its output, not a strategic plan – which means flexibility and life-long learning will be prime directives

Third and finally, in simplest terms, recognize that …

You never know.

Congratulations on all you have done and on all you will do …

As we say in the Navy, Godspeed and open water to you, class of 2011.

We held a good event at my HQ late last week – a birthday party. We celebrated the first sixty years of this NATO strategic operational command.

Along with two of the youngest members of the command, I cut a birthday cake to celebrate the moment sixty years ago, on 2 April 1951, when SACEUR Dwight D. Eisenhower activated Allied Command Europe – the predecessor to today’s Allied Command Operations – and its headquarters, the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.

North Atlantic Council Meeting Dec. 1957

The history is pretty striking, I think. Since the signing of the Washington Treaty, we’ve seen the Alliance grow from the original 12 member countries to the 28 current ones, plus a large number of other nations linked to NATO, such as the 22 member Nations of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, the 7 member Nations of the Mediterranean Dialogue, 4 members of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, and 4 contact countries. Nearly a billion people fall into either membership or partnership status. The 28 members control nearly 50% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product, totally some $28 trillion dollars.

The bottom line is pretty simple: NATO has been a true success. Today we are operating on three continents with 140,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen conducting important operations from Afghanistan to Libya to the Balkans.

Opening of the Meeting by NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Jan. 26, 2011

Central to the success of NATO has been our ability to adapt to evolving geopolitical realities. At NATO's inception, we were challenged by the evolving tactics and strategies of the Soviet Union; at the close of the 20th Century, we saw the demands of a multi-polar world start to emerge; and today, we are adjusting to new challenges from an increasingly interdependent, connected and fast paced world.

Nearly four generations of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and civilians have served the Alliance. From the most junior Private to senior Generals and Ambassadors, their work has defined this Alliance. It is strong and has endured because of their efforts. Truly, all of us serving the Alliance today “stand on the shoulders of giants.”

Naturally, there is a great deal we can do better. We’re working hard on the comprehensive approach – trying to integrate our security efforts with diplomacy and development. Missile Defense and Cyber are areas where we have much work to do. Our crisis management systems can improve. And finally, I think we can stretch our arms wider in the world of partnerships – for example, in finding more zones of cooperation with Russia.

As we look to the future, we dedicate ourselves to continuing to serve the causes of maintaining peace, co-operating with other nations and organisations, and preserving security and stability wherever we can be helpful.

Here's to the next 60 years!

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

*This is the final blog for this series; the first can be seen here and the second here.*

The final day of the Wounded Warrior team’s trip in the Baltics began with a visit to Magdaleena East Central Tallinn Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in Estonia and the best hospital in Tallinn for rehabilitation.

The hospital tour -- provided by Dr. Heidi Gill, the head of the rehabilitation department -- highlighting their various rehabilitation areas and capabilities, was quite interesting because of the unique therapies available to patients. Certain therapies that are considered homeopathic in the U.S. are commonplace in the Baltic and Scandanavian countries; they use "mud" therapy, hydro-therapy and also extreme cold therapy which has shown to be effective with treating rheumatic disorders and severe depression. The temperatures in the severe cold therapy are well below -100 Celsius!

After the tour we were pleasantly surprised to see that the lecture facilities were the best out of all the previous places visited and we settled in for the day’s discussions. The group of Estonians who joined us came from quite diverse areas: most were from the Estonian Military Medical organization, others were local doctors, psychologists, nurses and social workers. The focus was on medical lectures followed by our entire team going on stage for an open panel question and answer session.

Dr. James Ecklund, former head of Neuroscience at Walter Reed and world-renowned neurosurgeon and expert on blast related brain injuries is interviewed.

Dr. Ecklund presented his lecture on blast induced brain injuries and was followed by Dr. Polo and his lecture that focused on traumatic brain injuries. Both lectures were specifically tailored to the audience and group discussion from the audience was light during the lectures. An important part of security cooperation is understanding the culture of the countries you are in; in Estonia people are less likely to ask question in large group settings. However, during the breaks or after presentations there will typically be very in depth discussions. Just as a predicted, during the breaks and after the presentation the team was vigorously engaged with the audience on a variety of topics. Although our schedule was tight we were still able to do some effective networking and generate ideas for future areas of cooperation.

After a quick stop for lunch the team began the 1.5 hour drive to Haapsalu, a beautiful city close to the Baltic Sea with a large castle partly restored and partly still in ruins. Haapsalu is also home to the Haapsalu Neurological Rehab center, the best neurological rehab center in the country. It also boasts a beautiful promenade and gorgeous views from most of the windows which adds to the restorative effects of the center. The view in winter is also beautiful but in more of an austere kind of way. The lake in front of the center is frozen and there were actually ice roads with cars driving over them while we watched from the large bay windows.

Dr. Kadri Englas, the head of their rehab department, and Priit Eelmae, the hospital director, met us at the entrance and talked a little bit out our team and the overall mission. The leadership at this center is outstanding and they are always looking for new ways to partner with the U.S.

Here I'm discussing a EUCOM Humanitarian Assistance project for an amputee care center/prosthesis lab that will be a joint project with the Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs, Estonian Defense Forces and Ministry of Defense.

Priit told us about the hospital’s history and current capabilities. He stressed the work they have done with wounded Estonian Soldiers in their state of the art gait lab which is able to digitally capture how a person walks; they use this information to tailor rehab programs. This is particularly useful with amputees learning to walk again with their new prosthesis.

Priit and Dr. Englas then took us on a short tour of the center and highlighted their occupational therapy and gait lab capabilities.We finished the tour in the conference room and met with the rest of the medical staff which included physicians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, social workers and nurses. Dr. Ecklund gave a custom tailored brief that focused on highlighting the injuries and resulting symptoms they might see with blast related head injuries. Dr. Polo followed with his presentation on the medical symptoms and treatment recommendations for mild to severe TBI and post-traumatic stress disorder. Pam and David then discussed with the group what their specialties were and also ideas for improving assistance to families and veterans based on their understanding of the center's capabilities and focus. A healthy question and answer session and discussions for future cooperation ensued for about 45 minutes. We said our goodbyes and began the drive back to Tallinn.

It was a nice end to a long and productive day and week.

Major Christopher E. Mackin
Bilateral Affairs Officer/Deputy Chief
US Office of Defense Cooperation, Estonia

*This is the second in a series, the first can be seen here.*

While visiting Lithuania the Wounded Warrior team and the two physicians from Project Hope drove out to Vilnius University Emergency Hospital (VUEH) located 15 minutes west of the capital, Vilnius. The day’s mission was to deliver medical lectures about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to the staff at a local hospital there.

This Soviet-style hospital with 2000 beds was built in 1986 -- just 5 years before the collapse of the Soviet Union. There were sharp contrasts from this hospital versus the Kaunas Hospital we visited yesterday. It was clear there was less focus on the mindset of the patient and their families, unlike the Kaunas hospital with sunlight and warm pools for therapy. I believe Americans take for granted the way our hospitals in the states greet us as we walk in, either as a guest or a patient; perhaps it’s what we have learned about welcoming our patients and their families. VUEH felt cold. It was a colder atmosphere and the hallways were dark and sterile.

What the Vilnius University Emergency Hospital had going for it was the way the hospital was nestled into the tall pine forest on the outskirts of town. When we were on the 9th floor we were able to see the foothills of Vilnius and the city skyline. American architects and construction crews can learn a lot from the Europeans about leaving the natural trees and surroundings near the intended building.

Our first meeting was with Dr. Saulius Rocka, one of Vilnius’ neurosurgeons. He brought our team to the surgeons’ morning meetings. As introductions were made, the Director for the Surgery Department handed out long stem roses to the women in the audience as part of “International Women’s Day.” Pam McClelland from Department of Defense Family Support was a pleased recipient. This was a practice since the Soviet times and persisted through the years.

Our meeting with the surgeons described the previous night’s activities. Our physician team members were able to follow along due to the medical terms sounding very familiar with a Lithuanian ending. One of the morning cases involved a patient with Neurocysticercosis – a parasitic infection of the central nervous system that results from ingestion of eggs from the adult tapeworm, often from undercooked pork. This is very rare in the US, but still makes a great case in educating newer physicians.

Dr. Polo gives his presentation.

Dr. James Ecklund, a world-renowned neurosurgeon and Dr. James Polo, our psychology consultant, were both supported by Project HOPE and gave presentations describing lessons learned dealing with head wounds and the psychology of the patients. We were very pleased to have several members from the Lithuanian Military Medical Services, as well as the Ministry of Defense attend these lectures. The team felt there were plenty of new ideas and enthusiasm with the group of 3rd year medical students from the local area. These future physicians hold the torch for the care and well being of Lithuania.

At the end of the day, the US Embassy Public Affairs team asked us a very profound question: “I have many friends who served in Afghanistan in the 1980’s with the Soviets. They cannot sleep at night and are having trouble with drugs and alcohol. What is Lithuania doing with these patients?” The Baltics need to address this issue. These people are Lithuania’s, sons, brothers, uncles, fathers and grandfathers. These men did their job and now it’s time to help relieve the suffering. We had similar issues in the United States and we learned from our mistakes. We are hoping we can share these lessons with the Baltic countries. We view this as an excellent area for future cooperation.

The team is now prepared to address these issues in Latvia and Estonia.

So as the flower brings joy and shows a sign of new life, the hope for this team is to bring new life to a medical system needing support for their patients.

Stephen Timmons, Lt Col
Bilateral Affairs Officer
US Embassy Lithuania

Wounded Warrior, Veteran care, traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder. All are powerful terms capable of eliciting intense emotions from military service members and civilians alike. For the Baltic nations of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia supporting International Security Assistance Force - Afghanistan it is a term they are becoming more familiar with.

Baltic Bilateral Affairs Officers frequently work together on regional security cooperation issues and realized the overarching concept of veteran care is something the military leadership in the Baltics required assistance developing. Through the auspices of the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC), Project Hope and the EUCOM State Partnership Program (SPP) we set out to familiarize the Lithuanian Military Medical organization and their Ministry of Health with veteran care.

Dr. James Ecklund, Pam McClelland, Lt. Col. Paul Bostrom, Dr. James Polo, and David DuBois

The team members on this project are from diverse backgrounds and all converged on Vilnius, Lithuania, where the events began. David DuBois and Pam McClelland came from Washington, D.C., and represent the Department of Defense Wounded Warrior Program. Their specific specialties are Transition Assistance Programs and the Office of Family Support & Policy. Dr. James Ecklund and Dr. James Polo are both retired colonels from the US National Capital Region and are nationally renowned specialists in neurosurgery and psychiatry. Lt. Col. Paul Bostrom from the 3rd Air Force, Surgeon General Chief of International Healthy Division represents EUCOM. The Bilateral Affairs Officers, Lt. Col. Steve Timmons and Maj. Chris Mackin, round out the team representing the U.S. military in Lithuania and Estonia.

This was the first time most of the team members set foot in the Baltics and many among us were not sure what to expect.

Bright and early Monday morning we traveled from Vilnius to Kaunas to visit the Lithuanian Military Medical Service at the headquarters. The Lithuanian Military Medical leadership provided a detailed brief on their history and current capabilities. Established in 1918 after World War I, their current facilities were constructed in 1919, the facility and organization underwent renovations and improvements in 1927-1933 to become one of the best-equipped hospitals in all of Lithuania.

Their organization was re-established in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union and has underwent extensive modernization to become a highly professional and capable force able to support peacekeeping, combat and humanitarian assistance programs worldwide since 1995.

The Lithuanian military medical services are quite active in supporting coalition forces with more than 150 medics deployed to various operations since 1995. They have also deployed several physicians and nurses to Iraq and Afghanistan. The brief was very interesting and informative and I was surprised at how extensive their military medical capability is compared to other nations in the region.

The Lithuanians were quite interested in the programs DuBois and McClelland briefed and followed up with many questions.

After the briefs, our group traveled to the largest hospital that was built prior to World War II located in Kaunas, Lithuania. We met with the director of the hospital who proceeded to give a very in depth tour of the entire hospital. The most interesting aspect of the visit was learning that the military cooperation with this hospital is very close. All of the military medical physicians and most of the medial personnel were educated in this hospital and also work part time there. We saw that the patients have great water rehabilitation centers with a variety of heated pools and baths. The director was very eager to point out the number of American manufactures of equipment and supplies. We raced through the underground tunnels and toured the hospital in less than 60 minutes and I bet we walked more than two miles! It is a good thing the underground tunnels have a heated walkway, temperatures in the winter months can be very cold reaching -20 C (4F); that's not comfortable if all you have to wear is that paper hospital gown!

Afterwards, our team drove back to Vilnius in time to meet with the Ministry of Health to pave the road for future plans and cooperation. There’s another blog coming about that day’s visits too.

Major Christopher E. Mackin
Bilateral Affairs Officer/Deputy Chief
US Office of Defense Cooperation, Estonia

Note: This is the first in a series of blogs about the team's trip around the Baltic countries. Stay tuned for more!

The United States European Command (USEUCOM) plays an important role supplying the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. I’d like to explain how building business relationships with companies in the USEUCOM area of responsibility can have a positive effect on that effort.

To date, more than 30,000 shipping containers passed through USEUCOM’s geographical area of responsibility on supply routes known as the Northern Distribution Network (NDN). Most of the container contents include consumable supplies and materials originating in the United States and Western Europe. While the NDN demonstrates a global distribution capability, opportunities exist to reduce transit time and shipping costs by purchasing items from qualified sources along the NDN closer to Afghanistan.

