Blog Posts tagged with "Admiral James Stavridis"
Brussels and the Balkans
Last week was an interesting mix of activity for me in two very different places in Europe.
I spent the early part of the week at the meeting of the NATO Defence Ministers at NATO Headquarters up in Brussels, about 45 minutes north of my operational command in Mons, Belgium.
In addition to the meetings amongst the 28 NATO Ministers of Defence, we held two key coalition meetings as well. The first was a meeting of all 50 nations in the ISAF coalition in Afghanistan. The second was with the NATO and additional troop contributing nations to our ongoing mission in Kosovo.
Left to right: General Knud Bartels (Chairman of the NATO Military Committee) talking with General John Allen (Commander ISAF) Let me start with the Afghanistan meeting: I'm always struck by the extraordinary character of the Afghan troop-contributing nations, from quite literally all around the world. Seeing the commitment of so many nations, demonstrated by the contribution of over 110,000 international troops and pledges of funding for the Afghan Security Forces for both the near and long term, makes me cautiously optimistic about the future in Afghanistan.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to welcome the new Afghan Minister of Defence, Bismullah Khan Mohammidi (a true Afghan patriot and former Minister of the Interior). In his remarks, he thanked the coalition for all our sacrifices, and praised the training programs that are bringing over 350,000 Afghan security forces on line.
As the Supreme Allied Commander for operations globally, I gave a strategic brief on the situation, progress, and challenges in Afghanistan. General John Allen, our NATO operational commander in Afghanistan, also briefed. Some of the key points we highlighted:
Progress:
- Over 75% of the Afghan population is now under Afghan Security Force protection. That will rise to 90% before the close of this year.
- Over 90% of all operations are either led by or co-led by Afghan Security Forces. In the first six months of this year, over 80% of all operations were led by ANSF.
- Civil-military progress continues, with over 8 million children in school, nearly 40% of whom are girls-up from only half a million and no girls under the Taliban. Over 70% of Afghans today have access to health care, up from 15% under the Taliban. Seventeen million cell phones are in use, covering 85% of the country helping connect the Afghan people commercially and socially. This is up from only 20,000 cell phones in 2002.
- Coalition casualties are down more than 30% since last year, while Afghan military casualties are expectedly rising as they take the lead against the insurgents. Also, coalition caused civilian casualties are down dramatically due to ISAF's continuous efforts whereas more than 80% of all incidents that hurt civilians this year were caused by the Taliban.
Challenges:
- Insider threat or the so-called "green on blue" attacks are very worrisome. The coalition is redoubling efforts with vetting, biometrics, validation via elders, tactical protection procedures (like the "guardian angels"), and cultural awareness training. This is a new tactic on the part of the enemy and we're dealing with it as we have with other tactical challenges and changes, e.g. improvised explosive devices.
- Logistical planning for safely and professionally sending home our troops and equipment as we turn operations over to Afghan Security Forces-we have nearly 200,000 containers and vehicles to move over the next couple of years, and routes are not flowing freely at the moment.
- Corruption and the threat it poses to governance is a constant concern and will require more hard work by all involved.
Overall, the Defence Ministers received the briefings openly, provided good guidance, and reiterated the "in together, out together" policy that has kept us in good stead throughout this campaign. There is no acceleration of planning for transition, but rather a steady focus on shifting to Afghan-led operations.
In terms of Kosovo and the Balkans, we again see a strong international coalition, including not only NATO nations but also partners like Armenia, Austria, Finland, Ireland, Morocco, Sweden, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Ukraine. We still have 6,000 NATO and Coalition troops holding down a calm but tense situation in Northern Kosovo. While violent incidents and roadblocks are down from a year ago, we are remaining vigilant for a "re-flash." Again, the "in together, out together" approach will be key in ensuring we continue to move toward success.
Immediately after the Defence Ministers meeting, I was able to fly to Kosovo and spend a day there seeing our NATO troops in action. I'll also go to Sweden and Finland, both strong contributors in the Balkans, to discuss the situation with the leadership there.
It is interesting to note that just over 10 years ago, NATO had over 50,000 troops in Kosovo. We've gradually decreased to today's level of about 6,000, and hopefully will be able to continue reductions over the next 12-18 months. Specifically, if the ground situation permits we will consider sending our reserve battalion of about 600 home in December this year. The overall trajectory in the Balkans remains positive, and is further evidence that the international community-working together with interagency linkages and private-public partners-can create progress in security.
