Hogg speaks to cadets on NATO, the challenges it faces

By Kathy Eastwood (USMA Public Affairs)September 8, 2015

Lt. Gen. David Hogg speaks to the cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point
Lt. Gen. David Hogg, U.S. Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee, speaks to cadets and faculty on the responsibilities and challenges of NATO, Aug. 31. Issues such as terrorism and lone wolf terrorists, foreign fighters, cyber, minori... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WEST POINT, N.Y. (September 8, 2015) - Lt. Gen. David Hogg, U.S. Military Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Military Committee, spoke to cadets and faculty about the U.S. and other member nation's responsibility to NATO, Aug. 31.

Hogg also spoke about the challenges facing the organization today. The speech is part of the Modern War Institute Speaker Series. Hogg outlined where NATO operates today and the rising threats of terrorism and lone wolf terrorists, cyber issues such as hacking, rise of China, pandemics, mass immigration, Iran and Russia.

Hogg emphasized that the center of the alliance of NATO is the ability of the U.S. to help Europe and the first priority of member nations is that they have the ability to protect their own country, because they have that sovereign responsibility. Nations simply can't join NATO to be provided with or protected by a fighting force.

"NATO's policy comes from the Joint Chiefs of Staff," Hogg said. "NATO is all about relationships, with all of the members trying to do right. Operations today include Afghanistan, Mediterranean with Operation Active Endeavor, which is focused on deterring international terrorism, and Operation Ocean Shield preventing piracy near the Horn of Africa. We are also still active in Iceland, Kosovo and the Balkans."

Hogg also outlined the threats to NATO, which include foreign fighters, rise of right wing organization, migration and minority integration and the issue of Russia.

Europe and other countries are seeing mass immigration with people escaping Syria, Ukrainians to Poland and from Kosovo to Europe.

"The short-term goal of NATO is to protect the Artic as Russia is moving in that area and we must do everything we can to ensure they have what they need," Hogg said.

Although Russians in the Arctic may sound farfetched, Russia has declared the North Pole as Russian territory.

"There is a Russian document the states that they will escalate to de-escalate and will be the first to issue a nuclear strike," Hogg said.

There is also some fear that Russia may, at some point in time, threaten Poland, a NATO member. Although no direct threat has been issued, given Russia's ability to quickly mass forces at borders, it may be likely. In that event, NATO may evoke Article 5, which states that any NATO member that is attacked is an attack on all member nations.

"We are working with Poland," Hogg said. "They have a military force, they have a training center and their NCO corps rivals ours. Most Balkan nations can't see Putin attacking Poland."

NATO began with just 12-member nations in 1949. Today the Alliance has 28 members, including the European Union, Turkey and Iceland. NATO has operated during the Cold War fighting Russian expansion, conducted its first military interventions in Bosnia in 1992-1995 and again in Yugoslavia in 1999. Article 5 was declared for the first and only time after the terror attacks on 9/11.

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