Last September, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) teamed with the General Services Administration (GSA), the United States Embassy in Latvia, and USEUCOM to host a procurement conference in Riga, Latvia. A major NDN shipping port and developed European Union economy make Riga an attractive market from which to purchase supplies and materials to support the ISAF mission. One hundred nine Latvian businesses attended this conference to showcase their products and learn how to register and compete for contract opportunities.

Early results from the Riga conference are promising. The Latvian business publication, Dienas Bizness, reported this month that DLA placed an order with a local food company for bottled water and juice directly attributed to the September conference.

DLA evaluated a number of businesses that show high potential as long-term sources for future contracts. The engagement in Latvia follows the path of NDN procurement conferences the USEUCOM co-sponsored with United States Transportation Command in May 2010 in the Southern Caucasus countries of Georgia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan emerged as a leading DLA fuel source and Georgia’s importance as a GSA supplier grew significantly during 2010.

Ultimately, businesses must offer quality products at competitive prices to serve as government suppliers, but the potential to significantly increase the number of suppliers along the NDN is very real. Continued engagement with local businesses and economies is yet another way USEUCOM, its interagency partners, and allied nations are Stronger Together.

Maj. Michael Belko, US Air Force
Chief, Operational Contract Support
EUCOM J4

The Defense Language Institute recently assigned a detachment to the Stuttgart military community, including EUCOM. Here, Cathy Gramling talks with Dan Regelbrugge about why the detachment is here, what they're doing, and what is in the future for DLI and EUCOM.

We finished the Lisbon summit last week – really a high point thus far in the nearly 18 months I’ve been the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). While not without some challenges, overall the summit must be judged a real success.

Most importantly, we were able to deliver the three key initiatives we have been seeking for several years:

• NATO-Russia in a “true strategic partnership.” This means working with the Russians in a wide variety of venues. I’d put Afghanistan, missile defense, counter-narcotics, counter-piracy, and counter-terrorism at the top of the list. In particular, we have worked out a good set of concrete proposals for Afghanistan: logistics help to our coalition, sales of the very capable MI-17 helicopter, and possibly training of Afghan security forces in Russia. This is real progress. We’ll be working hard over the next few months to turn these potential areas of cooperation into real work together.

• Afghanistan transition plan. After briefings by both General Dave Petraeus and me, the 48 nations of the ISAF coalition agreed to a transition plan that will begin in 2011 and conclude with Afghan leadership by 2014. Coupled with the counter-insurgency strategy we have been pursuing, this sets out a very reasonable timeline for success. While the challenges remain daunting in Afghanistan, I remain cautiously optimistic that we will succeed. The key will be training the Afghan security forces to a level that permits them to take on these key responsibilities, and our NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan is doing exactly that.

• The new Strategic Concept for NATO. With the adoption of the first new Strategic Concept since 1999, the Alliance has a well defined path forward into this turbulent 21st century. The key elements of the new Strategic Concept, agreed to by all 28 NATO nations, include: Crisis Management; the Comprehensive Approach; Missile Defense; partnerships, especially with Russia; NATO Reform and Efficiencies; and cyber defense. The concept also emphasizes the traditional role of NATO as an Article V defensive Alliance, e.g. “an attack on one nation shall be viewed as an attack on all.”

Secretary General Rasmussen was superb in guiding the Alliance and the ISAF coalition members through the complex two days of dialogue and, ultimately, agreement on these three key elements.

Leaders from the Lisbon Summit

This week, the hard work begins at my headquarters in Mons, as we get to work on how to “operationalize” all of these good ideas. We have working groups tackling each of these key action items, and will be presenting our thoughts for political guidance and ultimately for implementation over the next six months.

The Summit was a good example of NATO moving out and responding to a changing world. We have lots of work ahead, but I came away with a real sense of confidence in the direction we are sailing.

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

As I mentioned in my vlog last week I was in Bergen, Norway during my official co-hosting duties with the Norwegian Chief of Defense, General Harald Sunde, for the Northern European Chief of Defense (CHOD) Conference. As "The Fjord Capital of Norway", Bergen is often described as "a city with its feet in the sea, its head in the skies, and its heart in the right place." What I didn't mention in the vlog is I found myself in a situation that affected my head and heart before the conference had even begun.

Here I am meeting The Shellman for the first time.

The night before the conference, our Norwegian host invited us to join him for dinner at a restaurant isolated on one of the beautiful fjord islands along the waterways in Bergen. Cornelius at the Island sits among the fjords, and they are proud to serve some of the best seafood in the world. The owner of the restaurant is a third generation shell farmer, having been in the business since 1975. He is known by his famous nickname, "The Shellman," and had several varieties of live seafood on display that he had caught himself in the local waters just prior to our dinner.

At the start of the dinner, the Shellman was describing the seafood from the region and he picked up a raw crab from a bowl that was next to him and said that one of the most flavorful ways to eat the crab was eating him right away…uncooked, shell and all. He demonstrated after his next breath and ate about half of the very fresh crab. It was quite a surprise to everyone at the dinner and we watched in amazement as he chewed through his raw, shelled crab. Then he turned to me and offered the same deal. The famous saying "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" applies also to Bergen and the Bergensers, so I jumped at the chance to experience this wonderful delicacy that I now think of as "the ultimate sushi".

After the great Norwegian dinner that doubled as a culinary lesson, General Sunde addressed our international group by highlighting a point that I have always held high: the importance of culture for greater understanding. After enjoying the beauty of Bergen and their seafood, the general surprised us next by adding the sense of sound to our experience by introducing Norway's famous cello player, Johan Sebastian Blum, who played a collection of some of Norway's most famous melodies. It was truly a moving experience, and while I listened to the music, I was inspired by the general's effect to magnify his point on the importance of culture through several examples.

I have often talked about the power that comes from understanding a country's culture. At EUCOM, I've tried to find ways to increase our understanding of European culture throughout our organization as we continue our important work on building and strengthening our relationships with partner nations. A few examples are:

- Our Next Generation Advisory Panel (NGAP) of young European civilian leaders from several European countries that I meet with on a regular basis;

- The Notable Author series, that brings important historical context in an open forum for discussion with our staff;

- Our Academic Outreach division, which recently brought an expert on Russian and Central European security issues as a part of the EUCOM Forum for International Affairs Speaker Series;

- The EUCOM Strategic Languages Program has joined our headquarters with the Defense Language Institute for foreign language training to staff members.

The Shellman gives me the thumbs up as I try the raw crab.

I encourage all of you to help build bridges by looking for your own opportunities to understand as much as you can about another country's culture. And if you ever get to Bergen, Norway - try the crab….it's great!

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

Mike Anderson Deputy Director J9 - Interagency Partnering Directorate

“Interagency…ah, that’s just a fad that will soon fade.” This was a comment overheard at a recent EUCOM meeting. The person seemed convinced that the pursuance of a “whole of government approach” and the continued emphasis on collaboration with interagency partners by EUCOM, a geographic military command, was just a fad. They also believed that this “fad” would soon fizzle once the novelty was gone or once there was new leadership in place. I beg to differ.

LCDR Taylor Clark's daughter wears and plays with some silly bands.

Silly bands of different shapes and colors that our 9 year old son currently exchanges in his elementary school, this is a fad. The wearing of these bracelets is presently popular among a large number of young people. Like all fads, this one will be collectively followed with enthusiasm for some period of time, just as long as it is perceived as novel. Once the novelty wears off, the wearing of silly bands will quickly fade like its predecessor fads, like mood rings, for example.

I remember mood rings as a 1970s fad when I was attending high school in New York. An inventor popularized the rings by touting that they changed color depending upon the mood of the wearer. Their popularity peaked and quickly faded.

So is “interagency collaboration” just a craze like these other examples? Will it be followed for only a short period with exaggerated zeal and then unceremoniously dismissed as EUCOM goes back to its old ways of doing business? I think not.

Secretary of Defense, Robert M. Gates; Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu.

Instead I believe that the power of a “whole of government approach” (or of a “comprehensive approach” as our NATO and EU partners refer to it) is not a fad, but instead a necessary trend. It is a decided inclination toward things to come; it is a veering in a new, unmistakable direction. It will be with us, all of us, not just EUCOM but also with DOD and the entire US Government, for some time … and rightly so.

The push for interagency collaboration stems from the realization that all elements of national power should be leveraged to best address today’s challenges in Europe and Eurasia. This is EUCOM’s future. Indeed an Interagency Partnering Directorate was established within the last year, the first new directorate at EUCOM since 1967, just because of this necessity. This is not a fad, not a “nice to have”, not a greedy “appetite” of those espousing interagency collaboration, instead this is a requirement born of today’s realities. Indeed, in today’s belt tightening environment it makes fiscal sense for EUCOM and DOD to collaborate with other agency partners…”many hands make light the work”.

Our Commander, Admiral Jim Stavridis, has rightly championed to the Secretary of Defense the importance he attaches to engaging the interagency. Likewise, Secretary Gates has called for improvements to the “interagency tool kit” and a reinforcement of the lead role of the Department of State in conducting US foreign policy and “building partner capacity”. Secretary of State Clinton has commented that the “3Ds”; “defense, diplomacy and development are not separate entities, either in substance or process, but that indeed they have to be viewed as part of an integrated whole and that the whole of government then has to be enlisted in their pursuit.”

Here I am (far right) collaborating with interagency and international partners.

Even the US Congress, in a bipartisan effort earlier this month, has focused on the importance of interagency collaboration, as legislation was introduced by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) and Congressman Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) to overhaul and improve interagency national security coordination.

Finally, President Obama has stated in the May 2010 National Security Strategy that in addition to the US military, “our security also depends on diplomats who can act in every corner of the world, from grand capitals to dangerous outposts; development experts who can strengthen governance and support human dignity; and intelligence and law enforcement that can unravel plots, strengthen justice systems and work seamlessly with other countries.”

No, a “whole of government” approach is not a fad at EUCOM. However, if interagency collaboration were to be a feeling detected by a mood ring, it would reveal a sense of optimism. And if cooperation with interagency partners were to take the form of a silly bands shape, it would simply be… the shape of things to come.

Mike Anderson
Deputy Director
Interagency Partnering Directorate

For much of our Army careers, defining security involved calculating the size of the military force that could be moved to and sustained in a particular area of the world on short notice; the larger the force equating to proportionally more security. However, attendance at two elementary school rededications in Vares and Fojnica, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), lead us to believe that perhaps this definition is far too simple.

LTG Miladin Milojcic, Chief of Defense of the Armed Forces of BiH, thanks those involved in the interior renovation of the Vares Elementary School.

Vares and Fojnica villages are each about an hour Northwest of Sarajevo, BiH. Scars of the conflicts of the 1990’s are still clearly hammered into the facades of many buildings lining the roads to these schools and in the neglected factories around the towns. Remaining unrepaired as perhaps are many native memories and souls are today still. In stark contrast, the Vares and Fojnica elementary schools now stand recently renovated. The renovations the result of the combined efforts of the BiH military, the US Embassy and its Defense and Office of Defense Cooperation team, US European Command, and the elected, municipal, school and religious authorities in Vares and Fojnica. These two elementary schools stand now not only as symbols of cooperation, but as powerful symbols of hope, understanding and compassion for these communities.

These projects highlight the power of a simple Humanitarian Assistance project. There are few occasions where you bring together the instruments of national power (Diplomatic, Information, Military, Economic – DIME) in such a positive way for two countries but these school projects did just that. They were incredible opportunities for both the Unites States and BiH to engage each other through their full range of instruments of national power while “planting a seed” with the youth of BiH for future partnership.

Children, parents and teachers of the Vares elementary school anticipate the cutting of the rededication ribbon.

After being involved in these school openings, it makes us think about how many other non-military focused initiatives are being done on regular bases to improve security and cooperation within the EUCOM AOR. It really is naïve to imply that security can only be achieved with the presence of military power. The joyful and hopeful expressions on the faces of the children, parents, and teachers of Vares and Fojnica elementary schools leads one to consider that security’s definition may also include a measure of hope, understanding and compassion.

MAJ Lee Sepulvado, Humanitarian Project Manager and
LTC Leon Parrott, Deputy, Engineering Division
Logistics Directorate, US European Command

Mike Anderson Deputy Director J9 - Interagency Partnering Directorate

I work in Stuttgart, Germany not far north from the source of Europe's second longest (about 1800 miles long) and one of its most important commercial rivers, the Danube.  I have often had business meetings on behalf of US European Command (EUCOM) along this river as it flows south and east from the vicinity of Stuttgart past cities such as Ulm, Vienna, Belgrade, before emptying into the Black Sea near Constanta, Romania.  I'd like to tell you of one occasion when I visited the Danube city of Budapest to better appreciate a law enforcement academy that is based there.

I visited the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA), located on the Buda side of the Danube. I did so to better comprehend the current curriculum at ILEA and to discuss possible future collaborative training engagements.  This was part of our ongoing J9 outreach efforts to meet with and understand the actions of other federal agencies, Departments, and organizations also operating in Europe and Eurasia.

