Mar 30 2023

Political Advisors of NATO and United States European Command Discuss future challenges During Conference at JSEC

ULM, Germany - The Joint Support and Enabling Command (JSEC) held the first ever Allied Command Operations (ACO) and United States European Command (USEUCOM) Political Advisors (POLAD) Conference in Ulm’s Wilhelmsburg Barracks from 27 to 28 March. The participants from five different NATO ACO headquarters and USEUCOM came together upon the invitation of JSEC’s POLAD Dr. Sergei Boeke. An important goal was to exchange views on current political matters that affect both communities and strengthen their cooperation.

The US delegation was led by Ambassador Kate Marie Byrnes, the Civilian Deputy and Foreign Policy Advisor to EUCOM. On the NATO side POLADs from Joint Force Command Norfolk, Allied Air Command, Allied Land Command and NATO Special Operations Headquarters joined the meeting. While the NATO commands and EUCOM headquarters are very different organizations, with diverging procedures, structures and cultures, they ultimately serve the same commander. NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Christopher Cavoli, also serves as Commander of USEUCOM.

Joint Support and Enabling Command's Political Advisor (POLAD) Dr. Sergei Boeke (on the right) invited his fellow POLADs from the Allied Command Operations and United States European Command communities to the conference in Ulm from 27 to 28 March 2023.
(Photo: OR-8 Alexander Angerbauer)

JSEC’s Commander Lieutenant General Alexander Sollfrank opened the conference with an overview of the mission and roles of JSEC, and highlighted some of the challenges ahead. The POLADs subsequently briefed on their separate commands and organizations, and discussed common interests and shared concerns. A separate session was dedicated to US and NATO plans for crisis and conflict, and involved experts from JSEC’s planning directorate.

All in all, the discussions fostered a better understanding of each others’ organizations, allowed the sharing of some best practices and offered paths for further future cooperation.

At the beginning of the conference, the participating Allied Command Operations and United States European Command Political Advisors got insights on Joint Support and Enabling Command's mission and tasks and discussed some of the challenges lying ahead. 
(Photo: OR-8 Alexander Angerbauer)

The following day, the ACO POLADs traveled to Brussels for a series of meetings at NATO Headquarters and their program will finish with office-calls at SHAPE, in Mons.

As NATO's essential objective is to safeguard the freedom and security of all its members, nearly 1 billion people, by political and military means, POLADs within the ACO headquarters advise their commanders and the staff on strategic and international affairs.

Collective defence remains at the heart of the Alliance, with Article 5 the cornerstone of the Washington Treaty. To protect and defend Allied territory in a world where peace and security cannot be taken for granted, NATO is implementing the concept of Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area.

Story by Joint Support and Enabling Command

The participants from ACO and USEUCOM headquarters held intense discussions and shared expertise in political matters concerning the communities. 
(Photo: OR-8 Alexander Angerbauer)

The ACO and USEUCOM POLADs received information material about JSEC during the conference in Ulm on 27 and 28 March. 
(OR-8 Alexander Angerbauer)

The political experts discussed some of the current and future challenges for NATO and USEUCOM shich also included the latest security developments. 
(OR-8 Alexander Angerbauer)