Remarks of Brig. General Deed

4 October 2002 

Good Morning Ladies and Gentleman,

I am Brigadier General Alan Deed, from Joint Command Southeast in Izmir, Turkey.  In my duties as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, I have been deeply involved in Exercise Cooperative Adventure Exchange since the detailed planning began.  With the outstanding support from the Ukraine, I am sure we will have a first-rate exercise that will benefit all participants by improving understanding and common knowledge.

 In preparation for this exercise, fellow staff officers and I have made several trips to Lviv.  We have enjoyed the beauty of this city and the hospitality of the people.  Because of the professional and personal relationships that have developed in the last year, we were truly saddened to hear about the tragic air accident that happened in Lviv on the twenty-seventh of July.   On behalf of our commander and the entire staff I want to extend my condolences to the friends and families of those who died in this accident.  We were concerned for our friends here and saddened by your loss.

             Before I arrived here you received background information on Exercise Cooperative Adventure Exchange.  Now I will take a few minutes and place this important exercise in the larger context of NATO’s Partnership for Peace Program.

 The Partnership began in 1994, and by all accounts it has been one of the most successful initiatives in the history of the alliance.  The Partnership was designed to foster trust and mutual understanding through cooperation and dialogue.  Joint Command Southeast has been diligently doing just that.  We have established a working relationship with fourteen of the twenty-seven Partner nations. 

 This Partnership wasn’t created by military organisations, but by the political leadership of the nineteen Allied and the twenty-seven Partner nations. Yet the vitality of the Partnership comes from the extraordinary efforts of ordinary men and women who are pursuing peace and stability.  The soldiers, sailors, and airmen of Joint Command Southeast strengthen the Partnership and foster trust by working side-by-side with Partners and Allies in training events and exercises such as Cooperative Adventure Exchange. 

 This is an important time for partnership.  We face common problems such as political instability, ethnic strife, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and terrorism are very much with us.  NATO and its subordinate military structures are continually adapting to the changing security environment. 

Shortly after this exercise, NATO leaders will meet at the Prague Summit to settle important issues such as NATO enlargement.  Certainly, changes are in the works for the military force structure as well.  In recent years Joint Command Southeast has modified its mission, force structure and manning.  Change is sometimes difficult, but we must view it as a healthy and necessary process that enables us to enhance peace and stability in the region.

             Yet there are some who still question the motives or the usefulness of the Partnership. That is why we want you to see firsthand the activities we are conducting.  To those who doubt the utility and effectiveness of the Partnership, I say consider the peace support operation in the Balkans.  Of the 33 countries that have provided peacekeepers to the Balkans, nineteen of them --almost 60 percent-- have been Partner nations.  The lives of thousands of people would be much different today had it not been for the effective support of the Partner nations.   Even as I speak, Ukraine is enhancing peace and stability with its commitment to the Polish-Ukrainian peacekeeping battalion to Kosovo.

     Although the utility of the Partnership is obvious when one considers the Balkans, it is exercises and training events such as Cooperative Adventure Exchange that have enabled Partners and Allies to work together so effectively.

 This morning I have described the Partnership and put this exercise in the context of the entire program.  Let me conclude by describing what a partner does.    A partner lends assistance in times of need--like last March when NATO responded to the flooding in Ukraine.  A partner is one who works to maintain regional stability--like your soldiers serving in Kosovo.  A partner takes pride in his country and teaches others about his culture and his people.  And a partner is one who grieves with you when disaster strikes. The people of the Ukraine need to know that they have partners like this in Joint Command Southeast in Izmir, Turkey.     

 In a moment, General Holmes will speak.  He is the commander of another excellent organisation in the NATO military force structure.  But I would be remiss if I did not thank Major General Vorobyov and his officers at the Western Operating Command for their excellent assistance.  Without their support this exercise would not have been possible.  Thank you.