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The Playbook for NATO Success, Briefed by a Former SACEUR

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Posted: July 11th, 2018

By General Philip M. Breedlove

Gen. Breedlove retired as the Commander, Supreme Allied Command, Europe, SHAPE, Belgium and Headquarters, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany.  He also served as Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force; and Vice Director for Strategic Plans and Policy on the Joint Staff.

Background:  The Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) is responsible for all of NATO’s military operations.  The senior role has traditionally been held by an American, who usually serves a dual-hatted role as SACEUR as well as Commander of U.S. European Command.  The Command structure also includes a Supreme Allied Commander, Transformation (SACT).

NATO was created after World War II, just as the Cold War began, as a way for smaller countries to band resources together to form a collective defense against larger nations.  With three core functions; collective defense, crisis management and cooperative security, NATO has only once ever invoked Article 5 – which is the declaration that an attack against one, is an attack against all.  That invocation of Article 5 occurred after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. 

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