Recently our Public-Private Cooperation coordinator and the J9-hosted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Department of Treasury representatives conducted a follow-up visit to ILEA.  The ILEA Director, Penny Hoback (FBI Supervisory Special Agent) hosted.   ILEA is an example of law enforcement interagency cooperation in action. ILEA Budapest (there are other ILEAs in Asia, South America and Africa) is staffed with two American accredited diplomats. The deputy director is a Diplomatic Security Service (US Dept of State) special agent and Dept of State funds most of the training there. The remainder of the staff consists of Hungarian ministry employees and sworn police officers.  They leverage a lot of visiting instructors from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Secret Service, as well as Interpol and UK, German and Swedish law enforcement officials.

Ms Holback and our visiting EUCOM-hosted interagency partners were enthusiastic about the potential for greater law enforcement collaboration. This is encouraging because this is a classic "building partner capacity" institution.  ILEA, EUCOM, and our hosted law enforcement interagency partners all focus on enhancing the partner capacities and capabilities of eastern European and Eurasian states.

The ILEA was founded in 1995 when the US and Hungarian governments cooperated to create a center to do law enforcement training.  The Academy offers training classes for up to 130 law enforcement officers at a time and its courses touch on a number of topics also of interest to EUCOM; combating transnational terrorism, money laundering, and trafficking.  Since its inception it has trained more than 12,000 law enforcement officials, among them Russian FSB agents, customs and border guards.

Just as the Danube flows thru 19 European countries, making it Europe's most "international river" and compelling upstream and downstream nations to cooperate, so too does today's threat and resource-constrained environment require greater interagency cooperation among defense, diplomatic and law enforcement agencies, like between "upstream" EUCOM and "downstream" ILEA.

I would be interested in hearing your examples of ongoing military-law enforcement collaboration here in Europe and your opinions of the value of doing such.

I believe most people think that special operations forces never interact with the media.  That is, of course, until something bad happens, forcing someone to explain the situation in an ambiguous manner.

I have actually been that “someone” and can tell you that in fact; there is more to it than simply saying “NO” to the media or explaining the situation away in a stream of vagaries.  Sure, there are some aspects of special operations that cannot be publicly released, and responses that effectively explain why certain details cannot be released are important to convey.

But more often than not, we within special operations must make it a point to engage with the media to be successful in today’s 21^st century battle of ideas.  In fact, we must do it often and long before crises emerge, not just occasionally or WHEN crises arise.  Doing so develops rapport with individual media members, and more importantly, with the public as a whole.

A Polish special operations officer explains the importance of detailed planning within the CJSOTF operations center to a group of Polish national media during Exercise Jackal Stone's Media Day, Sept. 20, 2010. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Eric J. Glassey)

It’s about putting money into what I call “the trust bank.”  By communicating often with others, special operations forces build trust amongst the public (making deposits into the “trust bank”) so that when something goes wrong – and something will inevitably always go wrong at some point – the public maintains their faith in the special operations community.  But if there are no assets in the “trust bank,” the public will turn on the community.  Of course, there will always be those who will support the military in general and special operations forces specifically, and there are those who will never support either, but both are minority populations.  It’s those in the middle that we must address.

This is all easier said than done though.  Special operations forces are often the best in their specific fields and are laser focused on accomplishing whatever mission they are assigned, many of which are highly classified. Additionally, the community is composed of men and women who do not seek the limelight; they actually avoid public credit.  So, the special operations culture is inherently averse to what may be misconstrued as boasting.

Additionally, some, because they have endured extremely difficult situations by mitigating all risk, also believe that there is no value to engaging with the media unless they can strictly control the outcome or unless there is direct and immediate benefit associated.  I believe both anti-engagement arguments are misguided, primarily for the reason described above (the “trust bank” reason).  That’s why, in part, during Exercise Jackal Stone, the annual multi-national special operations exercise coordinated by U.S. Special Operations Command Europe and hosted this year by Poland and Lithuania, media were invited to the exercise.

From left to right, U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania Anne E. Derse, Lithuanian Minister of National Defense Rasa Jukneviciene, Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite, and Lithuanian Chief of Defense Maj. Gen. Arvydas Pocius visit the Dragunu Batalionas, where they are briefed on the Jackal Stone 2010 exercise in Klaipeda, Lithuania. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Christopher A. Calvert)

Sept. 20 in Poland and Sept. 21 in Lithuania served as the Jackal Stone 2010 Media Days.  In Poland, media were first given a tour of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force (CJSOTF – pronounced See-Jah-So-Tif) Operations Center so they could understand the importance of operational “enablers.”  They were then shown a Polish-led multi-national task unit in action, so they could better understand the tactical aspects of special operations.

In Lithuania, media were shown static displays of special operations equipment and afterward, in both countries, a press conference followed. Key political leaders (Polish Minister of Defense Bogdan Klich and Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė in their respective countries) attended the events and answered questions about the exercise and its importance to them, thereby placing “funds” into the SOF “trust bank” and creating a climate of engagement.

Of course, Jackal Stone’s Media Days were not the beginning nor were they the end of special operations media engagement.  Perhaps, it could be argued, they were not enough, but they did serve as another step in the right direction.

The days of 100% secrecy are long past.  We must embrace the new environment or lose credibility in the eyes of those we serve.  As long as the special operations community continues to open up, when possible, to tell the story about what we do and why it is important, the “trust bank’s” assets will grow, and special operations forces will be more effective in their ability to accomplish any mission.

MAJ Jim Gregory
SOCEUR PAO

The military is occasionally called upon to provide life saving assistance in times of disaster. I’ve blogged over the past few years about our involvement in fires, floods and earthquakes. These disasters, and the military’s role in them, receive much attention. But the military is also routinely involved in capacity building projects which often do not get the same level of coverage.

The team at U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) has collaborated on several projects throughout the region to help increase capacity in the sectors of disaster response and medical readiness. Because of these quiet, long-term projects, we’ll collectively be better prepared to respond to real crises. Let me give you some examples and highlight the many partners:

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 7 Seabees (L), U.S. Ambassador Judith Garber (C-L), Capt. Guntars Vilguts, commanding officer of the 46th Latvian army national guard (C-R), and Ventspils firefighters (R) stand together for a group photo May 26, 2010 in Ventspils, Latvia.

In Latvia, the U.S. Embassy indentified disaster response as concentrated interest item. They see a fully operational and effective state fire and rescue service as crucial for Latvia’s ability to respond to disasters and crises, protect the country’s infrastructure from terrorist or other threats, and directly improve the safety and basic living conditions of Latvian citizens. In response, USEUCOM has funded several projects to renovate fire watch towers throughout the country. Additionally, several fire stations underwent renovation to better facilitate fire and rescue operations.

In Georgia, USEUCOM will provide support to the renovation of part of the government owned Republican Hospital. In a real example of complimentary public-private partnership, Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, is partnering with the government to form the first nursing school in the Republic of Georgia. The immediate goal is to significantly improve the competencies of currently practicing nurses. This will be done through an intensive training program. At the end of the training period, each hospital will have in-place a team of nurses trained with skill devoted towards in-service education and management. This project will ultimately serve to improve social and health care services in Georgia.

Sailors offload two pallets of donated personal hygiene supplies as part of Project Handclasp to Clinic #14. The clinic is located in the port city of Durres, Albania.

In Albania, the Departments of State and Education, in collaboration with USAID, have initiated a project to improve health care delivery in the Balkans. The project aims to establish a telemedicine capability at the fourteen regional hospitals in Albania. EUCOM has only a small role to play, but a significant one, nonetheless. We are supporting the renovation of the spaces within each hospital in which the telemedicine equipment will be installed. USAID will fund necessary training for hospital personnel in the use of this equipment. This new infrastructure and medical and technical leadership will provide a solid foundation for positive changes in health care in Albania. Moreover, this program will create new opportunities for partnerships of medical institutions and individual experts from Albania with many renowned institutions worldwide.

All of these projects are formulated in partnership with the Embassy country team, which defines the project objectives in their country strategies. Once possible activities are identified, they are closely coordinated and executed with the national government of the host country. Even the smallest projects demand lots of consultation, collaboration, and partnership. The projects may seem humble, but this sort of work performed over years and across nations adds up to real progress. I’m awfully proud of our folks executing this work, and I trust you are too.

There are countless examples of our military doing work such as that described above. I’d welcome any additional examples and experiences you might like to share.

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

Mike Anderson
Deputy Director
J9 - Interagency Partnering Directorate

An ICE man has come to EUCOM. His name is Mr. Kevin Sibley and he is an Agent of the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency.

Kevin works in the J9 Interagency Partnering Directorate and is one of a growing number of law enforcement/border protection-oriented interagency representatives now on the EUCOM J9 “interagency team”. Kevin, for example, is also joined by a Customs and Border Protection representative, Christina Bell, and will soon be joined by a Drug Enforcement Administration representative, Mr Nick Brooke.

EUCOM’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) representative Kevin Sibley was joined at EUCOM HQ recently by about 25 of his ICE Attaché colleagues and Mr. Robert Weber, the Assistant Director of Operations for the ICE/Office of Investigations in Washington, DC. J9 helped organize and hosted this first-ever gathering of European-based ICE Agents and their Washington, DC-based superiors, together with the leadership of EUCOM. The conference was held Aug. 16-18 and involved ICE agents responsible for Europe and Eurasia and operating from locations such as Brussels, Vienna, Frankfurt, The Hague and Rome.

The focus of the conference was to exchange information and explore areas of mutual interest between the work the regional ICE attaches are doing to investigate and prevent the trafficking of illicit materials, criminals and terrorists through Europe to the United States and how that dovetails with the EUCOM mission of defending the homeland forward.

Now, ICE’s role in the EUCOM area of focus is better understood by EUCOM and vice versa. ICE attachés are more familiar with EUCOM and its role in European/Eurasian security and the EUCOM staff is now aware of ICE activity in our AOF. Through interaction with ICE at this conference, EUCOM directly benefited. Both organizations are now actively looking at opportunities to build partner capacity, and improve intelligence sharing in order to better execute counter terrorism and counter trafficking operations.

The ICE conference created a wider awareness of both the ICE and EUCOM missions, and consequently has enhanced EUCOM’s Whole of Government approach to stability and security in the AOF.

Mike Anderson
Deputy Director
J-9 Interagency Partnering Directorate

Pretty surprising that a Supreme Allied Commander Europe – standing as I do in the footsteps of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, just 65 years after the end of WWII and after 60 years of the founding of the Alliance – would feel need to blog about “Why NATO Matters to the USA.”

But let me offer a quote:  “The Alliance today faces a more complex set of challenges than perhaps at any time in its history.  The reasons for nations' reluctance to carry out agreed defense commitments go beyond the current economic slowdown in the West, although that is the proximate cause. In the debates over security policy throughout the Alliance there is evidence of deeper public concerns over basic Alliance purposes and over the viability of Alliance efforts to achieve them.”

Think you read this recently?  Sounds a lot like recent opinion pieces about the growing “irrelevancy” of NATO in particular and Europe in general?  Yes, but that piece was written back in 1982, by one of my predecessors, General Bernie Rogers.

Yet since that moment of doubt and complexity, NATO has continued its positive and important contribution to European, North American and, more recently, to global security.

Today, NATO employs over 130,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines on three continents in a wide variety of vital missions:  the Balkans, counter-piracy, counter-terrorism, and training missions in both Iraq and Afghanistan.  We also perform traditional defense of the Alliance missions, ranging from patrolling the skies over NATO’s Baltic allies to complex multi-national exercises with our 28 member states and 33 partners in the Partnership for Peace, the Mediterranean Dialogue, and the Istanbul Cooperative Initiative.

Let me give four reasons NATO will continue to matter for the United States in the early turbulence of the 21^st century:

First, before we decide we don’t think NATO matters, let’s do a little “comparative shopping.”  Practically speaking, NATO has the best pool of partners we will have in the world for the foreseeable future.  Look at the other Cold War Alliances and what happened to them.  Remember CENTO?  How about SEATO?  The RIO Pact?  All have folded their tents and faded away.  Before we decide we can do without NATO, we should think about where our other partners will come from – the bench isn’t deep.  As one example, in Afghanistan today, 85% of our partner nations come from Europe, contributing over 40,000 troops and having tragically experienced over 600 of their finest young people killed in action, shoulder to shoulder with our own 1,000 painful losses, in an effort to support the young Afghan democracy and deny al-Qaeda platforms from which to launch attacks on our nations.  This is substantial by any measure.

Second, as Willie Sutton said, “Why rob banks?  Because that’s where the money is.”  If we are looking for capable military partners with real resources, the ability to deploy and operate with us, and well-trained troops, Europe provides the lion’s share in the world today.  With a collective GDP of over $15 trillion (larger than that of the US), and over two million men and women in uniform (almost all of whom are volunteers, as in the U.S.), this is where the “money is” in terms of real military capability and credibility.

Third, from a philosophical perspective, these are many of the nations who most fundamentally share our values.  Europe is the source of the enlightenment and the values of democracy and liberty that we cherish: individual and human rights, freedom of speech and religion, and rule of law.  While there are individual countries around the world which certainly share those values, there is no other region in the world which so highly shares and is prepared to act to defend our fundamental values.

Fourth, the demographic ties that connect us are the strongest with Europe.  Today nearly 70% of the US population traces its heritage and roots to Europe.  This lineage creates bonds that are linguistic, cultural, historical, and economic.  Granted, the economics of Asia and the Pacific Rim are compelling over time, as are the rising democracies of Latin America.  Yet for the foreseeable future, the linkages with Europe remain the strongest overall set of connections that we have in the world.

