MAGAZINE
FALL 2021
from the
COMMANDER
“ Aggressive actors transcend multiple domains of warfare . Our deterrence must do the same , and more .”
When this magazine is published ,
I will have had the privilege of being the commander of NATO Allied Land Command for a little over a year . Since our spring issue , we ’ ve covered a lot of ground in pursuit of readiness and interoperability amongst allies and partners through observing and enhancing training of NATO and partner land forces . As we build up NATO readiness in the land domain , an emphasis on multi-domain readiness becomes apparent .
In May , at Grafenwoehr , Germany , I was the NATO Senior Trainer at U . S . Army exercise Dynamic Front 21 , a U . S . Army exercise focused on the interoperability and long range fires capabilities of
Allied nations in Europe . Ensuring artillery from different countries can work together meant observing indirect fire missions by crews from Spain , Italy , Germany , Poland , the U . S ., and our robust partner Ukraine .
In the spring I made it a point to visit our allies in The Baltics and Poland to deepen my understanding of the regions challenges , and see where LANDCOM can be further integrated , and how battle groups , national forces , and Multi-National Divisions can reach out to each other ; building shared capacity to respond to threats together . The face-to-face time proved invaluable in identifying opportunities that weren ’ t readily apparent from a phone call or a slide deck .
Ukraine was also a major focus with a Key Leader Visit in March , and an iteration of Land Staff Talks in July . Ukraine is an important partner on NATO ’ s eastern border , and has been subjected to Russian aggression the past several years . By spending time with our Ukrainian partners , we were able to learn from their experiences , and share NATO standards to build towards greater comprehensive deterrence .
An Advisory Team met the armed forces of another NATO partner : Serbia . While in Vranje , Serbia , our team conducted training and consultation within the framework of the Operations Capability Concept Evaluation and Feedback ( OCC E & F ) Program . This helped prepare SAF for potentially upcoming operations as an operational partner .
The return of Steadfast Defender provided an opportunity for over 9,000 air , land , maritime and special operations forces from more than 20 Allied and partnered nations to train together ; improving multi-domain defensive capabilities . After over a year of reduced and cancelled exercises due to COVID-19 , it was good to have large scale , complex , multi-domain exercises back with relevant safety measure in place .
In the multi-domain environment , LANDCOM sent an advisory team to the U . S . -Ukraine naval exercise Sea Breeze 21 to certify trainers so they could evaluate a Ukrainian Air Assault Marine Company . The opportunity to contribute to a Maritime exercise built bridges for future engagement and avoid stove piping our involvement in building capabilities throughout NATO land forces .
And in August , we said goodbye to our Chief of Staff of three years , Turkish Army Lieutenant General Metin Tokel . His professionalism , thoughtful counsel , and ability to drive our staff throughout his tenure is a testament to our host nation ’ s military leadership . I congratulate him on his well-earned promotion and wish him and his family well during his next assignment .
Aggressive actors transcend multiple domains of warfare . Our deterrence must do the same , and more . Whether our enemies engage via land , sea , air , cyber , or space , we must be able respond swiftly , and have our friends are across the domains one call away . LC
For the Soldier !
ROGER L . CLOUTIER JR .
LANDCOM Commander
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