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107-489: ASG-BS involves a bilateral, long-term investment in both Romania and Bulgaria that strives to have a positive impact in the local areas by providing jobs for the local populace through service and support contracts in support of the operations; providing construction and medical humanitarian civil assistance projects in the local areas; and having a positive impact on the local economy by the presence of U.S. and other host nation-invited NATO forces. Black Sea Area Support Group

214-531: A Brigade Combat Team (BCT) rotating on a four to six-month basis from the continental U.S. or Europe. The March 2006 Strategic Planning Guidance modified the presence requirement from a full-time BCT to a “periodic rotational force.” U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed the Defense Cooperation Agreement with Romania in 2005, and Bulgaria in 2006 dictating the stipulations of the two bi-lateral agreements. The EETAF concept described

321-410: A lieutenant colonel as the warm-basing commander. The first commander was Lt. Col. John Moon for 2007–08 and second was Lt. Col. Tina Kracke for the winter of 2008–2009. The plan also directed a colonel be assigned as the commander to assume "full command authority" over all U.S. personnel operating on or from MKAB and NSTA during rotations. The first colonel designee was Col. Peri A. Anest. The staff

428-609: A clear U.S. chain of command . While discussing initiatives directing the transformation of the U.S. military, Marine Gen. James L. Jones , Commander, U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe , testified before Congress in April 2003 of the need for the European Command to "shift west" (back to the continental U.S.), "shift south" (Africa), and "shift east" to forward operating bases with our new NATO partners. The Eastern European Task Force (EETAF) concept envisioned

535-513: A confrontation between US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and countries such as Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Turkey, and Germany with Gates calling on the latter to contribute more and the latter believing the organization has overstepped its mandate in the conflict. In his final policy speech in Brussels on 10 June, Gates further criticized allied countries in suggesting their actions could cause

642-459: A joint capable, deployable command and control headquarters that would not have permanently assigned combat forces, but which would command rotational forces operating out of sites in Romania (up to 1700 personnel) and Bulgaria (up to 2500 personnel). The EETAF HQ would be primarily responsible for supporting security cooperation activities throughout Eastern Europe. The Army component of EETAF would be

749-548: A major reform of France's military position, culminating with the return to full membership on 4 April 2009, which also included France rejoining the NATO Military Command Structure , while maintaining an independent nuclear deterrent. The 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea led to strong condemnation by all NATO members, and was one of the seven times that Article 4 , which calls for consultation among NATO members, has been invoked. Prior times included during

856-623: A no-fly zone over Libya shortly afterwards, beginning with Opération Harmattan by the French Air Force on 19 March. On 20 March 2011, NATO states agreed on enforcing an arms embargo against Libya with Operation Unified Protector using ships from NATO Standing Maritime Group 1 and Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 1 , and additional ships and submarines from NATO members. They would "monitor, report and, if needed, interdict vessels suspected of carrying illegal arms or mercenaries ". On 24 March, NATO agreed to take control of

963-751: A peaceful German reunification. A June 2016 Levada Center poll found that 68 percent of Russians think that deploying NATO troops in the Baltic states and Poland – former Eastern bloc countries bordering Russia – is a threat to Russia. In contrast, 65 percent of Poles surveyed in a 2017 Pew Research Center report identified Russia as a "major threat", with an average of 31 percent saying so across all NATO countries, and 67 percent of Poles surveyed in 2018 favour US forces being based in Poland. Of non- CIS Eastern European countries surveyed by Gallup in 2016, all but Serbia and Montenegro were more likely than not to view NATO as

1070-560: A period of "warm-basing" at the Mihail Kogălniceanu Airfield, Romania. The driver for this decision was the absence of any available rotational forces to occupy JTF-East due to the 2007 "surge" in Iraq, which significantly increased the number of troops deployed there. This decision to go to a warm-basing status was reinforced by the perception that the impact on rotational force availability would be temporary and that construction of

1177-522: A protective alliance rather than a threat. A 2006 study in the journal Security Studies argued that NATO enlargement contributed to democratic consolidation in Central and Eastern Europe. China also opposes further expansion. Member states pay for NATO's three common funds (the civil and military budgets and the security investment programme) based on a cost-sharing formula that includes per capita gross national income and other factors. In 2023–2024,

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1284-498: A quick-reaction force was deployed to the area. The Bosnian War began in 1992, as a result of the breakup of Yugoslavia . The deteriorating situation led to United Nations Security Council Resolution 816 on 9 October 1992, authorizing its member-states to enforce a previously declared no-fly zone under the United Nations Protection Force over central Bosnia and Herzegovina. NATO complied and started enforcing

1391-907: A red line . However, there were no such plans to deploy missiles in Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry drafted a treaty that would forbid Ukraine or any former Soviet state from ever joining NATO. Secretary-General Stoltenberg replied that the decision is up to Ukraine and NATO members, adding "Russia has no veto, Russia has no say, and Russia has no right to establish a sphere of influence to try to control their neighbors". NATO offered to improve communications with Russia and discuss missile placements and military exercises, as long as Russia withdrew troops from Ukraine's borders. Instead, Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine applied for NATO membership in September 2022 after Russia proclaimed it had annexed