So before we decide NATO isn’t so important to Americans, I’d suggest we take a clear-eyed look at the other options, the tendency to partner with us, the basic military skills, the level of resources, and the values that bind.  NATO specifically and Europe in general still, even after 60+ years of alliance, look to me like pretty good partners.

Admiral 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

Mike Anderson
Deputy Director
J9 - Interagency Partnering Directorate

Our Commander, Admiral Jim Stavridis, often challenges us to serve like a “bridge” linking U.S. European Command to others. In May, we linked EUCOM with three varied groups, acting as a kind of bridge spanning oceans and generations.

As part of our J9-Interagency Partnering Directorate “Public-Private Cooperation” and “Academic Outreach” missions we hosted three groups. Each visit afforded us the opportunity to talk about our EUCOM mission to people with differing backgrounds and ages representing both sides of the Atlantic.

On May 20 we hosted Admiral Stavridis’ Next Generation Advisory Panel. This is a select group of 12 bright, young European professionals who have been informally assembled to share a European perspective with our Commander. Six of the 12 NGAP members came to Stuttgart, Germany, for a EUCOM orientation. Like most bridging efforts, this afforded two-way communication. To paraphrase the Greek poet Nikos Kazantzakis: while they were here we offered ourselves as a bridge, over which we invited these young Europeans to cross, then moved out of the way to allow them to create bridges of their own. We are confident that this impressive group is doing just that.

On May 24 we connected our US military command to members of US civilian society. We hosted the Defense Orientation Conference Association, a group of American businessmen and women with an interest in supporting US National Security goals. They were an interesting group with lots of life experience and good judgment and were funding their own travel to Germany and the Baltic nations.

The President and members of the German chapter of the Youth Atlantic Treaty Association visited May 26. YATA is a pan-European youth group consisting predominantly of graduate students linked to the Atlantic Treaty Association that boasts more than 300 members in more than 30 European nations. Their questions displayed a fervent interest in maintaining and strengthening ties to the U.S., whose ties they see as having weakened. We linked them with young officers and civilians from across the staff during both professional and social connections. This was a bridging effort between generations and to youth of our host country, Germany.

These bridging efforts were a good investment of our time. Like the best bridges, constructed to span and provide passage, we believe these hosting events strengthen understanding. Like the greatest bridge builders of the ancient world, the Romans, we want our bridging efforts to withstand the test of time and be enduring.

Mike Anderson
Deputy Director
J-9 Interagency Partnering Directorate

Over 25 years ago our defense establishment – pushed by Congress – started the process of creating a “joint” military – where services plan, train for, and execute military missions together. Then about five years after that, mainly because we found we needed better coordination among agencies conducting peace and stability operations, the government started to work on creating an interagency culture and process.

Business Executives for National Security (BENS) group member meets with Belgian and German soldiers

We, the military, are still honing our joint skills and it’s pretty obvious that the United States has yet to reach interagency nirvana. Unfortunately, the world will not wait for us to ‘figure it out.’ As the globe shrinks, the linkages that determine our collective well-being and global security become more and more complex, or intertwined. Likewise, those linkages are increasingly defined by the influence of non-military enterprises. In fact, I believe that today, the next “big thing” is public-private collaboration.

In a sense, of course, this isn’t new. From the Merchant Marine to the Red Cross, private enterprises have traditionally pitched in to contribute in times of war or humanitarian disaster in order to bring the full measure of the generosity of our citizens to bear. But what is new is the idea of our government seeking to fully engage and partner with the extraordinary capabilities resident in the private sector in our efforts to assure security in the broadest sense.

BENS Group meet with Ukraine military officials

As Commander of U.S. Southern Command, I asked Ambassador Chuck Ford to fill the new position of Business Engagement Advisor. His mission was to tap into the private sector’s desire to help enhance the security of the U.S. The valuable contacts we established through his efforts and the collaborative spirit born from those strategic connections were evident to me early in my tenure there.

Our public-private collaboration efforts ranged from getting the security chiefs of cruise-ship companies in the same room with our operations folks to exchange information and business cards, to bringing CEOs together to exchange ideas on the complex challenges concerning illicit drug financing, logistics, and operations. The interaction continues today, as most notably and recently seen in the collaboration between private and public efforts following the earthquake in Haiti last January.

At U.S. European Command we are also engaging the private sector – corporations as well as non-profit enterprises, non-governmental entities and universities. For example, we are identifying ways to better partner, where legal and appropriate, with private sector expertise in international humanitarian operations in Afghanistan. We are also helping to share information with the private sector in order to ensure an effective and safe environment for their efforts in Afghanistan, and seeking advice and input to ensure strategic communications are undertaken effectively.

Katherine H. Canavan, Civilian Deputy to the Commander and Foreign Policy Advisor, EUCOM leadership and BENS Group met the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev

In order to facilitate this effort, I have a senior civilian advisor in DC, and we are creating a public private cooperation division in our J9 Partnering Directorate.

We hope to explore building sensible and appropriate connections with European private sector actors, from humanitarian relief organizations to business entities, to strengthen the transatlantic bridge with a network of public-private collaborations. An important element of making these connections is to cast a wide net and seek new ideas. We’re open to ideas for partnership not only in the international, joint, and interagency worlds; but with the private sector as well. Let us hear from you!

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

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

EUCOM’s Commander, Admiral Stavridis, often points to the importance that he attaches to “partnering,” both military and interagency partnering. In his recent Capitol Hill testimony he said that interagency partnering is “more than a tool or a method, 'interagency partnering' is an expanding paradigm at EUCOM and we are intent on serving as a model of interagency cooperation."

From an interagency partnering perspective it seems appropriate to query, “Partner with whom next?” Or using baseball vernacular, “who’s the next batter?” EUCOM’s J9-Interagency Partnering Directorate (yes, “partnering” is our middle name!) presently hosts partner agency representatives from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency.

This is an impressive assembly of America’s “hard power” in the EUCOM “dugout;” Treasury’s active pursuit of terrorist money laundering trails in Europe and Eurasia and ICE’s law enforcement prowess flexed to identify criminals or terrorists before reaching U.S. shores. But America’s “soft power” is also well represented in J9; the diplomacy (State) and development (USAID) strengths of U.S. foreign policy are also part of the EUCOM “line-up.”

By October 2010, this esteemed team will also be joined by other interagency representatives from: Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Should J9 and EUCOM then be content? Is that all the expanded interagency “partnering” that Admiral Stavridis had in mind when he testified before the U.S. Congress? I think not. EUCOM, a military geographic command, is engaged in a daring experiment to serve as a “platform” to host a variety of civilian instruments of U.S. national power in the common, efficacious pursuit of U.S. foreign policy goals in Europe and Eurasia.

With baseball spring training in full swing, let me borrow another sandlot metaphor; with the interagency batting line-up that EUCOM will field come the time of this year’s fall classic, it will be a strong, switch-hitting one, it can still be strengthened.

Certainly, EUCOM will boast interagency ‘hard power’ as seen in our cooperation with such law enforcement agencies such as ICE, CBP, DEA, and Treasury. It will have that power meshed with ‘soft power’ players epitomized by DOS and USAID and will even host a “designated hitter” in the Department of Energy, helping EUCOM address a specific, nascent energy security issue.

But as we look towards “next season” we may wish to consider other “players;” possibly another “hard power” slugger in the form of the Department of State’s Counter Terrorism (S/CT) office, or recruiting America’s premier paramilitary organization (‘able to go his left or his right’, switching between military or law enforcement roles), the U.S. Coast Guard, or perhaps the already “All Interagency” player, the Department of State’s Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (S/CRS).

The crack of the bat for the 2010 season has still yet to be heard. For all teams, including the EUCOM team, hope still springs eternal. Who would you next have join team EUCOM and why? What other “interagency players” would you “draft” for your dream team? Who should we have in our “on deck circle?” I’d be interested in your thoughts….

Mike Anderson
Deputy Director, J9-Interagency Partnering Directorate
Stuttgart, Germany

On Nov. 25, 2009 I proposed in these spaces an idea of linking the leadership of U.S. European Command with the senior U.S. leaders based in Brussels, the “Capital of Europe.” Then I suggested a meeting involving America’s geographic military command in Europe - EUCOM, with the 3 U.S. Ambassadors representing America to Belgium, NATO and the European Union. I’m happy to report that that idea materialized into a productive, informative visit March 19, 2010.

The EUCOM staff, led by LTG John Gardner, the military Deputy Commander, and involving all Joint Directorate Chiefs, as well as interagency representatives posted to EUCOM from the Department of State, Department of Treasury, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), were hosted at NATO Headquarters by the three U.S. Ambassadors based in Brussels; AMB Howard Gutman, the bilateral ambassador to Belgium, AMB Ivo H. Daalder, the Ambassador to NATO, and AMB William Kennard, recently appointed U.S. Ambassador to the European Union. Also present and co-hosting was Vice Adm. Richard Gallagher, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) representative at the U.S. Military Delegation to NATO.

AMB Gutman noted, “Such a gathering of EUCOM, NATO, EU and a bilateral Ambassador is invaluable.” Vice Adm. Gallagher mentioned that “there is probably a NATO connection to all that EUCOM does” and AMB Daalder reminded us all of the value of the get-together; “Admiral Stavridis should not be the only one at EUCOM that understands the importance of a NATO-EUCOM relationship.”

AMB Kennard remarked that the nations comprising the EU produce ¼ of the world’s GDP, making it an extremely important partner to America, and that it is U.S. Government policy to “encourage European integration” and to encourage the EU’s external focus in security affairs.

The 3 Ambassadors and members of their staffs engaged the EUCOM leaders throughout a full day and exposed them as well to European leaders from both the EU and NATO. Both organizations, for example, touted the importance of a “Comprehensive Approach” in the conduct of security operations.

In that regard, it was mentioned that U.S. European Command, with its focus on a “Whole of Government Approach” and Admiral Stavridis’ focus on partnering with the U.S. interagency, may actually be a good model for both the EU and NATO.

EUCOM after all, through its recently established “J9-Interagency Partnering Directorate,” is endeavoring daily to integrate interagency inputs and ideas to more effectively accomplish its mission in Europe and Eurasia.

Mike Anderson
Deputy Director, J9-Interagency Partnering Directorate

It is no secret that EUCOM remains committed to enduring partnerships and increased interoperability with NATO.... look at any Directors calendar and you'll probably notice how busy we all are towards that commitment.  This year marks the third EUCOM-led logistics exercise, which is a Command Post Exercise (CPX) that is based on NATO doctrine which uses a multinational approach in supporting deployed forces in NATO-led out of area operations, and easily follows EUCOM's them of "Stronger Together."   

Anticipation and excitement are growing as efforts are in full swing now for LOGEX 10 that will be conducted September 6-17, 2010, at Mihail Kogalniceanu (MK) Air Base, Romania.  I am pleasantly surprised to see that this year's exercise has grown from three nations last year to five nations this year, and include participants from Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic.  In fact, interest is also peaking for observer nations who also recognize the importance and strategic value of conducting multinational operations.  Since the Initial Planning Conference in September 2009, we have doubled our list of observer nations and I receive calls every so often from other Nations asking how they can become involved or contribute.  I'm already looking forward to the partnership opportunities in LOGEX 11 with Ukraine and Georgia.   

Participants at the LOGEX 2010 Mid Planning Conference in Sophia, Bulgaria.

As part of the LOGEX 10 Series, our good friends in Bulgaria hosted the Mid Planning Conference (MPC) in Sofia February 22-26 with a small contingent of representatives from the five nations above.  Attendees discussed the details of execution in September and came to new agreements that were codified in a newly signed Exercise Specification  (EXSPEC) Document. I've quickly learned that if a single detail or requirement is not captured in the EXSPEC, it won't happen without a lot of extra coordination.  As an added feature, the MPC also included the Main Event List / Main Incident List (MEL/MIL) Development Workshop.  For the non LOGEX-series enthusiasts, this is equates to Master Event Scenario List (MESL) development/scripting as used in U.S. exercise planning control groups.  The next series of events will consists of independent country workshops designed to develop the logistics and transportation annexes of the NATO Operational Plan (OPLAN) that will be used to conduct the exercise. 

By all accounts, the MPC was a great success and everyone worked hard to include each and every detail possible....but time will tell, however there is much, much more to accomplish because we have eight more events to conduct prior to execution.  My special thanks to LTC Chavdar Ivanov and his team from the Bulgarian MOD for hosting the MPC, and coordinating the multitude of events that took place during the week.  As we move forward in the LOGEX series and continue to share ideas and experiences, it will become evident that the more we work together... the stronger together we become.  

See you at the workshops.

MAJ Matt Williams
U.S. European Command Logistics

Just left historic Munich, Germany where I was fortunate to attend and speak at their annual Security Conference.

Senator Lindsay Graham, of South Carolina, myself, and Senator John McCain, of Arizona, at the 46th Munich Security Conference.

What an all star crowd of attendees! There were senior and impressive delegations from around the globe, including all NATO nations, most of the Afghan contributing countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, China, India, South Korea, and many others. From the United States, the Congressional delegation included Senators McCain, Lieberman, Graham, Kerry, and Udall, as well as Representatives Sanchez and Harmon. I had the chance to talk with all of them and benefited from their collective wisdom.

Also, I was very happy as always to see two former SACEUR’s “in the house,” General Joe Ralston and General Jim Jones – both of whom took a great deal of time and trouble to give me expert advice as I became the first “Admiral” in this venerable post. General Jones, of course, is currently the National Security Advisor to the President and heads up the executive branch delegation. My good friend, and current U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Ivo Daalder, was also present.