Finally, I'm happy to report that my potential relief has been nominated by the U.S. President, accepted by NATO, and will go before the U.S. Senate later this year for final confirmation. Assuming all goes well, General John Allen, our current commander in Afghanistan, will take over next spring, probably in April.
John is a superb officer, a Naval Academy classmate, and I strongly endorse his selection. His experience from Afghanistan will be very helpful as he moves to the strategic level on not only Afghanistan but also the Balkans, the Levant, North Africa, ballistic missile defence, piracy, cyber and many other fascinating issues as the Supreme Allied Commander for all NATO operations.
From Brussels to the Balkans, the international community is taking on challenging issues and making progress. We'll stay at it!
Best,
Jim
Admiral, USN
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Commander, US European Command
"Stronger Together"
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Missiles and Pirates
In the week ahead, I'll focus on two topics that don't always get a huge amount of attention, but are very important: piracy and missile defense.
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EUCOM Turns 60 Today
Today we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the inception of our command. Our dedicated Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and civilians are a fine time.
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How to Brief a Senior Officer
I was recently asked on-line about "how to brief a senior officer?” Great question!
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The Heart of the World
What I really want to talk about this evening is something that is cherished in the heart of everyone in this room - journalism. Journalism is a demanding and peculiar profession.
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NATO: A Summer Agenda
As NATO finishes up the successful Chicago Summit and moves into the summer months, several key issues are bubbling.
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Commitment to 2014 and Beyond
As the North Atlantic Council finished up the 25th Summit it is clearly evident that it was a summit of commitment. The Alliance made the commitment to complete transition in Afghanistan and to support Afghans in achieving a stable future. It also made the commitment to ensuring NATO is capable of dealing with 21st century challenges, as well as the commitment to further strengthen connections with our global partners. Most importantly, the Chicago Summit demonstrated our commitment to each other - the unbreakable bond between North America and Europe, which remains the bedrock of our security.
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Twenty Great Novels for Summer Reading
As we head into the summer, I went back to some of the great reads of the last century in fiction. Some are famous and well known to generations of high school and college students -- but might deserve a re-read. Others are less well known to broad audiences.
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Sailing on to the NATO Chicago Summit
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.
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The future of U.S. forces in Europe
The United States and European militaries have a history of enduring partnerships and respect based on mutual core values and ideals including democracy, human rights, freedom of speech, and the right to liberty and justice for all.
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Top Five Books of 2011
I've spent a lot of time traveling this past year, which is a huge part of the job. As a result, I've had plenty of time to read, which is the best way to build intellectual capital as well as learn about other countries and experiences. Here are five books I particularly enjoyed reading this year.
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Afghanistan in 2012
The New Year is unfolding, and I'm thinking about Afghanistan. I think there are three keys to our success in the security sector, where NATO and the International Coalition have the largest share of the work to do.
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NATO in 2011 – Five Key Events
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.Stavridis
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Three Failures and What I Learned From Each …
I was speaking this past fall to a group of Cadets and Midshipmen, young college students bound for military careers. They asked me to talk a little about my career and what I’d learned along the way. After pausing and thinking for a minute, I realized the three events that swam into focus were all moments of failure. Yet from each of them I learned something valuable that I still carry around in my mind.
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A few words on Human Rights...
I recently was lucky enough to win the Athenagoras Human Rights Award, presented annually for exemplifying “concern for the basic rights and religious freedom of all people.” Past winners have included Presidents Bush and Carter, Mother Theresa, Bishop Tutu, and many world religious leaders over the past twenty years.
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Briefing the Ministers …
This coming week, the 28 Ministers of Defense of the NATO alliance will gather in Brussels for meetings and discussions. They will be accompanied by another 22 Ministers from additional troop contributing nations in Afghanistan — in essence, the entire coalition will be represented.
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Three Transitions in Afghanistan
I'm flying over the Caspian Sea, returning from three days in Afghanistan. It was an eventful visit, my tenth over the past twenty months or so.
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Adm. Stavridis' speech "The Words They Leave To Us"
<h2>Click through the photos with the arrow below to see the video of Adm. Stavridis' speech.</h2>
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Effective Partnering for Cyber Security
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.