1498-533: A similar PFOS in the Novo Selo Training Area in Mokren, Bulgaria commenced construction in the winter of 2009 and was expected to be completed in 2012. The $ 54 million facility was designed for 2,500 troops, providing 77 fully functional, turn-key type facilities with associated roads and infrastructure. The original 2007 Proof of Principle was originally planned to be conducted by a battalion-sized element from

1605-713: A strategic re-evaluation of NATO's purpose, nature, tasks, and focus on the continent. In October 1990, East Germany became part of the Federal Republic of Germany and the alliance, and in November 1990, the alliance signed the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) in Paris with the Soviet Union. It mandated specific military reductions across the continent, which continued after

1712-479: A timeline established, and funding allocated to complete construction of the identified Permanent Forward Operating Site (PFOS) in Romania and, later, one in Bulgaria. In Romania prior to the first rotation in 2007, existing Mihail Kogălniceanu Airfield facilities were improved and temporary (prefabricated) facilities constructed to provide offices, billets, storage facilities, recreation and other life support needs to

1819-532: A two-phased process to "start small and grow" the objective capability. Phase I, from November 2004 to June 2007, involved USAREUR securing the necessary host nation agreements and constructing the facilities. Phase II would begin with the first "Proof of Principle" battalion-sized rotation in June 2007 and eventually followed by a full brigade combat team as the facilities, training areas and agreements were established and validated. The 2007 Phase I "Proof of Principle" and

1926-476: The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , several NATO countries sent ground troops, warships and fighter aircraft to reinforce the alliance's eastern flank, and multiple countries again invoked Article 4. In March 2022, NATO leaders met at Brussels for an extraordinary summit which also involved Group of Seven and European Union leaders. NATO member states agreed to establish four additional battlegroups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia, and elements of

2033-613: The 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment (2SCR) that had deployed to Germany in 2006. Following the Proof of Principle, the construction and rotations would continue until the brigade combat team headquarters could be established by January 2008, followed by a full-up BCT-sized rotation in summer 2008. However, in May 2007, the Pentagon announced that the 2SCR would be participating in the surge of U.S. forces to Iraq . USAREUR replaced 2SCR's participation in

2140-711: The Army of the Republika Srpska , after the Srebrenica genocide . Further NATO air strikes helped bring the Yugoslav Wars to an end, resulting in the Dayton Agreement in November 1995. As part of this agreement, NATO deployed a UN-mandated peacekeeping force, under Operation Joint Endeavor , named IFOR . Almost 60,000 NATO troops were joined by forces from non-NATO countries in this peacekeeping mission. This transitioned into

2247-670: The Balkans , the Middle East , South Asia , and Africa . The organization's motto is animus in consulendo liber ( Latin for 'a mind unfettered in deliberation'). The organization's strategic concepts include deterrence . NATO's main headquarters are located in Brussels , Belgium, while NATO's military headquarters are near Mons , Belgium. The alliance has increased its NATO Response Force deployments in Eastern Europe, and

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2354-636: The Belgian Congo be excluded from the treaty. French Algeria was, however, covered until its independence on 3 July 1962. Twelve of these thirty-two are original members who joined in 1949, while the other twenty joined in one of ten enlargement rounds. The three Nordic countries which joined NATO as founding members, Denmark, Iceland, and Norway, chose to limit their participation in three areas: there would be no permanent peacetime bases, no nuclear warheads and no Allied military activity (unless invited) permitted on their territory. However, Denmark allows

2461-695: The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia . During the crisis, NATO also deployed one of its international reaction forces, the ACE Mobile Force (Land) , to Albania as the Albania Force (AFOR), to deliver humanitarian aid to refugees from Kosovo. The campaign was and has been criticized over its civilian casualties , including the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade , and over whether it had legitimacy . The US,

2568-456: The Goražde safe area, resulting in the bombing of a Bosnian Serb military command outpost near Goražde by two US F-16 jets acting under NATO direction. In retaliation, Serbs took 150 U.N. personnel hostage on 14 April. On 16 April a British Sea Harrier was shot down over Goražde by Serb forces. In August 1995, a two-week NATO bombing campaign, Operation Deliberate Force , began against

2675-710: The Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean from Somali pirates , and help strengthen the navies and coast guards of regional states. During the Libyan Civil War , violence between protesters and the Libyan government under Colonel Muammar Gaddafi escalated, and on 17 March 2011 led to the passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 , which called for a ceasefire, and authorized military action to protect civilians. A coalition that included several NATO members began enforcing

2782-630: The Iraq War and Syrian Civil War . At the 2014 Wales summit , the leaders of NATO's member states formally committed for the first time to spend the equivalent of at least two percent of their gross domestic products on defence by 2024, which had previously been only an informal guideline. At the 2016 Warsaw summit , NATO countries agreed on the creation of NATO Enhanced Forward Presence , which deployed four multinational battalion-sized battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Before and during