I must also say that my views and thoughts about NATO have been shaped by two superb European officers with whom I serve every day – and both were present – Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, the Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee; and General Stephan Abrial, the “other Supreme Commander,” in his case of transformation.

Afghan President Karzai speaks during the conference.

There were two speeches that stood out to me. The first was given by Afghan President Karzai. He spoke at length about the possibility of reintegration and reconciliation with more moderate Taliban. Secretary General Rasmussen also delivered an excellent speech focusing on his hopes for positive strategic cooperation with Russia.

There was a great deal of discussion about the NATO Strategic Concept, which is forthcoming, late this fall. I think the key word is “balance.” Life is not an on-and-off switch; it is a rheostat. We must be capable of dialing-in the solutions to the challenges we face – as people, parents, diplomats, or soldiers and sailors.

I think we need to achieve a balance between:

Article V Collective Defense.................Overseas engagement
Hard Power.........................................Soft Power/Humanitarian operations
Conventional threat.............................Emerging threats / NBC / Terrorism

From an operator's perspective, I have been emphasizing several key ideas in terms of the Strategic Concept:

CYBERSPACE. In today’s world, the likelihood of disruption and perhaps attack with a gravity bomb from the wing of an aircraft against one of our member nations is low; but the chance of offensive photons flowing down a fiber optic cable is high. (More on this in my blog next week!)

Ms. Madeleine Albright answers questions during a NATO strategy panel discussion.

COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH. In the end, we will never fully deliver security from the barrel of a gun; not in Afghanistan nor anywhere else. It will come as a combination of the so-called “3 Ds” – Defense, Diplomacy, and Development. I say it is even broader than that, and will require political, economic, cultural, linguistic, military, skills – in simplest terms, combining international, interagency, and private-public approaches. And all must be undergirded by strategic communication.

NATO COOPERATION WITH EU. We should work hard to define a better operational working modality between NATO and the European Union. We need complementary operations, and what is happening in counter-piracy off the horn of Africa is a good example of where we need to go.

TRANSFORMATION. We can and should restructure the operational side of the Alliance to make it more lean and efficient. I’ll leave it to others to decide the Brussels side of the headquarters, or Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, but, I believe we can streamline and reduce command structure from Allied Command Operations. We should not be afraid of that, and we should levereage innovation, new technologies and approaches to make sure this works properly.

I am engaging in conversation at the 46th Munich Security Conference.

Overall, I am a strong believer in the Alliance and I tried to communicate that in Munich. What connects us within NATO is vastly more important than what divides us today, despite the potential for some differences in views.

NATO remains the richest, strongest alliance in history; with $31 Trillion in GDP, 3+ million soldiers and sailors under arms and 80% of them are volunteers. No nation has ever attacked a NATO nation; nor has a NATO nation ever attacked another NATO nation. Not bad for 60 years of age!

The future is complicated, but I’m confident NATO will continue to be a global force for good. To me, that was the message at the Munich Security Conference.

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

Last Friday I flew to my U.S. European Command (EUCOM) headquarters in Stuttgart to conduct an “All Hands” with the military and civilian personnel assigned to the headquarters at Patch Barracks. The flight from my NATO headquarters in Belgium was an airborne “sleigh ride,” and the landing a bit of a white knuckle experience. However, I really wanted to meet with the team and talk about the “way ahead” for 2010, share with them my perspective, and solicit their feedback.

Here I am addressing EUCOM military and civilian personnel during the All-Hands call.

Events like this are traditional throughout the military, and they afford the commander the chance to "reach-out" to colleagues and troops. Realistically, a command like EUCOM– with 200,000+ Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, civilians and family members – is too big to meet with everyone personally at once. But there are ways to use modern media to move the commander’s message, and this “All Hands” represented my first such engagement in the New Year.

We held the event in the Patch Fitness Center; it was a packed house, standing room only. I spoke from a boxing ring; it was the first time I’d been in a ring since Annapolis, which by the way was not an altogether good experience for me! However, this time my “ring experience” was much better.

Without going through everything, I covered four basic areas:

How pleased I am with EUCOM's performance over the last six months, and how happy I am with our general approach of civility, collegiality, coordination, and creativity.

The key activities ahead include continuing support to Afghanistan, improving relations with Russia, furthering cooperation with Turkey and Israel, strengthening relations in the Balkans, and continuing our focus on unexploded ordnance, missile defense, and counter-terrorism.

Some new (and not so new) ideas I want to focus on include strategic communication, social networking, establishment of a center for unexploded ordnance, and the creation of a task force for counter-narcotics cooperation.

And finally, along the lines of improving staff efficiency and effectiveness, I’ve asked our leaders to take a look at reorganizing our staff for better interagency and private-public cooperation, and above all, new approaches to international military partnering.

An important part of my message was partnering with NATO allies via my “other hat" of Supreme Allied Commander. Clearly, our NATO allies are working well with us in Afghanistan, the Balkans, on counter-piracy and counter-terrorism issues, and on Russian relations. EUCOM is an important part of making all of the above effective, and I talked about that as well.

I also had a chance to discuss the Behavioral “Bill of Rights,” which simply tells everyone in EUCOM that if they are having personal problems, please come forward – without fear of stigma or discrimination – to receive help and treatment from our colleagues, leaders and friends. I also recognized our wonderful Department of Defense “Teacher of the Year,” Susan Morris for her amazing award.

The most interesting question I received was from a shipmate who said, “You’ve told us what we’re doing right, and we appreciate it, Admiral. But where do we need to do better?” Great question. I said, “The two key places I am trying to improve personally, and where we all could improve to some extent, are simple: creativity and taking care of ourselves.”

In terms of creativity, the next decade will demand we think in unusual and new ways in order to combat the known and unknown threats and to meet the challenges we undoubtedly will face. In regards to improving personally, we all have a tendency to overdrive ourselves – so it’s important to take some leave and down-time, and hopefully use it to recharge and come back with a brand new idea we can pursue

All in all, it was a good session and the experience “in the boxing ring” was a big improvement over strapping on the gloves at Annapolis in the 1970s. However, that story is for another time. I flew back to Belgium pleased to have had the opportunity to reach-out to the command, and I look forward, more than ever, to a wonderful 2010.

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

Happy Twenty Ten from U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany!

I’m sure everyone had some great time off with family and friends and is now recharged and ready to experience 2010s challenges and opportunities!

We’ve been pushing forward in the social media realm here as you can see from the new additions on our Web site. And I’m happy to say that our conversations in the cyber realm have increased as we continue to tell our story and develop relationships with you all.

It’s pretty amazing to realize just how far EUCOM has come in 58 years. This command has been part of many amazing events and will surely witness many more to come.

Let’s hope this year brings good news as we press forward with our mission of conducting military operations and building partner capacity alongside our 51 partner nations.

My recent trip to Macedonia showed me first-hand the relationships we’ve developed and are continuing to develop with our partner nations. I wrote two stories on that visit that can better tell you about some of the things we’re doing there. Also, catch Chuck Brady’s blog. Chuck is our Civil Military Operations chief who gets to be a part of this great stuff every day.

You might be wondering why EUCOM works so hard to establish, build-upon, and keep these relationships? Simply put, it’s about working together toward a better life for everyone.

There are so many ways we do this. We help train partner nation militaries so they can better protect themselves and their people. We help through humanitarian assistance when our partner nations call upon us for support. And we help through civil military operations, building stability and security, and are currently working alongside 19 of our partner nations in this arena.

For 58 years EUCOM has been here, working hard toward security and stability for all.  And together, with our partner nations, we will continue to work toward this endstate.

Keep tracking our blogs as we start to write more on our partnership in these countries. And, please, continue to be actively involved in the conversation.

Happy New Year!

Admiral Andy Brown, Director of Logistics, U.S. European Command awards the Meritorious Service Medal to a Macedonian Comrade in Arms at the Army House in Skopje, Macedonia.

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Macedonia and Georgia as part of the civil military operations team here at European Command and I just wanted to share my experience with you.  I know most don't get the opportunity to do these great things, so it's important to share these stories.

Our team, made up of medical folks, planners, engineers and USAID; departed Stuttgart on a two-country, three-day whirlwind trip. We started in Skopje, the Macedonian capital, where Rear Admiral Andy Brown got the great honor of pinning U.S. medals on 31 Macedonian Soldiers who served with the coalition in Iraq.

The Admiral paid homage to them and their country for their commitment to coalition peacekeeping operations. “We are always stronger when we work together on common security concerns” said Admiral Brown to a crowd of over 200 who had gathered for the awards ceremony. It occurred to me that one thing great countries have in common is how well they treat their soldiers and it was evident that Macedonia is extremely proud of these young men and they were rightfully the toast of the town.

The next day, we traveled to Tbilisi, Georgia. I already knew about the great soldiers from Georgia who are defending freedom. During a friendly meal with our counterparts we confirmed, they have “been there, done that” and they are going again and again. They are committed to the fight and determined to be victorious. We pick good friends!

From the Ministry of Defense, our journey took us on a completely different path to a local kindergarten. We met more new friends here and saw first hand how passionately and respectfully Georgia cares for its less fortunate people.

Georgians take care of people with special needs and ensure that everybody understands that these vulnerable persons will be made part of society, cared for, loved, and given proper attention. It is awe inspiring to see this, to come to grips with it, and then to come to the understanding that the mark of a great country is also how it treats its less fortunate people, those with disabilities. I had a chance to spend a moment with one little boy in particular and I watched him all day during our visit. I met his mother too. You could tell looking at her how much she loved him and how appreciative she was to live in a civilized, caring society like Georgia. It means something to be a Georgian citizen and it is worth fighting for and I am very proud that my country supports Georgia and is helping this family. He, like the other young people there, is truly special.

Here I am laughing with some children in Georgia.

My job allows me to support the civic assistance aspects of U.S. and DoD engagement with friends like Georgia. Our program supports the basic humanitarian needs of civilians. In the case of this kindergarten, which integrates disabled children with other kindergarteners, we came to donate supplies to the teachers and students and to assess what additional support we could provide.

The U.S. embassy in Tbilisi anticipates requesting renovation support from EUCOM and the Corps of Engineers so the school staff can provide even better care for these children. Admiral Brown and the Civil Military Operations Branch work hard to support such efforts with partners like Georgia who take the support we offer and multiply its effects through partnering and hard work.

I learned a great deal about these two countries from seeing the regard shown to their Soldiers, their ablest citizens, and to the way they care for their least able and most needy. Knowing that our friends come in all shapes and sizes only validated once again that we are “Stronger Together.”

Chuck Brady
Civil Military Operations Chief, U.S. European Command

When driving through the Ukraine, you can’t help but notice the incredible amount of resources. In one week’s time, I saw endless fields of rich soil, a nuclear power plant, hydro-electric dam, and ore mines. However, the most impressive resource I came across was the people.

During a recent assessment of EUCOM Humanitarian Assistance projects in the Ukraine I saw first hand all the incredible resourcefulness of our Ukraine Partners. I visited a maternity center, HIV/AIDs Center, schools and a Mining Rescue Unit. The one thing they all had in common was their capacity to take the DoD and other donations and leverage them into much much more. They used their own manpower, challenged the local government to partner or found other community donors to participate.

Local Ukrainian Health Official discussing the U.S./Zhitomir partnership with the press at the Dec. 8 ceremony for an excess property donation for the Zhitomir Maternity Clinic.

It was amazing to know DoD funded an exterior renovation in the Zhitomir Maternity Clinic but our partner had a solid business plan and was able to get the interior updated as well, improving the capacity of our investment to serve the community.

Based on the dedicated and skilled Ukrainians I met, they make the perfect partner for future operations. They are devoted to service, education and making the most of available resources.

Lt. Col. Amy McCall
Project Integration/Civil Military Operations ECJ4-ENG

Yesterday President Obama laid out the strategy for Afghanistan, and announced the addition of 30,000 troops. Today and Friday, the NATO Foreign Ministers will meet in Brussels to discuss a wide range of NATO topics, including Afghanistan of course. Secretary Clinton will lead the U.S. delegation. I will be there to brief the Foreign Ministers and I look forward to it. I will be joined by General McChrystal and General Ramms, my key team leaders focused on Afghanistan.

Early next week, at our headquarters here in Mons, Belgium, we will lead the "Force Generation Conference" at which all 28 NATO allies will pledge forces as did the U.S. I am confident we'll top 5,000 additional allied troops, and I expect more -- hopefully several thousand more -- in the months ahead.

This is a team challenge in Afghanistan, and in addition to 28 NATO nations, there are 15 other significant contributing countries to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, for which we are grateful. The United Nations supports this fully, with hundreds of workers "on the ground."
This is indeed a global effort.

This team effort also extends to the U.S. European Command with its support to NATO in the form of pre-deployment training of Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Germany. These OMLTs will deploy in support of ISAF and NATO partners.

I am very confident that we have the right team in place in Afghanistan and Brunssum. The troop commitments demonstrate the resolve and determination of NATO and partner nations to support the Afghan people. We will focus on training Afghan security forces so that we can begin the gradual process of transferring security responsibility as soon as possible. I believe we will make significant progress within 18 months, which will allow us to begin to redeploy some forces. All of this will be based on conditions on the ground, of course, but I believe we can, will, and indeed must succeed in Afghanistan in order to avoid a return of Al-Qaeda to what Secretary Gates has correctly described as "the epicenter of global terror" under the former Taliban regime.

