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55-515: In late November 1966, U.S. Rear Admiral Richard G. Colbert prepared a concept paper proposing a permanent Allied Command Atlantic naval contingency force based on Operation Matchmaker, an annual six-month exercise involving ships from NATO navies. The proposed contingency force was approved by NATO in December 1967 and activated in January 1968 as Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT). During

110-507: A deep impression on Colbert, whose later work on international naval cooperation would be founded on the lessons he learned by watching Conolly interact with allied naval leaders. When Conolly's tour as CINCNELM ended in December 1950, Colbert briefly accompanied Conolly to the admiral's new posting as president of the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island . Colbert's next assignment

165-551: A half years as personnel planning officer in the Bureau of Naval Personnel , where he helped plan the postwar naval reserve and served as a social aide in the White House . In June 1948 he was sent to London as aide and flag secretary to Admiral Richard L. Conolly , Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean (CINCNELM). A superb negotiator, Conolly left

220-628: A military mission. In light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine , the NATO Response Force can activate up to 40,000 troops. Eight of NATO's thirty member nations have triggered urgent consultations under Article 4 of the NATO Washington Treaty . In advance of the 2022 Madrid summit , Jens Stoltenberg announced the plan to increase the NRF size to more than 300,000 troops, which was approved during

275-592: A threat to the member states of NATO. After a NATO meeting on 25 February 2022, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the NATO leadership had agreed to deploy part of the NRF to alliance members in Eastern Europe. Stoltenberg said that the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, currently led by France, would be among the units sent. This was the first time the NRF had been activated for

330-800: A traditional flag-level command. For his service on the PPC, he was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal . In June 1964 he was assigned as Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla 6 (COMCRUDESFLOT SIX), based in Charleston, South Carolina , and assumed command in 1965. With about fifty ships under his command, the position was equivalent to being commander in chief of a small navy. From June 1966 to August 1968 he served as deputy chief of staff and assistant chief of staff for policy, plans and operations to Admiral Thomas H. Moorer , Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT), for which he received

385-585: Is a component of the NATO Response Force (NRF). Richard G. Colbert Richard Gary Colbert (February 12, 1915 – December 2, 1973) was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy who served as President of the Naval War College from 1968 to 1971, and as commander in chief of all NATO forces in southern Europe from 1972 to 1973. He was nicknamed "Mr. International Navy" as one of

440-452: Is a high-readiness NATO rapid deployment force comprising land , sea , air , and special forces units capable of being deployed quickly within short notice. The NRF currently comprises more than 500,000 troops. Its forces include units from several non-NATO member partners, including Ukraine (since 2014), and Georgia (since 2015). The NRF was formed in June 2003 per endorsements at

495-452: The 2002 Prague summit . Units assigned to the NRF were only used for disaster relief and security until February 2022, when it was activated for the first time in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine . The NRF structure consists of four parts: Rotating forces through the NRF requires nations to meet the demanding standards needed for collective defense and expeditionary operations. As its standards are very high, participation in

550-568: The Afghan presidential elections , as well as to provide humanitarian assistance in the United States after Hurricane Katrina and in Pakistan after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake . Due to equipment shortages, unfulfilled troop commitments and falling political support among member countries, the size of the NRF was cut in half in 2007 and not used again until 2022. During the 2014 Wales summit following

605-584: The Gulf of Aden . On 23–25 March 2012 the group conducted a passing exercise with Carrier Strike Group Twelve , led by USS  Enterprise , while carrying out Operation Active Endeavor missions in the Mediterranean Sea . The group's commander, Commodore Ben Bekkering, Royal Netherlands Navy visited Enterprise . At the time the group consisted of the Royal Netherlands Navy frigate De Ruyter ,

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660-805: The Joint Service Commendation Medal , awarded for his service on the Policy Planning Council of the State Department; and the Legion of Merit , awarded for his service as SACLANT deputy chief of staff. The Admiral Richard G. Colbert Memorial Prize is a cash prize sponsored by the Naval War College Foundation and awarded to the student composing the best essay focusing on a strategic, military, political, economic, legal, or tactical aspect of an appropriate professional topic. NATO Response Force The NATO Response Force ( NRF )

