Community Relations
Community Relations is one of the three basic functions of NATO Military Public Affairs as described in the NATO Military Public Affairs Policy (MC 457/2):
“Community Relations programs are associated with the interaction between
NATO military installations in NATO member states and their surrounding civilian communities.
These programs can take the form of addressing issues of interest to
and fostering relations with the general public, business.”
HQ SACT’s main CommRel event is the annual Norfolk NATO Festival when – since 1953 – the City of Norfolk honours NATO and its member nations. Key programs include Model NATO Challenge, Student Forum, Flag Raising Ceremony, International Tattoo, Parade of Nations and the NATOFest.
In September 2010, The Hermitage Museum and Gardens in Norfolk celebrated NATO Allied Command Transformation’s members and their families in an open-air concert (being part of their “Sunsets on the River” program). This was the first time of many to come that ACT has partnered with the Hermitage Museum to bring the international and local community together.
