Military Review English Edition November-December 2014

USAREUR did not act to bolster these Baltic allies, it risked a shift in the balance of power in the region. This level of access and USAREUR’s rapid actions would have been extremely difficult for a stateside force to accomplish in the same timeframe, weakening the effect and level of assurance provided. Another great example comes from Col. Mike Foster, commander of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and his professional connection to Maj. Gen. Adam Joks, commander of the Polish 6th Airborne Brigade. When Foster visited Joks’ headquarters in late 2013, they went to Pope John Paul II’s hometown in Wadowice, Poland, and sampled the pastries the Pope had every day as a boy on his way to his elementary school. It was at a planning conference in Poland where they scheduled the bilateral airborne operations their two units would later execute in February and May of 2014. The command believes opportunities for building relationships are one of the great benefits of the Army in Europe. Foster’s trusting relationship with Joks is just one example of how Operation Atlantic Resolve was enabled by this forward presence. Trusting Relationships Mean Strategic Access Location and access matter. U.S. Army forces in Europe live, train, and operate alongside many capable allies and partners every day from a network of strategically positioned bases with the necessary access to respond to contingencies in the Levant, the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and around the globe. Europe’s borders often provide direct linkages to increasingly unstable and unpredictable regions vital to U.S. national security interests. The prevailing instability and unpredictable operational environment along the fringe of Europe presents an opportunity for USAREUR forces to be fully responsive to geographic combatant commanders (GCCs) with an economy-of-force posture centered in Europe. USAREUR remains first and foremost prepared for rapid contingency response. It achieves timely Army responsiveness to GCC requirements through assigned, trained-and-ready forward forces, with direct operational access to likely contingencies in this region as demonstrated by Operation Atlantic Resolve. USAREUR forces contain a spectrum of tailored Army capabilities to meet initial GCC operational response 8 requirements until forces based in the continental United States arrive. Access, which remains vital for Operation Atlantic Resolve, is assured by continually reinforcing relationships with allies and partners— relationships built on a foundation of trust. The relationships are the priceless commodity that allows access; that commodity cannot be bought at the last minute. Relationships are the foundation for everything USAREUR seeks to accomplish in Europe. Another capability to help reinforce access comes from the regionally aligned forces concept.4 USAREUR’s experience is that regionally aligned forces provide an avenue to reinforce existing relationships that allow for access, while offering tailored capabilities by geographic region. Regionally aligned forces enhance the capabilities of forward-stationed forces and serve to strengthen friendships already developed in regions where there is uncertainty. This concept further illustrates how vital partnerships, built on the shared understanding of training, living, and working together, lead to trust and understanding for the future. Access also provides a way ahead for meeting the challenges of uncertain security environments developing in locations across the globe. Operation Atlantic Resolve provides an excellent example of forward-stationed forces providing initial crisis response, while setting the conditions for follow-on rotational forces to add increased capability and flexibility, achieving a dynamic presence. The United States, its allies, and its partners share common interests in maintaining a Europe that is safe, secure, and prosperous. USAREUR’s access has forged the bonds to jointly engage with an uncertain future. It continues to see benefits of this concept demonstrated first hand in Operation Atlantic Resolve. Partners and allies of the United States desire assurance in challenging times, and USAREUR forward-based relationships offer that assurance through trust. Relationships and access will continue to be pivotal in an uncertain future, and are the road to overcoming uncertain security environments. Live Together, Train Together, and Face Adversity Together This simple concept is at the heart of what USAREUR seeks to do with its European allies and partners: Partner and practice together. Only by building strong bonds and connections can November-December 2014 MILITARY REVIEW

Military Review English Edition November-December 2014 | Page 10