2889-586: The NATO Response Force were activated for the first time in NATO's history. As of June 2022, NATO had deployed 40,000 troops along its 2,500-kilometre-long (1,550 mi) Eastern flank to deter Russian aggression. More than half of this number have been deployed in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland, which five countries muster a considerable combined ex-NATO force of 259,000 troops. To supplement Bulgaria's Air Force, Spain sent Eurofighter Typhoons ,

2996-753: The North Atlantic Treaty to include member territory in Europe, North America, Turkey, and islands in the North Atlantic north of the Tropic of Cancer . Attacks on vessels, aircraft and other forces in the North Atlantic (again, north of the Tropic of Cancer) and the Mediterranean Sea may also provoke an Article 5 response. During the original treaty negotiations, the United States insisted that colonies such as

3103-654: The North Atlantic Treaty , signed in Washington, D.C. , on 4 April 1949. NATO is a collective security system: its independent member states agree to defend each other against attacks by third parties. During the Cold War , NATO operated as a check on the threat posed by the Soviet Union . The alliance remained in place after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact , and has been involved in military operations in

3210-539: The Northwestern Syria offensive , which involved Syrian and suspected Russian airstrikes on Turkish troops , and risked direct confrontation between Russia and a NATO member. The 32 NATO members are: NATO has thirty-two members, mostly in Europe with two in North America. NATO's "area of responsibility", within which attacks on member states are eligible for an Article 5 response, is defined under Article 6 of

3317-745: The Partnership for Peace and the Mediterranean Dialogue initiative in 1994, the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council in 1997, and the NATO–Russia Permanent Joint Council in 1998. At the 1999 Washington summit , Hungary , Poland , and the Czech Republic officially joined NATO, and the organization also issued new guidelines for membership with individualized " Membership Action Plans ". These plans governed

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3424-868: The Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. In addition, JTF-East provides training tools to include the Engagement Skills Trainer 2000 (EST 2000) and the HMMWV Egress Assistance Trainer (HEAT). The rotational TF-E headquarters have been a combined staff of U.S.-Romanian (in Romania) and U.S.-Bulgarian (in Bulgaria) forces. Troops from the Romanian and Bulgarian Land Forces and U.S. Soldiers and civilians from throughout U.S. Army Europe filled

3531-550: The Russian Federation : NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO / ˈ n eɪ t oʊ / NAY -toh ; French : Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord , OTAN ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance , is an intergovernmental military alliance of 32 member states —30 European and 2 North American. Established in the aftermath of World War II , the organization implements

3638-601: The Syrian Civil War , after the downing of an unarmed Turkish F-4 reconnaissance jet , and after a mortar was fired at Turkey from Syria, and again in 2015 after threats by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant to its territorial integrity. In 2008 the United Nations Secretary-General called on member-states to protect the ships of Operation Allied Provider  [ de ; no ; ru ; uk ] , which

3745-522: The Syrian civil war . In April 2012, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan considered invoking Article 5 of the NATO treaty to protect Turkish national security in a dispute over the Syrian Civil War. The alliance responded quickly, and a spokesperson said the alliance was "monitoring the situation very closely and will continue to do so" and "takes it very seriously protecting its members." After

3852-592: The U.S. Space Force to maintain Pituffik Space Base , in Greenland. From the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s, France pursued a military strategy of independence from NATO under a policy dubbed "Gaullo-Mitterrandism". Nicolas Sarkozy negotiated the return of France to the integrated military command and the Defence Planning Committee in 2009, the latter being disbanded the following year. France remains

3959-478: The United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1199 on 23 September 1998 to demand a ceasefire. Negotiations under US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke broke down on 23 March 1999, and he handed the matter to NATO, which acted on protecting regional security and started a 78-day bombing campaign on 24 March 1999. Operation Allied Force targeted the military capabilities of what was then

4066-642: The Western Union . Talks for a wider military alliance, which could include North America, also began that month in the United States, where their foreign policy under the Truman Doctrine promoted international solidarity against actions they saw as communist aggression, such as the February 1948 coup d'état in Czechoslovakia . These talks resulted in the signature of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949 by

4173-684: The collapse of the Afghan government as the greatest debacle that NATO has suffered since its founding. In August 2004, during the Iraq War , NATO formed the NATO Training Mission – Iraq , a training mission to assist the Iraqi security forces in conjunction with the US-led MNF-I . The NATO Training Mission-Iraq (NTM-I) was established at the request of the Iraqi Interim Government under

4280-558: The 'Black Sea Area Support Team' (BS-AST). The mission of the Black Sea Area Support Team became to provide base operations support to U.S. Forces in the Black Sea theater of operations. This includes, but is not limited to, providing life support, logistics support, base camp operations, reception, staging, fiscal management and budgetary activities, and coordination of force protection of U.S. military and government civilians in

4387-602: The 1990s, the organization extended its activities into political and humanitarian situations that had not formerly been NATO concerns. During the breakup of Yugoslavia , the organization conducted its first military interventions in Bosnia from 1992 to 1995 and later Yugoslavia in 1999 . Politically, the organization sought better relations with the newly autonomous Central and Eastern European states, and diplomatic forums for regional cooperation between NATO and its neighbours were set up during this post-Cold War period, including