715-522: The Legion of Merit . His first assignment on the SACLANT staff was to establish Iberian Atlantic Command (IBERLANT), a Portuguese -led command responsible for covering the sea approaches to the Strait of Gibraltar . Said Moorer, "This action not only significantly enhanced the capability of NATO to deal with naval operations in the area, but also significantly increased the morale, prestige and overall interest of

770-488: The New York Stock Exchange . Colbert and his wife also spent a considerable amount of their own money to organize social events to foster lasting informal ties between students, whose personal bonding was viewed as almost as important as the formal curriculum. Colbert was impressed by the high quality of the inaugural class, writing, "The capability of the students is far beyond our expectations—they really look like

825-554: The Vietnam War , various proposals for multilateral forces, and nuclear weapons arrangements east of the Suez Canal . In May 1964, midway through his two-year tour, he was one of five in his class selected for rear admiral. Indicating its newfound appreciation for the importance of Colbert's work, the Navy had him complete his scheduled term on the PPC instead of immediately transferring him to

880-612: The Yemeni coast guard in the recovery of their military personnel stationed on the island. From March 2009 to June 2009 SNMG1 was deployed by NATO off the Somali coast to conduct Operation Allied Protector , to deter, defend and protect World Food Programme (WFP) vessels against the threat of piracy and armed robbery, thereby allowing WFP to fulfill its mission of providing humanitarian aid. Since August 2009, SNMG1 has been providing ships for NATO's Operation Ocean Shield anti- piracy mission in

935-534: The annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation , NATO leaders agreed to reorganize the NRF's core troops into a "spearhead force" known as a "Very High Readiness Joint Task Force" (VJTF) designed to be able to deploy at 48 hours notice, although the actual level of readiness was generally several weeks. It was also for the first time linked explicitly to NATO's Article 5 obligations . Altogether, it amounted to around 30,000 troops. For most of its existence,

990-838: The 'future CNO's of the Free World' as Admiral Burke describes them." After three years at the Naval War College, Colbert was assigned to the Long Range Plans and Basic War Plans Branch of the Joint Staff . In 1960 he became commanding officer of the Sixth Fleet 's general stores ship Altair , based in Barcelona, Spain , where he helped pioneer the use of helicopters for vertical replenishment of supplies for ships at sea. Selected for major command, Colbert requested "a cruiser out of Boston ," which resulted in his being assigned as captain of

1045-708: The 1990s, STANAVFORLANT was heavily involved in Operation Maritime Monitor (July 1992 to November 1992), Operation Maritime Guard (November 1992 to June 1993) and Operation Sharp Guard (June 1993 to October 1996), the maritime embargo operations in the Adriatic Sea established to ensure compliance by Serbia and Montenegro with United Nations (UN) resolutions 713 , 715 , 787 , 820 and 943 . Between November 1992 and June 1996 some 74,000 ships were challenged, almost 6,000 were inspected at sea and more than 1,400 were diverted and inspected in port. The force

1100-467: The 3rd ID, the 1st Brigade, 1st ID, and an Initial Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division , all to be deployed as needed for the situation). Two forward-deployed headquarters, one from V Corps (United States) , and the capability for one from XVIII Airborne Corps , were positioned in Poznan, Poland, and Wiesbaden, Germany respectively, should any further need arise for a proportionate response to

1155-621: The Atlantic Fleet to join Task Group 21.12, a hunter-killer group centered on the escort carrier Core . In 1944, he assumed command of the destroyer Meade , operating with the Pacific Fleet . After the war, Meade was sent on a relief sweep along Tonkin Gulf coastal areas to assist French forces in combating Chinese pirates off Haiphong . Promoted to commander, Colbert spent the next two and

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1210-521: The NRF is preceded by a six-month NATO exercise program to integrate and standardize the various national contingents. Generally, nations carry out a pre-training period in preparation for the NATO exercises, lasting between 6–18 months. Once activated, Reconnaissance Teams deploy within 5 days. This is the first of a number of deployment phases that lead to the deployment of the entire HQ Joint Task Force and Immediate Reaction Forces within 30 days. The NRF trains for various tasks, including: The NRF concept