This is vital and I believe we will succeed.

Stuttgart is the capital city of arguably Germany’s most pro-American and economically strongest state or “Länder,” Baden-Wuerttemberg.  But even Baden-Wuerttemberg, home of Porsche, Daimler, SAP AG and European Command, recognizes a higher power, a strengthening political and economic capital.  No, not Berlin…but Brussels, nicknamed the “Capital of Europe.”

Last week, I spent two days in Brussels attending two European Union conferences “EU Smart Power” and “Energy Security” and got the chance to visit with my counterparts at the EU Military Staff. 

Baden-Wuerttemberg , home of the business-savvy Swabians, attaches such importance to the political and economic might of the EU in Brussels, that they even have their own “embassy” there, representing their “Länder” interests to the EU(and not trusting just Berlin to do so). I know this because sitting next to me among the 300 participants at the “EU Smart Power” conference was a representative from the Baden-Wuerttemberg mission to the EU.

This was an important week in the EU’s development as a world power, as the leaders of the 27 member states met the day after our conference to select the first EU President and EU Foreign Minister. 

So, why is this important to us at EUCOM?  Like Baden-Wuerttemberg, we may not want to leave dealing with the EU exclusively to Washington, D.C.  We may want to more “smartly” engage with and understand the EU via our mission there.

After all, the EU consists of 27 of the 51 nations of the EUCOM area of responsibility, our key allies and partners, along with 23 of the 27 nations also being NATO members.  These are the same nations that we are engaging with through our Theater Security Cooperation and Building Partner Capacity efforts.  We encourage their support to the International Security Assistance Force, better known as ISAF, through a whole of government approach. 

Much as EUCOM has endeavored over the years to better understand the NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe staff with periodic exchanges, I recommend that it is now also appropriate to outreach to the Brussels through the U.S. mission to the EU.

Because the EU is an economic smart power and interagency giant while still a military midget despite 10 years of European Security and Defense Policy, I think this outreach should be interagency-focused. The Interagency Partnering Directorate here at EUCOM has a mandate from our commander, Admiral Jim Stavridis to partner with International Organizations and I believe our directorate should initiate this partnering.

We should begin by meeting with U.S. Team Brussels. This team consists of players well known to EUCOM, but it also comprises an entity that we should endeavor to know better, the U.S. Mission to the EU.  This “embassy” will receive a new Ambassador before the end of the year.  Once the Ambassador is in place, leading the interagency-strong country team, we should meet.  I’m thinking of a visit by Admiral Stavridis with select members of his staff and key interagency representatives traveling to Brussels in early 2010 timeframe. 

This would be a chance for “Team USA in Europe,” comprised of the EUCOM staff; U.S. Missions to EU and NATO and the Joint Chiefs of Staff representative to NATO; to gather, to listen to each other and to coordinate a Whole of Government Approach.  This would include interagency partners at EUCOM (USAID, Department of State, Immigration and Customs Enforcement); partners at EU (Department of Homeland Security, Drug Enforcement Agency, ICE, USAID) as well as the NATO partners (FEMA, DOS).

Just as this past week has been an historic one for the EU, it should also be a motivational time for EUCOM to recognize the growing clout of the EU and to outreach to it, engage it, and understand it via ‘U.S. Team Brussels.’  Talk about “smart power!”

I welcome any comments or suggestions that you may have in terms of strengthening EUCOM’s understanding of the EU via the U.S. Mission there.

Mike Anderson

Deputy Director, Interagency Partnering Directorate

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

So, based on my fellow blogger, Maj. Jim Gregory’s, last post on the relevancy of European Command, I’d like to take that one step further and put you on the spot, in a nice way of course!

It’s obvious EUCOM is relevant. We’ve been around for 57 years so we’re doing something right. We are a huge provider for NATO, an incredible organization that simply put, brings partner nations together under one umbrella to work world issues TOGETHER.

But, is EUCOM relevant to YOU? Do you care about what the more than 84,000 servicemembers and their families are doing over here, and most importantly if you don’t care, then why not?

I tell you what, I’m going to be honest here…I didn’t care about EUCOM prior to coming here and I’m in the U.S. military!

Of course I knew what EUCOM was and why it existed. For us military folks, (and it’s no different in the civilian sector in your corporations) no matter what your job is, you’ve got to understand where your cog (mission) fits into the machine (overall mission) and then you’ve got to understand how all those others cogs (the rest of the military) work together to make that machine run. So, yah, I knew about EUCOM, but I didn’t really care to read about EUCOM because I was too busy keeping up with my current mission.

I cared about the job I was in and not much else, whether it was working for Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, or deploying to Joint Task Force Liberia, that was what I cared about. I didn’t “follow” EUCOM.

I know the plethora of information that goes out daily from the U.S. military is intense. But it’s because we are busy folks and we want the world to know all the great things we’re doing or trying to do. Why do we want the world to know? Because we work hard, dangit! We work so hard to do our part to make our world a better place to live and unfortunately that is a daunting task and it seems to get harder as we move further into the future.

At EUCOM alone, we work daily with our 51 partner nations who all have the same purpose. We all just want to live our lives in peace and make something of ourselves. And obviously as two, or rather 51 heads, are better than one, we are determined to work together to make a difference. But does anyone care?

Not sure if I’m making any sense here… I just think our lives get incredibly busy and 24 hours is not enough time to devote yourself to your current mission of YOUR job, YOUR family, YOUR life, and then take the time to care about other missions such as EUCOM.

Nowadays, because of the social media explosion and the tools available to communicate, I find myself following and reading about people and businesses that I wouldn’t otherwise care about. So, if I’ve changed my tune, does that mean that many others have as well?

Are my readers/communicators just going to be folks in Europe or folks who have military members stationed here? How much time do you have to devote to learning about the plethora missions out there? Are my readers just going to follow me when a crisis occurs or are they going to care now? Tell me what you think!

In support of EUCOM’s efforts to do more interagency partnering, I found myself driving through the pouring rain out of Tirana, Albania to visit a remote hospital in Kukes. Kukes is one of 14 hospitals in Albania we would like to connect to the main Albanian hospital through telemedicine. This project would combine the efforts of USAID, an NGO and the DoD to link the hospitals by using the internet for training, counsel and a second opinion via a program like Skype. It will allow Albanian citizens with complex or rare medical conditions to receive high quality care from Albanian and potentially world-wide specialists. This is a major feat for a country with a poorly developed transportation system and difficult living conditions.

Interagency team made up of: J4-Medical Readiness, Army Corps of Engineers, Regional Minister of Health of Kukes, University of Arizona, Tucson, director, Kukes Regional Hospital, J4-Humanitarian Assistance. (Photo by Tara Clark)

First stop Albania

We experience the tribulations first hand as we found the tunnel leading to Kukes was closed due to heavy rain, forcing our team and their local driver to follow secondary roads over the mountain. Once into the bush we lost our way among the many switch backs that crossed the range. Fortunately help arrived in the form of two local men from a mountain village who accompanied the team over the ridge and showed the way to the Kukes valley below. Before beginning their 90 minute hike back to their own village the men only requested a phone call upon safe arrival in Kukes.

These are the same qualities of patience and dedication it’s going to take to get telemedicine up and running. USAID is purchasing the necessary equipment and hiring the NGO to set-up, train and sustain the program while DOD is funding the improvements needed at the hospitals to house the system and maintain internet connections. Once complete, this network will be used to improve the quality of general medical care as well as provide an important piece in the nation’s disaster response network.

Building in Kukes Regional Hospital complex which needs renovation for the telemedicine project. (Photo by Tara Clark)

However, it’s not going to be easy to get all the agencies on the same timeline and ensure all the details are covered by one of the three vested parties. But, there is no way that any of these agencies ALONE could make a dent in the national medical needs of Albania. In Albanian fashion, we’ll work together with patience as we traverse the unknown paths of interagency cooperation.

Second stop Slovakia

For close to a year DoS has been working with an outreach project in a Roma settlement outside of Bratislava, Solvakia. On a recent visit, Ms. Susan Ball, Political Affairs Officer at the Embassy, was told of two children who were sick. One was in the hospital and had undergone a number of surgeries. She called EUCOM humanitarian assistance to ask for advice and help.

I arrived on October 15 in the capital city and was given a background brief on the complexity of the Roma situation from a local Non Governmental Organization (NGO) that works with the Roma throughout Slovakia. An update on the children revealed that one 17 year old boy had been released from the hospital and was now home. He had been diagnosed with the parasite/roundworm Toxocara Canis (caused by ingestion of the parasite eggs) and had suffered significant complications from the infection requiring chest surgery.

To gather more information, I traveled to the settlement with partners from DoS and the local NGO. The settlement is a group of rough, self-built houses lacking in water and sewage. The ‘streets’ are dirt and mud paths that wind through the jumbled community. One is immediately struck by the number of dogs and youth; each wandering the streets clustered in tight little knots, eyeing any outsiders simultaneously appearing scared, curious and defensive.

We were spontaneously invited into a family’s home who were eager to share their story. The home was sparse, clean and warm, being heated by a wood stove working hard to overcome the early frost in the area. Afterward, we visited the boy recently released from the hospital. His impressive thoracotomy scar ran from the left side of his chest around to his mid back looking like a well healing shark bite.

Clearly there are no immediate or quick fixes to raise the quality of life for the Roma population. The challenge now is to develop a savvy Public Health project that will be sustainable, build local capacity, involves local “buy-in” and a lot of interagency partnering. Not to mention paying due attention to the sensitive cultural issues of both the Roma population as well as the surrounding non-Roma Slovaks. Yet another difficult but worthwhile partnering opportunity, that could not be addressed by a single agency acting on its own.

Dr. Mark Hubner,
ECJ4-Medical Readiness

That’s a wrap as they say in Hollywood, or so I’ve heard.  Eighteen months of planning, training, and effort finished with the after action review. 

It was strange, but unlike other events, there was an odd feeling that hung over the group.  It was there in the background from beginning to end and I sensed it too.  It was like your last week of high school or college.  You worked all this time to finish.  You couldn’t wait to get to the end to see fruits of your labor.  But, now you are at the finish line and you wish it wasn’t really over.  I suppose exercises do mimic real life.

I used the phrase “that’s a wrap”, and interestingly enough, as an exercise control group member it felt like a movie production.  Overall, the training audience members performed exceptionally.  Scattered throughout moments of perfection, there were moments that required do-overs, problems that were solved, problems that were never implemented, products made and products revised.  The training audience was pushed unusually hard, beyond their normal limits, yet to a person, everyone believed they were fortunate to have participated.  It wasn’t only the training audience that felt fortunate to participate, I did as well. 

One of EUCOM's missions is to build partner capacity, I believe we did that by helping the three Adriatic Nations gain interoperability amongst the participants,  increase familiarity within the complexity of support to a brigade-size task force in an out-of-area operation,  and promote cooperation and coordination amongst the three Nations' logistics staffs.

Let’s face it, there is nothing easy about planning to move thousands of people as well as ships full of equipment, real or notional, to another continent.  These officers and non-commissioned officers still had to put in the same planning, create the “what if” contingency plans, spend hours of coordination, and learn how to solve problems as they arose.  

There is no doubt that Croatian, Macedonian, and Albanian logisticians can be called on if their Nations’ are asked to participate in a future NATO-led mission.  I know they will perform magnificently and will enhance that operation, and that is what it is about.  An operation is always easier if there is trust amongst the various entities and a common understanding.    I feel that everyone came out of the exercise better knowing one another, they have a better grasp of logistics complexities, and they can do it using NATO doctrine.  

So, the exercise is over and we will go our separate ways; however, the memories and friendships made here will go on well into the future. We all learned, we all grew, and we are better off for having been a part of the LOGEX 09. 

Hvala and Gëzuar to my new Adriatic Friends.

MAJ Steve Wilke
EUCOM J4

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

Well, the NATO Secretary General is blowing me out of the water for sure on the blogging side of the house. It's been seven days since my first blog. Does the excuse that I just got here and I've got a staff of two count? And oh by the way, that staff of two was down to one this week? Yah, I didn’t think so…

Keeping up with you social medializers is NOT easy and definitely not easy when you're trying to learn about a giant command like EUCOM and learn the best people to engage with out there in the blogosphere. Not to worry, I'm getting there, but it is only now at this moment where I can actually take a deep "goosefrabba" breath and feel like I'm getting the hang of this.

So, the topic du jour or rather du semaine, is doing more with less. Does the age of social media relieve some of the stress for everyone? The tools out there, to connect with the rest of the world, are vast and what you can do with them is incredible.

I read a great Huffinton Post blog yesterday by Jared Cohen. Jared works on the Secretary of State's policy planning staff.

He blogged about an event he just returned from, called the Alliance of Youth Movements Summit. The attendees of the summit were a bunch of young leaders who have made an impact through social media, or as Jared likes to call it, connection technologies or ConnectTech, for short. BLUF (military speak for Bottom Line Up Front): they made an impact using social media and getting their voice heard by connecting and communicating with people throughout the world.

Those young leaders did more with less! Through social media, they were able to reach people they would have never talked with before. The opportunities are endless for my command which partners with 51 independent nations. Think about how many folks actually make up that group of nations. A LOT!

We’re exercising and training with our partner nations’ militaries and communicating that we are ultimately stronger together. We can all share and learn from each other and social media or ConnectTech, whatever you want to call it, is making that ever more possible.

