MAGAZINE
SPRING 2021
from the
Chief of Staff
For the past two years , I have had the honor and privilege of working as the Chief of Staff for Allied Land Command , a headquarters that I believe is defined by its professionalism , team work , honesty and morale . With all the recent challenges in the world and facing NATO , I can say this HQ is on the right path .
As Secretary General Stoltenberg once said , “ NATO is changing as the world is changing .” LANDCOM has come a long way in this regard ; making significant progress in the implementation of the NATO Command Structure – Adaptation ( NCS-A ). It is a fact that change is almost always a challenge , which was clearly evident over the past year with the pandemic restrictions . On one hand we had to achieve our mission , especially in terms of readiness , and on the other we had a responsibility for the safety and security of all personnel in LANDCOM . Yes , COVID-19 seemed to wreak havoc with our 2020 plans . But , refusing to accept defeat and – seizing upon the guidance of the commander – we focused immediately on assessing new ways to achieve our mission . In the end , we completed two Combat Readiness Evaluations ( CREVAL ) under the circumstances . Not only was this a major test for us as the evaluator , but also for the evaluatees . We found a way because I have long believed that the ones who walks down
WALKING DOWN THE RIGHT PATH
the right path , and are willing to keep walking , are the ones who will eventually make progress and never get lost . This is how I define LANDCOM .
I have always believed that physical , mental , social and spiritual well-being is a prerequisite for a soldier and a good performance . The pandemic reminded me of a philosophical , unchanging truth commonly understood in my culture . If all characteristics of a good soldier such as bravery , professionalism , loyalty etc , are defined by zeros , health is the one that makes sense of all those features . You can add as much zero as you like , but without health , all will be meaningless . Naturally , LANDCOM has learned a lot during the pandemic . We have learned some important lessons that we shouldn ’ t forget in the name of normalization . We define readiness as the ability of military forces to fight and meet the demands of assigned missions . Last year showed us that we need to be prepared and willing to try new ways and methods to maintain a healthy environment in the HQ to keep staff ready to serve .
As one of the core values of NATO , professionalism is important in all jobs , including the military , due to the high levels of respect , commitment and discipline that are required . We have overcome the challenges of the pandemic thanks to the professionalism of our staff . When we needed to decrease the manning in HQ , activities supporting the essence of our tasks carried on . People worked on call , ready to come when needed . Remaining staff put more effort in our work . People knew what to do and when to do it with their expertise . Our mission did not suffer .
We define teamwork as group member ’ s interactions / interdependent acts that convert inputs to outcomes through cognitive , verbal and behavioral activities directed toward achieving a common goal . Last year when we faced the pandemic , we created a working group based on national representatives and medical experts . Every action LANDCOM took was discussed twice weekly in this working group . Above all , thanks to these meetings , everybody understood what we should do and why . That common understanding was the key to success . That common perception was that a team should have to move toward a common goal . One of the most basic core values is honesty . From the beginning , LANDCOM created an environment that was open and transparent about the pandemic . I believe this led to building a stronger sense of teamwork and cooperation . Decisions were made with complete transparency , thus reinforcing mutual trust and facilitating the implementation of these decisions .
It ’ s a known fact that war is not only a matter of equipment , artillery , troops or air forces ; it is a matter of spirit and morale . Things that LANDCOM did to raise the morale during the pandemic made people feel that LANDCOM cared about them and their families ’ well being . Naturally , all precautions taken in the HQ influenced the morale . This helped people accept our goals more easily and enhanced cohesion within LANDCOM .
It was a great experience for me to be a part of this success story . Because , it is the values I have long believed and advised my subordinates to carry out that were the main actors in this story . I am proud to be the Chief of Staff of all the personnel who , once again , embodied these everlasting values . LC
For The Soldier !
METIN TOKEL
LANDCOM Chief of Staff
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