1265-458: The NRF were alerted or deployed. On 11 February 2022, a U.S. Army brigade combat team of about 4,700 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division was ordered to Poland, while a Stryker squadron (battalion-sized cavalry unit) was sent from Vilseck 's Rose Barracks to Romania. On 11 February 2022 F-35A squadrons of the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings deployed from the U.S. to patrol NATO's eastern flank. On 16 February 2022, 8,500 troops in some of

1320-537: The Naval Academy in June 1937 as one of the four midshipmen officers appointed to command a battalion of the Naval Academy regiment for that academic year, with a class rank of 247/331. Commissioned ensign, he served aboard the aircraft carrier Yorktown from its commissioning on September 30, 1937, until 1939, when he was assigned to the destroyer Barker in the Asiatic Fleet . He remained aboard Barker for

1375-723: The Naval Staff College, an international program for middle-grade officers; and the International Seapower Symposium , a biennial conference for international flag officers whose first meeting, hosted at the Naval War College in 1969, was attended by chiefs of naval staff and senior officers from 37 navies. After leaving the Naval War College in June 1971, Colbert spent a year as SACLANT chief of staff before being promoted to full admiral and appointed Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe (CINCSOUTH) in June 1972. As CINCSOUTH, Colbert's principal concern

1430-564: The Navy Department and other government agencies. From 1953 to 1955, Colbert was executive officer of the heavy cruiser Albany , which served as flagship for Commander, Battleship-Cruiser Force, Atlantic, and was deployed to the Mediterranean. Vice Admiral Robert H. Rice, his former commanding officer, remembered Colbert as "the best executive officer any ship had had (or the good fortune to have)." Promoted to captain in 1955, Colbert

1485-529: The Portuguese allies. I give Admiral Colbert all of the credit for this important move." In late November 1966, Colbert prepared a concept paper proposing a permanent SACLANT naval contingency force based on Operation Matchmaker, an annual six-month exercising involving ships from allied navies. The proposed contingency force was approved by NATO in December 1967 and activated in January 1968 as Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT). In July 1968, Colbert

1540-589: The Spanish Navy frigate Álvaro de Bazán , the German Navy frigate Rheinland-Pfalz , and the Royal Canadian Navy frigate Charlottetown . In November 2018, HNoMS Helge Ingstad was operating with SNMG1 when she was involved in a collision with a Maltese flagged tanker and had to be deliberately run aground to prevent her sinking. The remainder of SNMG1 stood by to provide assistance. During 2021, SNMG1

1595-421: The State Department would irreparably damage his career, but Colbert persisted, passing an interview with Director of Policy Planning Walt W. Rostow and recruiting support from Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Paul H. Nitze , a former PPC chairman whose aide Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. , "pulled the necessary levers." During his time on the PPC, Colbert worked on topics ranging from

1650-486: The age of 58, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery . Italian Admiral Giuseppe Pighini, commander of Allied Naval Forces Southern Europe, eulogized Colbert as "a man dedicated to his duty till the last breath of life." In his memoirs, Zumwalt wrote admiringly of Colbert's last days: He performed magnificently throughout his final months and readily agreed to return home when it became apparent that

1705-703: The arrival of students from up to 30 countries in August. To avoid using the word "foreign", he selected the title "Naval Command Course for Free World Naval Officers." Colbert served as director of the naval command course for its first two classes. Students generally attended the regular Naval War College lectures for the naval warfare 1 course, and took field trips during lectures dealing with classified topics such as nuclear operations. Colbert leveraged his extensive personal contacts to arrange visits to military and naval sites, as well as industrial plants in Buffalo, New York , and

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1760-405: The decades-long personal relationships he maintained with the alumni of the naval command course, many of whom had become high-ranking flag officers in their respective navies. Zumwalt dubbed Colbert "Mr. International Navy" for his reputation as one of the very few senior admirals in the U.S. Navy identified with international naval cooperation. In early 1973 Colbert was diagnosed with cancer and