So, perhaps social media has indeed relieved some of the pressure of doing more with less? Maybe you have an opinion on that?

I do know that the KEY to social media is taking the time to research the tools out there to help you do more with less and set goals for yourself. What are you trying to accomplish and why?

And, just so you know, my goal by the end of 2009, is to establish myself in the blogosphere and learn the best way to share EUCOM’s and our partner nations’ story. Most importantly, I want to share those stories in a way that makes folks want to pay attention and connect with me and my command!

This is my first blog for Logistics Exercise 2009.  Hope you enjoy it!  Thanks for tracking!

I arrived on time at “Alexander the Great” airport.  Thankfully, my trip was uneventful as it was my previous few times.  I was greeted by partly sunny skies, a warm breeze, my luggage (thankfully) and Macedonian Army Officer, my ride.  While the airport name invites visions of grandeur, I am always struck by it’s quaintness.  There are two departure gates to and two arrival baggage carousels.   The staff and people efficient in deed, pleasant in nature, and quick to help.    No surprise really, as I have never found my hosts and LOGEX friends unpleasant or unprofessional in any way. 

I have immensely enjoyed the months of planning and preparation that will culminate with this final event.  The various trips to all of the primary participating countries, of Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia were superb as well.

The very first ever iteration of LOGEX was hosted by Croatia in 2007.  This go round, it is Macedonia’s turn to be host for the LOGEX series.  I have to tip my hat to Macedonian Armed Forces for their outstanding efforts as the lead nation (host).  It isn’t easy to play host and bear the extra burdens of responsibility, effort, and additional financial strain that this title bestows. 

Soon we will begin this final chapter.  Stay tuned to the blog and follow me on Twitter @LOGEX09!
Cheers

US Army Major Steve Wilke
EUCOM J4

So, the final event of LOGEX 09 is upon us...

This exercise is the culmination of more than 16 months of effort. There were numerous planning conferences, capability workshops, training sessions, classroom instruction and logistics courses all over Europe. All of that was in preparation for this next week.

This exercise will train logistics staff officers from the Macedonian, Albanian, and Croatian Armed forces. They will train on NATO command and control systems, the many facets of a large unit deployment, sustainment and redeployment.

The notional scenario creates an “Adriatic Brigade” that is supporting a United Nations mandated, but NATO commanded mission on the continent of Africa. The mission of the fictional brigade is to deploy forces from home bases to East Africa and sustain forces for extended operations. That in turn will support the fictional OPERATION STABLE PEACE. If the notional scenario warrants, the Adriatic Brigade will support the United Nations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and various International Organizations (IO) for stabilization and reconstruction efforts within the area of operations. Then, upon completion, redeploy forces back to home stations.

So why Africa? Because, it’s a long way from home, creates many logistical problems and the fictional operations area is geographically different than any place within the Adriatic nations home soil.

The beauty of notional exercises is learning…..the problems are hard, the answers need to be real and the mistakes are free.

Along with members of Joint Forces Command (Norfolk, VA), I will be an exercise controller. We controllers bend and sway the training audience with fictional scenario based problems. As the military’s premier trainers, the guys from Joint Forces Command have shepherded this exercise process with European Command’s blessing the entire way. It was a great multi-command team effort.

Our first two days have been the standard administrative minutia. Get checked in, listen to some baseline briefs, reacquaint yourself with the “LOGEX family”, get computer accounts running, do communications checks, review the plans and review the exercise problems or injects.

Although we have officially begun, the real work and value of our efforts begins tomorrow with the mini-exercise, which is like a scrimmage. Our hope is that this will make us “Stronger Together.”

Leave me a comment and follow me on Twitter @LOGEX09!

Cheers
US Army Major Steve Wilke
EUCOM J4

Here at Combined Endeavor 09, we have participating organizations in addition to country participants. One of the organizations -- NATO -- is familiar to many people. SEEBRIG, however, is not as well known, so I want to take a few minutes to tell you about it.

The South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG) consists of seven NATO and Partnership for Peace (PfP) nations: Albania, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Italy, Romania, and Turkey. Believing that cooperation and dialog among the countries of South-Eastern Europe must be further developed, and considering their commitment to contribute to regional security and stability, their Ministers of Defense signed an Agreement on Multinational Peace Force South-Eastern Europe (MPFSEE) September 26, 1998.

In accordance with the agreement, the South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG) was established and activated August 31, 1999. Our purpose is to promote regional stability and security, to foster political and military trust, and to develop military cooperation among the countries in South-Eastern Europe. We also aid in crisis solving by participating in peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance operations. We are proud to be a part of the European effort to ensure peace and security on this continent.

Instead of using names for the countries, a numbering system -- based on alphabetical order of the member nations -- was put into place to avoid disputes among the parties. The image below shows the flags in numbered order, 1 through 7.

SEEBRIG Headquarters is currently located in Istanbul, Nation 7. Previous locations have been Plovdiv, Nation 2, from 1999-2003, and Constanta, Nation 6, from 2003-2007. In 2011 it will be deployed to Larissa, Nation 3.

With the SEEBRIG 10-year anniversary coming up August 31, 2009, we are proud of a decade of accomplishments:

- We established a multinational headquarters with officers and NCOs from NATO and PfP countries, who follow NATO standards and procedures.

- We successfully relocated the headquarters, first from Nation 2 to Nation 6 and then from Nation 6 to Nation 7.

- In 2004, we completed the NATO evaluation process and we were certified as ready with limitations.

- Between 06 February and 06 August 2006, SEEBRIG HQ was deployed as Kabul Multinational Brigade HQ, under ISAF Command, accomplishing the first SEEBRIG mission.

- In 1999, we conducted the first SEEBRIG Command Post Exercise (CPX): SEEBRIG-99.

- In 2000, the Command Field Exercise (CFX) SEVENSTARS-00 was developed.

- In 2001, we performed our first Computer Assisted Exercise, CAX-01, our first engineer exercise, CORNERSTONE-01, and CPX SEVENSTARS-01.

- In 2002, we conducted CPX SEVENSTARS-02, an engineer exercise called CORNERSTONE-02, and an exercise for the staff STAFFEX-02. We participated in a simulation and computer assisted exercise, SEESIM-02 and in other 3 exercises: SOUTHERN STAR-02, ONGUARD in Nation 7, COOPERATIVE ADVENTURE EXCHANGE-02 in Ukraine.

- In 2003, we developed an exercise for the engineer force, CORNERSTONE-03 and headquarters exercise STAFFEX-03; we participated in other 2 exercises: COMBINED ENDEAVOR-03 and VIKING-03 .

- In 2004, we conducted 1 exercise, Full Operational Capability (FOC) CFX “SEVEN STARS-04” and participated in 5 exercises: ADRIATIC PHIBLEX-04, COMBINED ENDEAVOR-04, ALLIED ACTION-04, EURASIAN STAR-04 and SEESIM 04.

- In 2005, we conducted CPX SEVEN STARS-05 and STAFFEX -05. We also participated in COMBINED ENDEAVOR-05, PHOENIX ENDEAVOR-05 and CETATEA-05.

- In 2006, we participated in one exercise: CAX SEESIM-06.

- In 2007, we conducted STAFFEX-07 and CPX SEVEN STARS-07 and participated in 2 exercises: COMBINED ENDEAVOR 2007 and EURASIAN STAR-07

- In 2008, we conducted Command Post Exercise SEVEN STARS-08 in Istanbul and participated in 3 exercises: COMBINED ENDEAVOR 2008, BLONDE AVALANCHE 08 and SEESIM 08.

The success of the SEEBRIG multinational headquarters is aided by an atmosphere of understanding and cooperation among the officers and NCOs. The formal relationships comply with military regulations, which are strictly followed by the SEEBRIG personnel. The development of informal relationships among the headquarters members is always a priority of the brigade command; these relationships can be improved in many ways. We encourage staff activities during “spare time”, and have an entertainment program which includes “social trips” and “informal trips” with the purpose of bringing the staff families together and to create the best friendly relationships.

Major Lachezar "Lucky" Petrov

SEEBRIG Delegation Chief

This past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting the national delegations at Combined Endeavor 2009’s regional site at Bülows Kaserne, Fredericia, Denmark. Delegations at this site are from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Slovenia and Sweden with additional support personnel from the United States, Austria and Germany.

BÜLOWS KASERNE BASE, Denmark — Swedish Army Capt. Stefan Eklund runs fiber optic cable to his nation's workspace. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

Bülows Kaserne is nestled on the shoreline of Fredericia, which is surrounded on three sides by ramparts. These fortifications figure prominently in Danish history and tied to the defense of the kingdom. Construction started in 1650 and is central in the story of the battle to free Fredericia on the 5th and 6th of July 1848.

Our visit started with a briefing by the Danish delegation chief, Lieutenant Colonel Erik Schwensen, providing an overview of the site and his responsibilities as host for the delegations in Denmark. We then participated in the daily coordination video teleconference with the other regional site in the Netherlands and main site in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

BÜLOWS KASERNE BASE, Denmark — Danish Army Lt. Col. Erik Schwensen looks over the ranks of nine countries during the Combined Endeavor opening ceremony Sept. 3, 2009 at Fredericia, Denmark.  (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez)

The highlight was visiting each delegation and learning of the tests they had scheduled for the week, the challenges in establishing the test network and the ad hoc partnering and experimentation that was taking place. They all emphasized the challenges introduced to the exercise with having delegations and their equipment spread between three locations, vice what had become the norm with one primary location in Germany. All wanted me to clearly understand the distributed architecture to support this year’s exercise injected a level of complexity that if not managed properly, could easily distract from their stated aim of testing, validating and documenting interoperability interfaces.

Overall I was most impressed by the genuine enthusiasm, passion, pride, teamwork and excellence evident in the working relationship between these professionals, each with their national objectives, but always willing to assist others where they could.

Denmark is the host at Bülows Kaserne and much of their effort was focused on site support and connecting the three exercise locations together with their satellite communications equipment…this is huge and critical task for overall exercise success. Their interoperability testing was focused on their preparation for support of the NATO Response Force.

Finland’s focus was on preparation for their responsibilities to the European Union Battle Group (EU BG) in 2011 with partners from Ireland, Sweden and Estonia. Testing for the exercise is focused on interoperability for this division sized force. Of interest was also their test of the NATO STANAG 5066, that defines how to send e-mail over HF radio, using four different radios. Most impressive was the description of a very simple, but elegant, solution to allow two nation’s secure radios to interoperate while allowing each nation to use their own methods of securing the radio transmissions with their national crypto. Simply brilliant! I was also pleased and surprised to discover that for the past five years they have conducted their own internal Finnish Combined Endeavor as a national C4I interoperability exercise. All of the lessons learned are folded back into the training objectives for their communications and signal forces.

Slovenia was involved in robust testing of single channel HF radios supporting IP networks and command and control. One C2 system being tested is used at the company and platoon level for situation awareness and can swap tracks of forces via HF, VHF, SATCOM and IP networks. I was most impressed that Slovenia is also testing elements of recent Microsoft enterprise capabilities for their tactical forces that we have not yet fielded within the HQ USEUCOM network enterprise. When delays in establishing the testing network, which were outside of Slovenia’s control, threatened their ability to complete some of their key test objectives, the cooperative spirit of their partner delegations sprang into action to ensure their partner would have the opportunity to achieve their exercise objectives. This spirit of cooperation is just one example of the teaming and partnership throughout the site.

The team from Estonia included personnel that were charged with the responsibility to establish their national signal and communications training center for the military. CE09 is the first deployment for Estonia’s new tactical communications system called ESTTACS. In addition to validating their new kit with their regional partners, they were also responsible for network traffic monitoring for the network in Denmark supporting this element of the exercise. Additionally, they also brought a special team to evaluate new HF radio equipment that might complement their current capabilities.

Sweden was in tight collaboration with the other EU BG countries testing HF and C2 systems. They were also conducting tests with Finland on TACOMS (Tactical Communications Standards for Joint Operations). The TACOMs website describes the initiative as, “…neither a NATO program nor a NATO funded project. Rather it is a project comprised of NATO nations and non NATO nations, operating outside the normal NATO infrastructure, and funded by the Nations themselves. However, NATO prescribes the projects Military Operational Requirements and Technical Requirements…” This project is an opportunity for collaboration and innovation between the 16 partner nations.

Ireland was keen on preparing for international peacekeeping operations. They too were very interested in the additional capabilities for HF as well as NATO compliant C2 systems. During the mid planning conference for the exercise, they decided to modify, through a very quick turn development, their national friendly force tracking capability to be interoperable with NATO’s friendly force indicator protocol. Initial testing indicates success.

No doubt I’ve not done justice to all of the accomplishments I witnessed in my short visit to Bülows Kaserne, but the biggest take away of the day was that Combined Endeavor demonstrates that we are all, as the US European Command motto states…“STRONGER TOGETHER.”

Next stop...Combined Endeavor's site in The Netherlands.

Brigadier General David A. Cotton
Director, Command, Control, Communications
and Warfighting Integration (J6)
Facebook: dacotton
Twitter: DavidACotton

Tomorrow, I'll be gathering my gear and moving into my temporary home at Banja Luca, Bosnia-Herzegovina to do my part within EUCOM's Combined Endeavor 09 exercise.