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4494-399: The 2008 Rotation were successful in validating the EETAF concept and provided key insights for further development. Key construction tasks identified for accomplishment in Phase I were not completed and insights were gained indicating significant improvement and expansion of facilities and training areas was required to meet the original brigade-sized concept; but, the plans had been developed,

4601-535: The Czech Republic officially joined, and NATO issued new guidelines for membership, with individualized " Membership Action Plans ". These plans governed the addition of new members: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia in 2004, Albania and Croatia in 2009, Montenegro in 2017, and North Macedonia in 2020. Finland and Sweden are the newest members, joining on 4 April 2023 and 7 March 2024 respectively, spurred on by Russia's invasion of Ukraine . Ukraine's relationship with NATO began with

4708-421: The ISAF mission throughout Afghanistan, and ISAF subsequently expanded the mission in four main stages over the whole of the country. On 31 July 2006, the ISAF additionally took over military operations in the south of Afghanistan from a US-led anti-terrorism coalition. Due to the intensity of the fighting in the south, in 2011 France allowed a squadron of Mirage 2000 fighter/attack aircraft to be moved into

4815-467: The JTF-East staff and rotational units. Most of these same temporary facilities, in addition to some remodeled structures, are what JTF-E used at MKAB through the 2009 rotation. In 2007, construction commenced in the former Romanian 34th Mechanized Brigade area in Mihail Kogălniceanu for a "permanent forward operating site” to provide necessary life and training support facilities on a more permanent basis for up to 1,600 troops. This $ 47.4 million facility

4922-404: The NATO–Ukraine Action Plan in 2002. In 2010, under President Viktor Yanukovych , Ukraine re-affirmed its non-aligned status and renounced aspirations of joining NATO. During the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution , Russia occupied Crimea and supported armed separatists in eastern Ukraine . As a result, in December 2014 Ukraine's parliament voted to end its non-aligned status, and in 2019 it enshrined

5029-442: The Netherlands sent eight F-35 attack aircraft, and additional French and US attack aircraft would arrive soon as well. No military operations were conducted by NATO during the Cold War. Following the end of the Cold War, the first operations, Anchor Guard in 1990 and Ace Guard in 1991, were prompted by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait . Airborne early warning aircraft were sent to provide coverage of southeastern Turkey, and later

5136-525: The PFOS was not yet complete. As operational impacts grew clearer, in February 2008, USAREUR announced that the originally intended brigade-sized rotation would be downsized to a battalion for 2008. Due to the lack of forces available in Europe , the rotation was adjusted to a battalion-sized active component/reserve component mix. The 2008 Rotation was executed sequentially with training operations first in Romania then in Bulgaria. Approximately 3,100 total U.S., Romanian, and Bulgarian personnel participated in

5243-406: The Pentagon began to address regional threats primarily in Africa and Latin America following its 2004 global posture review. An FOS is differentiated from a cooperative security location (CSL) with no permanent force or contractor personnel, or a forward operating base (FOB) and main operating base (MOB), with a large force and a well-defended site. They include, but are not limited to

5350-419: The Proof of Principle with 1-94th Field Artillery battalion, a unit well-prepared to conduct the type of training envisioned to help prepare the Romanian and Bulgarian units scheduled to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan . Approximately 350 U.S. and 100 Romanian troops participated in the Proof of Principle. After the Proof of Principle exercise was completed, U.S. Army Europe issued an order for JTF-East to begin

5457-782: The Tennessee Army National Guard's 1-181st Field Artillery Battalion out of Chattanooga, Tenn. ; 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, from Vilseck, Germany, and the Tennessee Army National Guard's 117th Military Police Battalion. Over 500 Bulgarian Land Forces participated including the 4th Artillery Regiment of Asenovgrad ; 68th Special Forces Brigade from Plovdiv ; 61st Mechanized Brigade of Karlovo ; 5th Mechanized Brigade of Pleven ; and Center for Preparation of Tank Specialists out of Sliven . Other rotational activities included humanitarian civic assistance construction missions conducted by U.S. Navy Seabees in partnership with Romanian and Bulgarian Land Force engineers. With an average cost of approximately $ 15,000 in materials per project over

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5564-434: The U.S. and have provided consistent support to U.S. overseas contingency operations. Training together hones and develops techniques, tactics, and procedures that assist tactical units in working together in combat. Building interoperability, professional and personal relationships are essential for the success of today and tomorrow's coalitions and TF-East was a unique tool to help accomplish that. Planners continued to work

5671-475: The U.S. and its partners the opportunity to engage in and demonstrate the continuance of peaceful and friendly international relations through combined training using host nation installations to support and facilitate rotational training activities. The used facilities include the Romanian Air Force Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base (MKAB) located in the village of the same name and the Romanian Land Forces Babadag Training Area located approximately 70 km to

5778-419: The UK, and most other NATO countries opposed efforts to require the UN Security Council to approve NATO military strikes, such as the action against Serbia in 1999, while France and some others claimed that the alliance needed UN approval. The US/UK side claimed that this would undermine the authority of the alliance, and they noted that Russia and China would have exercised their Security Council vetoes to block