1815-519: The design of three new buildings—Spruance Hall, Conolly Hall, and Hewitt Hall—for which he arranged to reopen the old quarry in Medford, Massachusetts , to obtain the same granite that had been used to construct the adjacent buildings, so that the new buildings would eventually weather to the same color. Other lasting contributions included the creation of the Naval War College Foundation ;

1870-502: The end was approaching. Within a week from the time he marched proudly off the plane at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington...and after a final chat at Bethesda Naval Hospital during which he instructed me carefully on all the things he wanted me to carry on for him in the NATO command and finally asked me whether or not there was anything more that he could do to help me, Admiral Richard Colbert died, loved and mourned." Colbert married

1925-482: The first director of a new Naval War College course for international naval officers. In the spring of 1956, Chief of Naval Operations Arleigh A. Burke assigned Colbert to organize and direct a new course at the Naval War College for senior naval officers from allied and friendly nations. Said Burke, "I had already learned that the CNO could not just give an order and expect to have it carried out. He had to get somebody who

1980-607: The former Prudence Anne Robertson, daughter of the chairman of The London Express Newspapers Company, on November 15, 1950, in St. Paul's Church, Knightsbridge , London , and they had one daughter and three sons. Adm. Colbert's decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal , awarded for his service as President of the Naval War College, and a Gold Star denoting a second Distinguished Service Medal, awarded for his service as Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe;

2035-554: The gist of my prayers. All I ask is just a bit more time to carry on and establish some concepts—multinational NATO forces which will strengthen our Free World against what I am convinced is a desperate threat, despite all the talk of détente ." Colbert was succeeded as CINCSOUTH by Admiral Means Johnston, Jr. , and retired from the Navy on November 25, 1973. He died at the Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland on December 2, 1973, at

2090-503: The guided missile cruiser Boston from October 1961 to February 1963. During his tour, Boston deployed to the Mediterranean and briefly hosted the commander of the Sixth Fleet, Vice Admiral David L. McDonald , who recalled that "Colbert and his crew in the Boston went out of their way to make their ship a most outstanding flagship." While commanding Boston , Colbert applied for one of

2145-460: The lack of enthusiasm of NATO's member states for the NRF resulted in chronic equipment and personnel shortages. It was sometimes branded a wasteful failure and an insignificant force next to NATO's more established units. Nevertheless, some military scholars argue that it played a significant role in modernizing European militaries as their troops rotated through it. As Russian troops built up around Ukraine in early 2022, various units attached to

2200-613: The next five years, rising from junior ensign to lieutenant commander and commanding officer. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , Barker operated with the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM) in Southeast Asian and Australian waters until May 1942, then escorted convoys between San Francisco, California , and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii , until May 1943, when the destroyer transferred to

2255-577: The two military billets on the Policy Planning Council (PPC) of the Department of State , a long-range planning and advisory staff tasked with analyzing major foreign policy problems and coordinating political-military policy and interagency planning. The Navy had never sent an officer to the PPC, and Colbert's detailing officer in the Bureau of Naval Personnel warned him repeatedly that an assignment to

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2310-450: The units that make up the U.S. contribution to the NRF were put on alert for possible rotational deployment to EUCOM's area of responsibility. By 25 February 2022, 7,000 troops from this force, including the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division — 4700 troops, plus support units), were deployed to Germany. This marked the first time in decades that three U.S. heavy brigades deployed to EUCOM concurrently (the 1st Brigade of

2365-674: The verge of retirement. A pleased Colbert remarked, "It is a dream come true—a dream that I would never have mentioned to anyone, for fear of being precocious." During his presidency, which lasted from August 30, 1968, until August 17, 1971, Colbert consolidated his predecessor's curricular reforms and expanded the civilian and military faculty. He also continued the Naval War College building program, working with Rhode Island Senator John O. Pastore to secure congressional funding for new student housing and other construction projects. In collaboration with sculptor Felix de Weldon and National Gallery of Art director J. Carter Brown , he completed

2420-753: The very few senior admirals in the U.S. Navy identified with international naval cooperation during the Cold War . Born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania to Charles F. Colbert, Jr., president of the Pittsburgh Metallurgical Company, and the former Marie Louise Benford, he attended Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , before being appointed to the United States Naval Academy by Congressman Harry A. Estep in 1933. He graduated from

