He points, as an example, to

host-nation support of the Special- Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response, a “force we’ve been posting in theater here for some time to be better prepared to respond to incidents in embassies, etcet- era, across North Africa. As we see threats, we move this force around. It might be in Italy. Portions might be in Greece or in Spain, where we have it temporarily housed.” “Think about that,” says Breedlove.

“We have nations that, sometimes on as little as 48 hours notice, allow us to plop a big Marine force on a base. Now think about if another nation were asking three of our governors

to plop international forces down on as short a notice as 48 hours. We get this access, this trust, from re- lationships built from permanently forward-stationed forces.” Fewer troops in Europe forces difficult decisions on how best to use them, Breedlove says. For in- stance, European Command has had to reduce partner-building efforts after Russian actions caused a need for assurance measures. He points to the relationship the U.S. has built with the nation of Georgia, training its soldiers “to serve alongside us in

PHOTOS THIS SPREAD: CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT, MASTER SGT. DARRYL CHEATHAM, USA; PETTY OFFI- CER 2ND CLASS KAROLINA A. OSEGUERA, USN; STAFF SGT. KIMBERLY BRATIC, MICHIGAN NATIONAL GUARD; ARMEND NIMANI/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; U.S. EMBASSY KYIV; SENIOR AIRMAN CHRISTINE GRIFFITHS, USAF

almost anything NATO has done the last 15 years.” Because Georgia is now the second-largest troop contributor to the Afghanistan mission, after the U.S., there are Americans “who don’t have to go because Georgian partners … are superbly capable,” Breedlove says. Georgia is the most exciting ex- ample, but partnership has occurred with many NATO nations. Except it can’t happen

JUNE 2015 MILITARY OFFICER 59 [CONTINUES ON PAGE 76]

Ukrainian Ministry of Defense soldiers participate in a combat casualty simulation with U.S. ser- vicemembers. (above) Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, USAF, NATO’s su- preme allied commander Europe, center, arrives in Pristina, Kosovo, in February where he spoke about conflict in eastern Ukraine.