5885-432: The United Kingdom, and the United States. Four new members joined during the Cold War: Greece (1952), Turkey (1952), West Germany (1955) and Spain (1982). Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union , many former Warsaw Pact and post-Soviet states sought membership. In 1990, the territory of the former East Germany was added with the reunification of Germany . At the 1999 Washington summit , Hungary, Poland, and

5992-440: The United States and Germany were the biggest contributors with 16.2% each. Member states pay for and maintain their own troops and equipment. They contribute to NATO operations and missions by committing troops and equipment on a voluntary basis. Since 2006, the goal has been for each country to spend at least 2 percent of its gross domestic product on its own defence; in 2014, a NATO declaration said that countries not meeting

6099-413: The Western Union's military structures and plans, including their agreements on standardizing equipment and agreements on stationing foreign military forces in European countries. In 1952, the post of Secretary General of NATO was established as the organization's chief civilian. That year also saw the first major NATO maritime exercises , Exercise Mainbrace and the accession of Greece and Turkey to

6206-506: The alliance also mounted Operation Essential Harvest , a mission disarming ethnic Albanian militias in the Republic of Macedonia. As of 2023 , around 4,500 KFOR soldiers, representing 27 countries, continue to operate in the area. The September 11 attacks in the United States caused NATO to invoke Article 5 of the NATO Charter for the first time in the organization's history. The Article states that an attack on any member shall be considered to be an attack on all. The invocation

6313-401: The alliance on 7 March 2024. In addition, NATO recognizes Bosnia and Herzegovina , Georgia , and Ukraine as aspiring members. Enlargement has led to tensions with non-member Russia , one of the 18 additional countries participating in NATO's Partnership for Peace programme. Another nineteen countries are involved in institutionalized dialogue programmes with NATO. The Treaty of Dunkirk

6420-400: The area of responsibility. Also in 2010, the Black Sea Rotational Force of the United States Marine Corps began its deployments in the Black Sea region. These deployments lasted until 2018. In January 2016, Major General William Gayler , the deputy commanding general U.S. Army Europe, visited MK Air Base and conducted a site assessment of capability, capacity and potential for expansion of

6527-495: The area, to Kandahar , in order to reinforce the alliance's efforts. During its 2012 Chicago Summit , NATO endorsed a plan to end the Afghanistan war and to remove the NATO-led ISAF Forces by the end of December 2014. ISAF was disestablished in December 2014 and replaced by the follow-on training Resolute Support Mission . On 14 April 2021, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance had agreed to start withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan by 1 May. Soon after

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6634-435: The areas TF-East operates in both Romania and Bulgaria. There was no significant personnel presence in Bulgaria during the off-season in 2010. The TF-East headquarters in Romania managed both operations except during the rotational exercises when a JTF-East “Forward” headquarters was stood up. The Bulgarian TF-East Forward headquarters was responsible to the TF-East commander in Romania. Training conducted at TF-East starts at

6741-459: The ban on 12 April 1993 with Operation Deny Flight . From June 1993 until October 1996, Operation Sharp Guard added maritime enforcement of the arms embargo and economic sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia . On 28 February 1994, NATO took its first wartime action by shooting down four Bosnian Serb aircraft violating the no-fly zone. On 10 and 11 April 1994, the United Nations Protection Force called in air strikes to protect

6848-454: The bulk of the manning requirements. U.S. Army Reserve individual augmentees , as well as a few service members from other U.S. service components and the National Guard , have rounded-out various positions as well. Several local national contracted employees also fill a number of the positions both during the rotational period and year-round. Commanded by Col. Gary R. Russ, the 2009 TF-East rotation in both Romania and Bulgaria included, for

6955-629: The collapse of the Warsaw Pact in February 1991 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union that December, which removed the de facto main adversaries of NATO. This began a drawdown of military spending and equipment in Europe. The CFE treaty allowed signatories to remove 52,000 pieces of conventional armaments in the following sixteen years, and allowed military spending by NATO's European members to decline by 28 percent from 1990 to 2015. In 1990, several Western leaders gave assurances to Mikhail Gorbachev that NATO would not expand further east, as revealed by memoranda of private conversations. In

7062-590: The combined militaries of all NATO members include around 3.5 million soldiers and personnel. All member states together cover an area of 25.07 million km (9.68 million sq. mi.) with a population of about 973 million people. Their combined military spending as of 2022 constituted around 55 percent of the global nominal total . Moreover, members have agreed to reach or maintain the target defence spending of at least two percent of their GDP by 2024. NATO formed with twelve founding members and has added new members ten times, most recently when Sweden joined

7169-435: The community medical professionals in Romania. The drugs were specifically purchased to target the main health issues identified by the HCA medical team during the screenings. The year 2009 marked the third rotation of JTF-E/TF-East and it continued to be one of the USAREUR commander's strategic priorities playing a key role in EUCOM's theater security cooperation program. Romania and Bulgaria are strong and important allies of

7276-421: The country's southeast . Georgia was promised "future membership" during the 2008 summit in Bucharest, but US president Barack Obama said in 2014 that the country was not "currently on a path" to membership. Russia continued to politically oppose further expansion, seeing it as inconsistent with informal understandings between Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and European and US negotiators that allowed for