2475-422: The year, in the meantime tapping Colbert for temporary duty as Sherman's special assistant during overseas trips. In July 1951, Colbert accompanied Sherman to Spain to negotiate naval basing with General Francisco Franco . Shortly after the meeting, Sherman suddenly died of a heart attack. With no written record of Sherman's conversations with Franco, it fell to Colbert to debrief the late admiral's negotiations to

2530-506: Was active in the region of the Baltic Sea for 12 days. As of October 2024, SNMG1 consists of: Ships in bold are currently part of the naval force As of 8 January 2023, SNMG1 consists of: Ships in bold are currently part of the naval force In 2022, SNMG1 consisted of: Ships in bold are currently part of the naval force In 2021, SNMG1 consisted of: During this deployment, SNMG1 took part in numerous exercises including: SNMG1

2585-485: Was director of the Plans Division, and Burke remembered Colbert's unusual competence in international relations. Moreover, during that tour Colbert had actually written a brief staff study on the best way to educate foreign naval officers at Navy service schools without compromising either national security or the level of their instruction. Based on that four-year-old study, Colbert spent the summer of 1956 preparing for

2640-589: Was first endorsed with a declaration of NATO's Heads of State at the Prague Summit on 22 November 2002 and approved by NATO Defence Ministers in June 2003. Dual headquarters were created in Naples , Italy and Brunssum , Netherlands; command rotates annually between them. In 2004 and 2005, NRF units were activated for a small number of civilian missions, including to provide security at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and

2695-462: Was in agreement with the project, who was just as enthusiastic about it, who was capable of running it without supervision, who could get things done, and who could use the authority delegated him wisely to take charge of the project. That man was Dick Colbert." During his tour in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Colbert had worked closely with Burke as one of Burke's action officers when Burke

2750-524: Was in the Politico-Military Affairs Division in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OP-35), where he helped establish the naval commands in the newly created NATO alliance and quickly developed a reputation for familiarity with allied problems and ability to deal with foreign governments. In 1951, Chief of Naval Operations Forrest P. Sherman selected Colbert to be his aide later in

2805-403: Was offered a choice between assignment as head of an academic section at the Naval Academy or as a student at the Naval War College. On Conolly's advice, Colbert opted for the Naval War College and was enrolled in the naval warfare 1 course. By January 1956 he had been selected to remain for a second academic year as a student in the naval warfare 2 course, but was reassigned that spring to become

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2860-447: Was operated on unsuccessfully. Realizing his illness was terminal, he secured Zumwalt's permission to return to his command and serve as long as he could. "I am a realist and know that I am on borrowed time," Colbert wrote his chaplain. "I am convinced that the Lord has decided to give me some extra time to do some things in this, my last command, which might better insure a safer world. That is

2915-608: Was to reduce the tension between Greece and Turkey . He reconstituted the Naval On-Call Force Mediterranean (NAVOCFORMED) using Greek, Turkish, Italian, British, and U.S. ships. He also negotiated a treaty with France , which had withdrawn its armed forces from NATO in 1966, to allow annual naval exercises, culminating in a combined Franco-American naval exercise off the coast of the United States in 1973. Chief of Naval Operations Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. rated Colbert "one of our most outstanding NATO commanders" due to

2970-510: Was under the operational control of SACLANT until SACLANT was decommissioned in 2003 and it was folded into NATO's Allied Command Operations (ACO) at that time. The force was re-designated Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 in January 2005. In September 2007, SNMG1 was in the Red Sea bound for Suez to complete a circumnavigation of Africa when the Jabal al-Tair volcano erupted. SNMG1 ships assisted

3025-426: Was unexpectedly selected to be President of the Naval War College and promoted to vice admiral ahead of ten classmates. He replaced Vice Admiral John T. Hayward , who had specifically recommended Colbert as his ideal successor. As a relatively young rear admiral who was expected to rise much further in the Navy after his presidency, Colbert's appointment broke the postwar tradition of selecting an "elder statesman" on

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