On September 17, 2018, the Association of the United States
Army (AUSA) and the U.S. Army War College’s Peacekeeping
and Stability Operations Institute hosted a one-day strategic
seminar to discuss the major aspects and ongoing NATO efforts
to define and integrate its “Projecting Stability” concept. The
seminar was held at the AUSA conference center in Arlington,
Virginia. What follows is a short description of key points and
themes arising from the conference.
Key Note Speaker
Opening Remarks
Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller, NATO
The Cold War brought about an unprecedented time for stabil-
ity in Europe. The NATO role at that time was clear: to safe-
guard its members, deter Soviet Union expansion, and to pre-
vent World War III. In the 21st Century, instability decreased
in Europe, but increased across the globe in the post-9/11 era.
Violence and turmoil in Northern Africa, coupled with Russia’s
increasingly adversarial actions, continue to foment instabili-
ty. Projecting stability is now a central part of NATO’s role in
Europe.
MG John Kem, Commandant USAWC
The concept of Projecting Stability is not new for NATO, and
saw some of its initial principles embodied in the ongoing
Partnership for Peace (PfP), which started in the early 1990s.
The goal of the PfP program is to partner with countries and
provide the tools to enhance stability and open the door for
membership as desired.
Projecting Stability is a defense and security capacity-building
program, which focuses on Advise and Assist missions, while
training militaries to protect their borders and mitigate the
threat of hybrid warfare, most recently demonstrated by the
hybrid threats from Russia. Stability must be created across re-
gions, otherwise stable countries will continue to be at risk from
instability in neighboring countries. Experience has taught that
NATO can enhance security by working with willing partners
to improve stability and resiliency. As such, Projecting Stability
has become a central part of NATO’s core business.
GEN(R) Carter Ham, President & CEO, AUSA, former
Commanding General, USAFRICOM
Many of the key themes in the Stabilization Assistance Review
(SAR) were formulated in the 2016 symposium, such as the
relationship between the Departments of Defense, State, and
the U.S. Agency for International Development. Challenges
in Macedonia, where GEN(R) Carter Ham was serving and
first met GEN(R) Sullivan, were part of the reason GEN(R)
Sullivan created PKSOI 25 years ago. Peacekeeping and sta-
bility missions remain as important today as in the past and it
is worth remembering Secretary of War Elihu Root’s comment
upon the founding of the U.S. Army War College in 1901, the
purpose is “not to promote war, but to preserve peace.”
Two new concepts of projecting stability are the Defense Edu-
cation Enhancement Program (DEEP) and Building Integrity.
DEEP provides tailored, practical support to individual coun-
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