7383-481: The demise of NATO. The German foreign ministry pointed to "a considerable [German] contribution to NATO and NATO-led operations" and to the fact that this engagement was highly valued by President Obama. While the mission was extended into September, Norway that day (10 June) announced it would begin scaling down contributions and complete withdrawal by 1 August. Earlier that week it was reported Danish air fighters were running out of bombs. The following week,

7490-414: The details to expand the success TF-East has had over the past three years. With the anticipated completion of the facility in Mihail Kogălniceanu, Romania in 2010 and the facility in Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria in 2012, even more opportunities for combined training will emerge allowing the already strong U.S.-RO and U.S.-BU relationships to grow even further. In 2010 the programme changed its name to

7597-419: The execution of "warm-basing" at JTF-East in November 2007 to maintain the facilities and facilitate various training missions and on-going humanitarian civil assistance (HCA) missions. The site at NSTA in Bulgaria was closed completely, while the area of the Temporary Forward Operating Site and PFOS construction at MKAB, Romania became the focal point of JTF-East efforts. The plan directed that USAREUR designate

7704-544: The first rotation. Of the 2,100 that participated in Romania, the U.S. units included the 1-200 Infantry of the New Mexico Army National Guard , the 541st Engineer Company and B Company, 1-4th Infantry Regiment and 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery from Germany; Romanian Land Forces included the 341st Infantry Battalion. Nearly 1,000 participants in Bulgaria included members of the 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery out of Germany. USAREUR directed

7811-590: The first time in NATO's history that it took charge of a mission outside the north Atlantic area. ISAF was initially charged with securing Kabul and surrounding areas from the Taliban , al Qaeda and factional warlords, so as to allow for the establishment of the Afghan Transitional Administration headed by Hamid Karzai . In October 2003, the UN Security Council authorized the expansion of

7918-468: The first time, inclusion of approximately 30 Stryker combat vehicles in each country along with about the same number of Romanian and Bulgarian armored personnel carriers. The 2009 rotation was the first rotation with concurrent training for the duration of the rotation in both countries from the first week of August to the end of October. In Romania, the rotation included approximately 1,600 personnel including U.S., Romanian military and civilian support and

8025-599: The goal of NATO membership in the Constitution . At the June 2021 Brussels Summit , NATO leaders affirmed that Ukraine would eventually join the Alliance, and supported Ukraine's right to self-determination without interference. In late 2021, there was another massive Russian military buildup near Ukraine's borders. On 30 November, Russian president Putin said Ukraine joining NATO, and the deployment of missile defense systems or long-range missiles in Ukraine, would be crossing

8132-572: The goal would "aim to move towards the 2 percent guideline within a decade". In July 2022, NATO estimated that 11 members would meet the target in 2023. On 14 February 2024, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that 18 member states would meet the 2% target in 2024. On 17 June 2024, prior to the 2024 Washington summit , Stoltenberg updated that figure and announced that a record 23 of 32 NATO member states were meeting their defense spending targets of 2% of their country's GDP. NATO added that defense spending for European member states and Canada

8239-872: The head of the Royal Navy said the country's operations in the conflict were not sustainable. By the end of the mission in October 2011, after the death of Colonel Gaddafi, NATO planes had flown about 9,500 strike sorties against pro-Gaddafi targets. A report from the organization Human Rights Watch in May 2012 identified at least 72 civilians killed in the campaign. Following a coup d'état attempt in October 2013, Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan requested technical advice and trainers from NATO to assist with ongoing security issues. Use of Article 5 has been threatened multiple times and four out of seven official Article 4 consultations have been called due to spillover in Turkey from

8346-601: The individual level and continues up to company -level in both Romania and Bulgaria. U.S. troops along with their host nation counterparts conduct both situational training exercises and live-fire exercises. In addition, staff elements are integrated at varying degrees for the duration of the operation to foster interoperability and working relationships. Integrated training includes conducting individual and crew-served weapons qualification, mounted and dismounted situational training, live-fire training, mounted patrolling, combat lifesaver training , and familiarization and training on

8453-585: The last two years, the program executed locally by TF-East included renovations of public facilities to include kindergartens, community centers, medical facilities and school fences. During the 2009 rotation, approximately $ 185,000 in HCA funds were spent supporting five projects in Bulgaria and four in Romania. Since 2007, about 38 projects have been completed in the communities around the TF-East operational areas in Bulgaria and Romania. The HCA missions are intended to help

8560-846: The local communities, build positive relations, and help set conditions for the success of TF-East. TF-East also executed medical HCA missions during 2009 rotation helping approximately 3,700 local people in 17 different communities in and around the JTF-East operational area in both Bulgaria (9 villages) and Romania (8 villages). In partnership with Romanian and Bulgarian military and community medical professionals, an 11-member U.S. medical team provided medical and dental screenings, public health education and optometry screenings to include distributing nearly 3,400 eyeglasses to people who couldn't otherwise afford them. In addition, TF-East acquired and distributed $ 18,000 of locally purchased HCA program-funded pharmaceuticals for dispensing to locals free of charge by