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A Pretty Good Birthday
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.
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Five Great Reads for the New Year
Every year I look back through my reading journal and ask myself, “what were my top books of the year?” and why. Given my current job, some of them may seem obvious choices, but others may surprise. Here they are:
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Admiral Stavridis' Thanksgiving Day Message
Admiral Stavridis' Thanksgiving Day Message
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Admiral Stavridis' Veterans Day message
Admiral Jim Stavridis talks about Veterans Day, celebrated annually in the U.S. on Nov. 11.
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Whispers on a Wall
Now, what about that third question, the one regarding career risk? Quite the dilemma, at first blush. I’ve had two “career ending” moments in my 34 years in the Navy, both of which included a tragic, but thankfully incorrect, statement from a 3-star Admiral to a far junior me, “Stavridis, your career is over!” because I took the risk of articulating an idea in print. On the other hand, maybe somewhere along the way someone noticed something I wrote and thought, “Hmmm, maybe that junior officer is worth taking the time to meet with and talk to.” Some of the best career moments I’ve had came in that positive way – and there were many more of them than the negative.
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The Difference a Decade Makes
I spent a fascinating day in Kosovo last week, visiting as the NATO Commander just a few days before Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived to represent ongoing US support for Kosovo. In a phrase: What a difference a decade makes.I met with the clergy at Zociste Monastery in Southern Kosovo.
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From Traditional to Social Media in the Blink of an Eye
Greetings from Stuttgart, Germany! I'm Lt. Cmdr. Taylor Clark
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Navy Adm. James Stavridis, EUCOM Commander, Answers Your Top 5 Questions
The Supreme Allied Commander Europe and U.S. European Command, commander, Navy Adm. James Stavridis answers the top 5 questions sent to him on his Facebook page.
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Time for a Paradigm Shift?
If you are a cable news junkie, then you’ve probably watched BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), one the largest, if not the largest, broadcasting organizations in the world. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to listen to Nik Gowing speak courtesy of ADM Stavridis’ 'Notable Film and Author Series’ and the EUCOM J9 Directorate. Nik presents the BBC's flagship news program, The Hub, which reports on global news for audiences across South Asia and the Middle East. He interviewed ADM Stavridis about operations in Marjah this past February and also recently wrote 'Skyful of Lies' and Black Swans, a study that addresses the role hand-held, multi-media technology plays in shaping public perceptions of government responses in crisis situations.
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What's the next big thing?
As social networking or social media becomes commonplace and the youngest to the oldest are chatting on Facebook, Linked In, Twitter and YouTube; one wonders what the next big thing will be.
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Headed home after four days in Australia and New Zealand
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.
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U.S., “Team Brussels” and EUCOM
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.
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Off to Washington!
I’m on Capitol Hill next week to update Congress on the successes and challenges of U.S. European Command and the security environment in Europe. As you’d expect, this is a BIG deal for us, and we’ve been preparing for months.
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Exploring the "Cyber Sea"
They cyber world really caught my attention about a year ago when my daughter’s Facebook account was pirated and her identity used for a swindle. Ugh!
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Thoughts about Successful NATO Efforts in Kosovo
A very full day visiting our Kosovo Force (KFOR) troops.
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What a week!
I started last week in Lisbon, on the heels of a trip to Stuttgart the previous Friday for staff briefings at European Command (EUCOM) and EUCOM's Annual Summer Reception, which included a spectacular concert with an Elvis Presley impersonator in full U.S. Army regalia!
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Back to sea!
The NATO Sea Day – held only once every two years – was an unqualified success. The object is to bring to sea the key decision makers in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization: the Secretary General and his Deputy; the entire Permanent Representatives from NATO’s decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council (all 28 nations of course have an ambassador-rank official assigned to Brussels); the Military Committee (each Chief of Defense – those of us from the U.S. would say Chairman of the Joint Chiefs – is a member, and each has a full-time, very senior representative in Brussels); and key personnel from the operational staff, i.e. Allied Command Operations / Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.
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Touchstones
As I settle into a rhythm as both SACEUR and EUCOM Commander, it’s a good time to reflect on what kind of organization I want to lead.
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Back to Europe!
This is my first blog as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe and Commander of U.S. European Command. I am the first Admiral to assume these two jobs, and the fifteenth officer in a line stretching back to General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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