When I arrived as the NATO commander in 2009, we had more than 15,000 troops in Kosovo. They had two key missions in the tense former province of Serbia: maintain freedom of movement and contribute to a "safe and secure environment." It was, and still can be, a dangerous place.
United States Air Forces in Europe officials released the results of their investigation into the March 21 crash in Libya of an F-15E Strike Eagle as it performed combat operations enforcing the United Nations mandated no-fly zone established for Operation Odyssey Dawn.
UN Security Council Resolution 794 is unanimously passed, approving a coalition of United Nations peacekeepers led by the United States to form UNITAF, with the task of establishing peace and ensuring that humanitarian aid is distributed in Somalia.
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.
Since NATO took over the Libyan mission at the end of March (see my earlierblog for a description of the mission), we have launchedalmost 6,000 total aircraft sorties. Over 2,500 of them have been strikeand suppression of air defenses. While the US provides about 25 percent ofthe support sorties (intelligence, refueling, surveillance, reconnaissance,suppression of enemy air defense), the rest of the coalition provides theremaining 75 percent.
Not surprisingly, I’ve received a lot of questions about what is happening in Libya in both my capacity as Commander of U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and as the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR).
SOFIA, Bulgaria — Navy Adm. James Stavridis, Supreme Allied Commander Europe visited Bulgaria April 26-27, to meet with the Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Chief of Defense.
RAMSTEIN, Germany — The 22nd Fighter Squadron at Spangdhalem Air Base and 351st Air Refueling Squadron from RAF Lakenheath are partnering with air forces from the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Turkey to participate in the large-scale NATO Response Force Air Live Germany-hosted Exercise BRILLIANT ARDENT 10 (BAT 10) running from April 12-22.
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.
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!