8667-550: The logistic hub. On 1 October 2016, the Headquarters, Black Sea Area Support Team was established to provide O6 level command authority over the mission. The same year, the Army Support Activity-Black Sea (ASA-Black Sea) was established as part of Installation Management Command with the mission of delivering base operations support, logistics, and administrative services. ASA-Black Sea assumed responsibility for

8774-587: The member states of the Western Union plus the United States, Canada, Portugal, Italy, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. Canadian diplomat Lester B. Pearson was a key author and drafter of the treaty. The North Atlantic Treaty was largely dormant until the Korean War initiated the establishment of NATO to implement it with an integrated military structure. This included the formation of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in 1951, which adopted many of

8881-508: The no-fly zone from the initial coalition, while command of targeting ground units remained with the coalition's forces. NATO began officially enforcing the UN resolution on 27 March 2011 with assistance from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. By June, reports of divisions within the alliance surfaced as only eight of the 28 member states were participating in combat operations, resulting in

8988-576: The north. In Bulgaria, the primary facility is located in the Novo Selo Training Area (NSTA) located near Mokren, Bulgaria . These are sovereign host nation bases with co-located U.S. funded constructed facilities that the U.S. military uses on a consignment basis as stipulated in the Defense Cooperation Agreement signed by the governments involved. The U.S. military units training at the facilities are guests; they remain under

9095-543: The only NATO member outside the Nuclear Planning Group and, unlike the United States and the United Kingdom, will not commit its nuclear-armed submarines to the alliance. NATO was established on 4 April 1949 by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty (Washington Treaty). The 12 founding members of the alliance were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,

9202-665: The organization. Following the London and Paris Conferences , West Germany was permitted to rearm militarily, as they joined NATO in May 1955, which was, in turn, a major factor in the creation of the Soviet-dominated Warsaw Pact , delineating the two opposing sides of the Cold War . The building of the Berlin Wall in 1961 marked a height in Cold War tensions, when 400,000 US troops were stationed in Europe. Doubts over

9309-492: The provisions of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1546 . The aim of NTM-I was to assist in the development of Iraqi security forces training structures and institutions so that Iraq can build an effective and sustainable capability that addresses the needs of the country. NTM-I was not a combat mission but is a distinct mission, under the political control of the North Atlantic Council . Its operational emphasis

9416-693: The quality of life and infrastructure services from BS-AST. In September 2018, Colonel Wesley Murray assumed command over Black Sea Area Support Team, succeeding Colonel James McGlaughn. In 2019, the Area Support Group Black Sea (ASG-BS) began to oversee operations in Romania, Bulgaria and Greece . The operations in Greece involved the Army installations in Volos , Thessaloniki , and Alexandroupolis . The JTFE resulted in numerous declaration and policy changes from

9523-701: The rotational units. Approximately 180 soldiers were from the Tennessee Army National Guard ’s 176th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion headquartered in Johnson City, Tenn. ; nearly 450 soldiers were from the 4th Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment from Vilseck , Germany. Romanian personnel numbered about 600 with service members from the 1st Infantry Division to include the 33rd Mountain Troop Battalion, Posada. U.S. units training in Bulgaria included over 1,400 personnel including soldiers from

9630-575: The security of shipping in general, which began on 4 October 2001. The alliance showed unity: on 16 April 2003, NATO agreed to take command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which included troops from 42 countries. The decision came at the request of Germany and the Netherlands, the two countries leading ISAF at the time of the agreement, and all nineteen NATO ambassadors approved it unanimously. The handover of control to NATO took place on 11 August, and marked

9737-525: The shooting down of a Turkish military jet by Syria in June 2012 and Syrian forces shelling Turkish cities in October 2012 resulting in two Article 4 consultations, NATO approved Operation Active Fence . In the past decade the conflict has only escalated. In response to the 2015 Suruç bombing , which Turkey attributed to ISIS , and other security issues along its southern border, Turkey called for an emergency meeting . The latest consultation happened in February 2020, as part of increasing tensions due to

9844-597: The smaller SFOR , which started with 32,000 troops initially and ran from December 1996 until December 2004, when operations were then passed onto the European Union Force Althea . Following the lead of its member states, NATO began to award a service medal, the NATO Medal , for these operations. In an effort to stop Slobodan Milošević 's Serbian-led crackdown on KLA separatists and Albanian civilians in Kosovo ,

9951-507: The strength of the relationship between the European states and the United States ebbed and flowed, along with doubts over the credibility of the NATO defence against a prospective Soviet invasion – doubts that led to the development of the independent French nuclear deterrent and the withdrawal of France from NATO's military structure in 1966. In 1982, the newly democratic Spain joined the alliance. The Revolutions of 1989 in Europe led to

10058-474: The strike on Yugoslavia , and could do the same in future conflicts where NATO intervention was required, thus nullifying the entire potency and purpose of the organization. Recognizing the post-Cold War military environment, NATO adopted the Alliance Strategic Concept during its Washington summit in April 1999 that emphasized conflict prevention and crisis management. Milošević finally accepted