The Combined Endeavor series of exercises are more workshop, display and information exchange than tactics, techniques and troop management. Combined Endeavor -- CE for short -- allows communicators from all over Europe, as well as Canada, the United States, a once-yearly opportunity to test out, experiment, and share communications breakthroughs with their counterparts. When a disaster occurs is the wrong time to figure out that one nation's "commo gear" can't talk with another's. Or that one has to have two, three, or even four phone "devices" around because for some reason there was no coordination to share simple things like phone directories, emergency radio frequencies, push-to-talk numbers, and emergency beeper numbers among those who needed them beforehand. We Americans experienced this back during the aftermath of "9-11" in New York City and later after a series of hurricanes in our southern United States destroyed much of several of our largest coastal cities.

THAT is what CE is really all about: figuring out before disaster occurs, how best to communicate between nation's basic communication systems; is there anything on the horizon better than what we're using and how does it work -- and CAN IT WORK with systems which were purchased back in the 80s? In the 60s? In the 40s? It goes a little bit further than that.

Let's say supposedly, country "X" is fielding a new communications system and there's only one or two people in their country who knows anything about that system. Country "Y" remembers their own growing pains from their experiences with that system four years ago. The two countries can get together on their own, sure, and exchange people, information and equipment between each other. However, it's a lot better to do that exchange whereby other nations surrounding them can see how tough fielding the new equipment can be and how much support there is for that equipment to be taught during something like CE.

That too, is what CE is about. There's no firing ranges, no explosions (we hope!), no fighting. A simple exchange of information, resources, tools and techniques geared to get everyone "speaking together", maybe not with one voice but with the capability to hear and talk with one another.

As the public affairs officer for the exercise, my emphasis will be in part on communication with others as well. This blog, for instance, will be used by participants and leadership of CE09 to talk and listen to all of you about this important exercise. In addition, I will be posting daily images and video collected from our "media operations center" to further illustrate the importance of the exercise and how it's a great use of EUCOM's valuable capital - human and financial. I will also post content on world-wide internet resources like Facebook and Flikr, again so that those in other nations as well as our "home team audiences" can see and understand a bit more about CE09 and it's place as a EUCOM value-added program.

I am thrilled to be able to share my experiences with all of you while I'm there. But I'm not going to be the ONLY one you'll "hear" from, trust me. We have people within the communications community (the people who REALLY know their stuff with regard to the outcomes of this event) on tap to share with you their impressions and thoughts about the exercise and it's progress. I will also be reaching out to my Bosnia-Herzegovina counterparts and asking them to post here as well. I trust that through our social media and traditional media methods, that you will talk with us about the exercise too.

Combined Endeavor is a EUCOM-sponsored communications interoperability exercise. For the first time, a Partnership for Peace nation will be hosting the main effort. I am happy to be a part of the effort as one of the last events on my "performance calendar" under my current set of orders to EUCOM's public affairs directorate. I look forward in sharing my impressions and thoughts with all of you -- through this blog, products produced here, and items posted to EUCOM's Facebook and Flikr (a photo sharing site), and follow us on Twitter at #EUCOM.

LTC Mike Walton
U.S. European Command Public Affairs

Well, the Tandbergs worked between here and Stuttgart! What's a Tandberg? It is a point-to-point (or multipoint) teleconferencing tool used by many commercial firms as well as by many nations. The screen looks like a portrait-sized computer screen (in other words, a normal computer screen turned 90 degrees) and there's a camera embedded into the top of the screen. With this tool, individuals can sit at their desk and communicate with any number of others for video conferences.

Part of the preparation for this exercise calls for the using such great tools by the staffs on both the EUCOM end in Germany and all three locations of CE this year.

The other accomplishment today thanks to the great work, led by the personnel assigned to the US Army Europe (USAREUR for short), the Combined/Joint Command and Control Center (or "CJ Triple C") is fully wired to support controlling testing activities between Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Netherlands, and Denmark. The CJ-Triple C is where participating nations' leadership can observe and direct the overall exercise activities. Completion of the communications infrastructure in the CJ Triple C means that we're only a few days away from the start of a very complex communications exercise.

There are other important wirings going on today but these are the two biggest.

LtCol Rick Dollesin
Exercise Director, Combined Endeavor

Things are going well as Kozara Barracks is being transformed into a large telecommunications site to support the Main Operating Base of Combined Endeavor 2009 (CE09). We are finalizing contracts, continuing to build the main operating base infrastructure, and installing several networks which will serve as the backbone for our daily communications during the communications interoperability testing. There are as many Bosnia and Herzogovina military support personnel on the ground here as there are members from the CE staff and early participants!

Working around electronics -- and their containers -- is a little dangerous. Safety is paramount among all participants, staff members and visitors whether here at Kozara Barracks or at the other two sites involved in CE09. However, together with our host nation counterparts, we are continuing to make CE09 a positive experience for all participants and visitors alike.

LtCol Rick Dollesin
Exercise Director, Combined Endeavor

Standing up a new organization is an interesting process.  As I look at the EPTF there are three key components to consider:

• Understanding the European environment and our partners in order to build effective partnerships


• Thinking outside the box to generate new ideas


• Creating the new organization structure and staffing it

The figure at the right looks at a spectrum of partnership engagement.  The upper right quadrant, labeled Framework Nation, is those partners that are both highly interoperable and highly capable.  These are measured by using NATO standards.  Officers from Framework Nations are likely candidates for staffing the EPTF.  Partners in other quadrants are key partners for joint capability building programs.   By embedding officers from Framework Nations, we’ll ensure a high powered organization that looks at capability building programs from a variety of perspectives and leverages talents, knowledge and resources.

In order to start thinking outside the box, I’ve gone a bit beyond Admiral Stavridis’ reading list.  I just finished reading Iconoclast, and am now reading The Talent Code.  Iconoclast is an interesting mixture of case studies of iconoclasts (those that challenge established thinking and ways of doing things) and analysis of the brain and areas of the brain that inhibit new thinking and action.  I’ve just started The Talent Code, but it looks like it will be an interesting study of how to train high performing people and teams.  Since the EPTF is both a new concept and a new team that we’ll stand up, I thought both books might be fertile fields for study.   In Iconoclast, Berns says that to develop and implement new ideas, you need a different way to perceive the world, freedom from fear and social intelligence.  Without a different perception you won’t get the new idea.  As long as you fear failure, you won’t implement the new idea.   If you can’t convince others of the idea’s value, it won’t catch on.  Coyle writes of the need to practice at the margins of ability and work on failure points.  He identified three key ingredients:  deep practice, ignition (a spark that creates a talent “hotbed”) and Master Coaching.

Finally, we need to develop an effective EPTF structure that nests within the overall construct of EUCOM’s Building Partnership Capabilities efforts.   After the approval of the EPTF concept and essential task, we’ve moved into this stage now and are developing organizational and staffing plans.   We must identify the EPTF’s key tasks (those things it must do) and then determine the organizational functions and structure required to accomplish these tasks.  I think we’re well on the way and will keep you updated as develop the organizational construct.

Give Way Together!

BG Jeff Marshall

EPTF Conference Logo

The EPTF is designed from top to bottom, left to right to embody the concept of Partnership.  That's why we selected the image to the right and the motto, Give Way Together for the conference.  We're all in this together and need to work as a team to make progress.  And that we did during the conference.  I know this spirit will carry forward as we start to implement the EPTF.

We designed the conference to answer the Information Requirements (IR) that support the Mission Analysis phase of EPTF Decision Support Template (DST).  Sounds a like a mouthful, but it's really pretty simple:  the DST gathers the information we need to know to make an informed, effective decision and provides some structure the decision making process.  The EPTF DST has three phases that lead to a successful stand-up.  Each phase has one or more key decisions that support the successful conclusion of the phase.

To answer the IRs, we invited representatives from NATO, DoD, the Joint Staff, our components, CENTCOM, US Forces-Afghanistan, the states in our SPP and the USAR and USNR.   We discussed issues ranging from the requirements in Afghanistan to how to conduct partner train and equip programs and from the right funding sources to getting the right people involved in the processes.

Building Partner Capability is Job #1 here at EUCOM.  Partners are the heart and soul of SPP--they are in the program's DNA.  From its inception, the strength of the SPP is the depth and breadth of the partnerships the program builds on the personal level as well as the governmental level.  Many of the personal relationships last an entire career as officers and NCOs rise through the ranks and remain in contact and engaged together in various capability building programs.

Increasingly, these relationships are also forged in the fires of combat.  Many of the states in the EUCOM SPP have deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq with their partner nations.  In some cases, the partner nation requested their co-deployment based on the strength of their relationship.  Poland and Illinois comes to mind, as does Georgia and Georgia.  In other cases, the state provides critical capabilities to enable the partner deployment.  Great examples are the co-deployment Operational Mentor and Liaison Teams (OMLT).  Michigan-Latvia, Tennessee-Bulgaria, Hungary-Ohio, and Minnesota-Croatia are good examples and the list is growing.

Yes, relationships matter.  They are the bedrock upon which any meaningful engagement and capabilities building program are built.  SPP provides EUCOM with extremely strong relationships in the 20 countries that participate in the SPP.  As we move forward with our partners to jointly pursue key capabilities building programs, the relationships built in the SPP will pay enormous dividends for both our partners and the US.

BG Jeffrey Marshall
Director, EUCOM Directorate of Mobilization and Reserve Affairs

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

CE – Combined Endeavor – is a large telecommunications exercise sponsored by EUCOM but planned and executed by our partner nations. This year, 2009, we are moving the exercise out of Germany for the first time in our 14 year history to Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a big enough challenge planning this exercise, but this year we add the challenge of building a new infrastructure to support the exercise.

To make this a bigger challenge, while our main site will be in Bosnia, we will have two other operational sites – one in Denmark, the other in the Netherlands. This creates new technical challenges we’ve not had before, particularly creating multi-national communication networks over satellite long-haul connections.

To prepare all of this we hold a series of planning conferences. The initial conference was in Tallinn, Estonia. This week we are conducting the mid planning conference in Sarajevo, Bosnia (the exercise, in September, will be held in Banja Luka, 5 hours Northwest of Sarajevo). The Bosnians are clearly putting much effort into preparing for the exercise, and it has the highest level of attention in the Ministry of Defense. The opening ceremony was attended by the Minister of Defense, the U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia, the Bosnian Chairman of the Joint Staff, and several governmental ministers. Interestingly, it was also attended by the Commanders of the NATO and EU forces in Bosnia.

As a side note, the city of Sarajevo was very pleasant. It is clean, orderly, and quiet. All the people we met were very friendly – more the impression of a small town than a rather large city. We had a nice dinner the first evening at a nearby restaurant where we enjoyed local specialties. The city still shows the evidence of the war – 15 years on and many buildings are still heavily pock marked with small arms and larger caliber fire. There are, also, many newer buildings. Revitalization is evident, but the world-wide economic problems have clearly halted much of that work.

The CE final conference before the exercise will be in Montenegro. By the end of this conference we will be nearly ready to support about 1200 Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen from 39 nations at three sites in order to conduct roughly 1000 military telecommunication tests over a two week period. The goal of all this? To have European forces better prepared to support coalition operations whenever and wherever needed – to learn in an exercise how to make all their different communication systems work together so we don’t have to figure it out after it may be too late. Good communications is the enabler of operations – that’s what CE is about – good comms.

COL Dan Matchette, USA
EUCOM J-69, C4I Interoperability

Chaplain Tidd meets with Major Lasha Beridze, Georgia military (right) and Father David, Georgian Orthodox priest (left).

In our recent trip to Tbilisi, Georgia, on April 1, 2009, EUCOM’s senior Chaplain Assistant, Army Master Sergeant Ralph Martinez, and I presented six portable field worship kits to the leader of training and education of the joint staff of the Georgian Military, Major Lasha Beridze, and the Orthodox priest assigned to support the joint staff, Father David Londaridze. During this visit, we discussed developing training specifically for chaplains and collaborated on ideas for the way ahead for future engagements between our two organizations.

Building partnerships with chaplains and religious officials from other nations to share resources and ideas about how best to serve their people is one of our priorities. As part of this trip we also had the honor to meet with Georgia’s religious leader His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, the Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi and the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. The Patriarch is engaged in supporting the spiritual and pastoral needs of Georgia’s armed forces. Some of the recent challenges faced by Georgia’s military include combat in Iraq and the August 2008 conflict between Georgia and Russia.

What’s in a chaplain’s field kit? The field kits are specially designed to be compact and lightweight--characteristics that are prized especially when serving with infantry units. They contain all the elements for a chaplain to set up a worship service in any kind of field environment. There are different kinds of kits that support services for Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish, or Muslim service members. The Orthodox kit, for example, includes a small wooden icon and an Orthodox cross.

While in Tbilisi, we also had the opportunity to visit the main Georgian Orthodox Christian cathedral, Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi. Construction began in 1994 on the Cathedral, which is visible from most areas of the city. At night, floodlights make it a beautiful visual focal point for the residents.

Captain Mark L. Tidd, Chaplain Corps, U.S. Navy
Command Chaplain
U.S. European Command

It was a cold and snowy day at Powidz Air Base, but the spirits of all those who turned out to welcome the arrival of the mighty Hercules to Poland were high. With the dense cloud cover, we could hear the engines of the C-130 and its 2-ship F-16 escort before we could see them, but all looked skyward as the Herc flew over the assembled crowd.

The first Polish C-130E Hercules arrived at Powidz Air Base on 24 March 2009. In my role in the Office of Defense Cooperation at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, I serve as the in-country program coordinator; linking the many people in the U.S. who make this program a reality with their Polish counterparts.  (more)