NATO Air Chiefs Converge at Ramstein Air Base

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2...004090204.html.

{EXCERPT} By Capt. Elizabeth Aptekar, USAF Special to American Forces
Press Service

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany, Sept. 2, 2004 -- A NATO Air Chiefs
Conference held here Aug. 30-31 brought together the top leaders of
NATO's air forces to discuss their favorite subject -- air power.

The air chiefs of 19 nations, including six of the seven new member
nations accessed in March, came together to discuss current
operations, the International Security Assistance Force in
Afghanistan, support to the NATO Response Force, and air policing.

The annual conference was co-hosted by Component Command Air
Headquarters Ramstein and Izmir Air Station, Turkey. "CC Air-Ramstein
and Air-Izmir hold their own meetings with their commanders, and this
is a culmination of all the meetings," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen.
Glen W. "Wally" Moorhead III, Air Commander Izmir. "This meeting not
only helps us think through issues and challenges that we have in the
air, but the specific nations' issues as well."

CC Air-Ramstein and -Izmir are the two air headquarters' previously
known as AIRNORTH and AIRSOUTH respectively. The new names reflect the
July 1 re- organization that streamlined the NATO Command Structure.
The structure originated in 2002 as a result of the Prague NATO
Summit.

"It's a part of a wider command structure (and) NATO rearrangement....
From the airmen's point of view there are no boundaries in the air, so
for us to be North or South is meaningless really," said Air Marshal
Philip Sturley, CC Air- Ramstein chief of staff. "These Headquarters
can cover something happening anywhere in the NATO area, so we moved
away from the idea of North and South, which implied some sort of
divide, to a more collective way to approaching NATO problems."

Since NATO is undergoing transformation both internally and
externally, the leadership meeting allowed the alliance members to
discuss issues to meet the new global-security challenges through air
power.

"The air chiefs, like any other group, get together and need to
discuss common issues and problems. We are an alliance, and a strong
one at that," said the air marshal. "We have a forum where everyone
has a say. It's very important to have an open and frank discussion so
you can solve problems that affect all of NATO. General (Robert H.
"Doc") Foglesong (commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe) and the
staff here have taken the lead in ensuring that this is possible."

An example of why these leaders come together to discuss issues is the
ongoing effort toward the alliance's International Security Assistance
Force mission. According to the air marshal, NATO Air continues to
contribute deployed tactical forces performing air tasks ranging from
tactical airlift and medical evacuation to airborne reconnaissance,
deployment of quick-reaction forces and close-air support. The Air
Component at Ramstein Air Base provides air command and control to
ISAF with a reduced forward footprint and the effective use of reach
back.

The next event where the NATO air forces will test their
interoperability skills together is at the NATO Air Meet, scheduled
for Sept. 4 to 16 at Konya Air Base, Turkey. More than 1,500 people
from 16 nations will participate with 93 aircraft and plan to conduct
about 100 training missions a day.

"This is our last meeting before the (NATO Air) Meet to make sure the
planning is set and everyone is ready to execute," said Moorhead.
"(Combined Air Operations Centre) 6 will be running the operations, so
this will not only be good for the aviators, but our command and
control folks will get training as well."

Out of the 26 NATO member nations there are 24 air chiefs; Iceland and
Luxembourg do not have air chiefs.

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep2...004090204.html.

---------------------------
Otis Willie
Associate Librarian
The American War Library
http://www.americanwarlibrary.com
(310) 532-0634