10165-662: The subsequent addition of new alliance members. Article 5 of the North Atlantic treaty , requiring member states to come to the aid of any member state subject to an armed attack, was invoked for the first and only time after the September 11 attacks , after which troops were deployed to Afghanistan under the NATO-led ISAF . The organization has operated a range of additional roles since then, including sending trainers to Iraq , assisting in counter-piracy operations . The election of French president Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007 led to

10272-501: The terms of an international peace plan on 3 June 1999, ending the Kosovo War . On 11 June, Milošević further accepted UN resolution 1244 , under the mandate of which NATO then helped establish the KFOR peacekeeping force. Nearly one million refugees had fled Kosovo, and part of KFOR's mandate was to protect the humanitarian missions, in addition to deterring violence. In August–September 2001,

10379-445: The use of non-lethal weapon systems. Training equipment and vehicles have included High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV or Humvee), the Romanian's VAMTAC ( Vehículo de Alta Movilidad Táctico ; a Spanish-made 4-wheel drive military vehicle), variants of the U.S. Stryker Light Armored Vehicle, the Romanian and Bulgarian armored personnel carriers in addition to various logistical support vehicles and equipment to include

10486-666: The warm-basing period, the facility at Mihail Kogălniceanu Airfield hosted about 20 to 30 U.S. support personnel including U.S. Army personnel, U.S. government civilian employees, local national contract employees, and US Army Corps of Engineers employees who manage the construction of the PFOS. Most personnel are assigned for about a one to two-year tour of duty. In addition, since the summer of 2007, U.S. Navy Seabees detachments of 25 to 30 construction-men and women have been stationed in MKAB. They have been on six-month tours conducting HCA projects in

10593-465: The withdrawal of NATO troops started, the Taliban launched an offensive against the Afghan government , quickly advancing in front of collapsing Afghan Armed Forces . By 15 August 2021, Taliban militants controlled the vast majority of Afghanistan and had encircled the capital city of Kabul . Some politicians in NATO member states have described the chaotic withdrawal of Western troops from Afghanistan and

10700-423: Was assigned as necessary to accomplish the mission. On occasion, USAREUR staff sections would surge additional personnel to JTF-East when required for a specific task or during a rotation. During the 2009 rotation, the name "Joint Task Force-East" was formally changed to "Task Force-East" to more accurately depict the fact that the task force was led by a single U.S. military service component. In 2008–2010 during

10807-474: Was confirmed on 4 October 2001 when NATO determined that the attacks were indeed eligible under the terms of the North Atlantic Treaty. The eight official actions taken by NATO in response to the attacks included Operation Eagle Assist and Operation Active Endeavour , a naval operation in the Mediterranean Sea designed to prevent the movement of terrorists or weapons of mass destruction, and to enhance

10914-560: Was distributing aid as part of the World Food Programme mission in Somalia. The North Atlantic Council and other countries, including Russia, China and South Korea, formed Operation Ocean Shield . The operation sought to dissuade and interrupt pirate attacks, protect vessels, and to increase the general level of security in the region. Beginning on 17 August 2009, NATO deployed warships in an operation to protect maritime traffic in

11021-557: Was established in 2007 as Joint Task Force-East . This program was an innovative element of the Theater Security Cooperation program that focuses on enhancing partner capacity and fostering regional cooperation. TF-East provided the U.S. and its partners in Romania and Bulgaria with training facilities and a periodic integrated combined staff that facilitated combined training. Operations in Romania and Bulgaria also provided

11128-906: Was expected to be completed and fully operational before the 2010 rotation. In the Romanian Land Forces Babadag Training Area, temporary facilities were constructed for the 2009 rotation that would accommodate up to 1,100. Similar facilities in Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria were also constructed to support the 2009 staff and rotational units there. - Both of these facilities were for joint and coalition use. The new facilities in both Bulgaria and Romania include barracks, battalion and brigade headquarters, chapel, dining facility, community center, fire and military police stations, first-aid station, retail or department store, post office, movie theater, fitness center, maintenance shops, showers and restrooms, and other support buildings for training and storage. In Bulgaria construction on

11235-547: Was on training and mentoring. The activities of the mission were coordinated with Iraqi authorities and the US-led Deputy Commanding General Advising and Training, who was also dual-hatted as the Commander of NTM-I. The mission officially concluded on 17 December 2011. Turkey invoked the first Article 4 meetings in 2003 at the start of the Iraq War . Turkey also invoked this article twice in 2012 during

11342-533: Was signed by France and the United Kingdom on 4 March 1947, during the aftermath of World War II and the start of the Cold War , as a Treaty of Alliance and Mutual Assistance in the event of possible attacks by Germany or the Soviet Union . In March 1948, this alliance was expanded in the Treaty of Brussels to include the Benelux countries, forming the Brussels Treaty Organization, commonly known as

11449-496: Was up 18% in the past year alone. Forward Operating Site A forward operating site ( FOS ) or forward operating location ( FOL ) is a U.S. military term for facilities, defined as "a scalable, 'warm' facility that can support sustained operations, but with only a small permanent presence of support or contractor personnel as opposed to a FOB or MOB . A FOS will host occasional rotational forces and many contain pre-positioned equipment." These sites were established as

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