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Welcome to the Marshall Center

Alumni meet, discuss NATO's New Strategic Concept

By Rebecca Seawell
GCMC Public Affairs

UNTERSCHLEISSHEIM, Germany – From July 11-12, the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies and NATO cooperated to host a Distinguished Alumni Conference near Munich.

Twenty-one Marshall Center alumni including ambassadors, ministers and other high-level representatives from 20 nations gathered for the conference in Unterschleissheim to discuss NATO’s New Strategic Concept.

The group analyzed new security methods and debated the emerging security challenges for the alliance, specifically those relating to Article 5 of the NATO treaty and its emphasis on collective defense.

“NATO has to be prepared to address new kinds of threats,” said one of the distinguished speakers. "What Afghanistan has taught the alliance is that members should learn to adapt quickly and to expect the unexpected."

Additionally, participants discussed need to realign resources to in order to accomplish goals and how to relay NATO’s New Strategic Concept and its agenda to the public.

In the new decade, the old strategic concept is no longer as relevant, said Ankica Tomic, a minister of security from Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“In my personal opinion, it could be dangerous for NATO to overtask itself – it should be limited to main threats or challenges for which NATO has the most appropriate tools,” Tomic said.

Dr. James MacDougall, the U.S. deputy director of the Marshall Center, said that the trianglular relationship between the EU, United States and Russia will also be important in forming the New Strategic Concept.

“It seems that Russia will be vital to stability and security in Europe,” he said.

Marshall Center Director Dr. John Rose said that there will be much discussion and debate concerning NATO’s future.

“There’s nothing more important than trying to figure out where we want to go and what we want to do. And that’s what this concept is trying to put together,” Rose said.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 20 July 2010 13:18
 

War commanders want better logistics sight picture to fight war

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General Gainey talks about the value of the Marshall Center
during a visit June 29. (Marshall Center video)

By Jason Tudor
GCMC Public Affairs

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany – The nation’s top military logistician said commanders fighting the battles in Afghanistan and Iraq need a better “common operating picture” for their supplies, contracts and other logistical requirements.

Army Lt. Gen. Kathleen M. Gainey, the director of logistics for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies June 28 and 29. She toured the facility and provided the keynote speech for one of the Marshall Center’s graduating classes.

As part of her job, General Gainey said she possesses “no budget or authority,” but instead serves as a combatant commander’s strongest advocate in the Pentagon for logistical efforts. She added while there is progress in meshing military supply and distribution chains, there’s still work to be done breaking done military cultural barriers, integrating data systems and fixing old rules.

“Some of the policies were not conducive to getting supplies in quickly. So, we had to work through policy and regulatory changes. Many of our regulations and much of our guidance was in the Cold War era. We had to work those decisions and put changes in process,” General Gainey said.

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