'Strong Europe'

In today's new European security environment it is now more important than ever that ready, capable and forward postured U.S. Army forces are positioned to respond to an unknown and unknowable future. In light of a resurgent Russia, ISIL, and instability in North Africa and the Middle East we must be prepared to support our most venerable and most reliable Allies and partners in a post ISAF European reality. The current security challenges may be different than in the past but pose no less threat to our national interests. U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) is committed in this complex environment by providing capable land power an ocean closer to the many shared challenges we face, enabling the objectives of United States European Command and NATO under the framework of "Strong Europe" and executed through the ATLANTIC RESOLVE (AR) exercise series.

"Strong Europe" is the term USAREUR uses to describe the framework for U.S. Army Europe's contribution and capabilities, on behalf of the Army, to EUCOM, NATO, CENTCOM, AFRICOM, and other strategic interests. It seeks to create the same strategic effects of the 300,000 troops from the 1980s with today's 30,000 Soldiers. "Strong Europe" is a living execution of the Army Operating Concept (AOC). Europe is a complex and dynamic security environment that presents challenges from Russian aggression, foreign fighter migration, terrorist attacks, and financially constrained Allies which we have yet to achieve interoperability. To win in this environment, USAREUR will use all of its resources, to include the increased capabilities offered from the Army's Regionally Aligned Forces (RAF) to validate joint combined arms operations within the European framework that can present adversaries with multiple dilemmas.

Additionally, "Strong Europe" provides joint force and NATO commanders with multiple options through the establishment of a "global land power network" across Europe, enabled by USAREUR's Phase 0 capabilities. In providing these options, USAREUR is operating across multiple domains and with multiple partners -- moving beyond the physical battle space and integrating with Allied and partner capabilities. This environment offers one of the best leadership laboratories in the U.S. military. Junior officers and NCOs are executing the full range of operations from tactical to strategic in a multinational/ joint environment, and are developing the future force in the process. This commitment to NATO Allies and developing adaptive leaders at all levels is at the heart of "Strong Europe".

In April, 2014, elements of the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) deployed to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland in a training and partnership role, and established what has become ATLANTIC RESOLVE. This was a key display of how engagements are the foundation of relationships and relationships build trust. This trust facilitates access and that access allowed early entry vice forcible entry for the 173rd. Those deployments, based on the foundation of trust, were a powerful display of NATO assurance and US commitment to the host nations, and the world. "Strong Europe" continues to build on this foundation and expand it for the future as the security situation continues to evolve. This assurance will continue in USAREUR's 24 Allied and multinational exercises scheduled for 2015, under ATLANTIC RESOLVE. The ATLANTIC RESOLVE exercise program creates a gravitational pull that encourages our Allies, partners, sister services, and the Reserve Component to participate with additional capabilities creating a synergistic effect across Europe.

Today's U.S. Army Europe remains well postured to meet these demanding requirements as well as delivering on the objectives of the 2014 NATO Wales Summit; specifically the NATO Readiness Action Plan and "the continuing need for assurance of Allies and the adaptation of the Alliance's military strategic posture." Our commitment to the ATLANTIC RESOLVE exercise program is focused towards the intermediate objective of exercise ANAKONDA in 2016. USAREUR will use ANAKONDA 2016, a major Field Training Exercise with 20,000 troops, to test and validate the adaptability of the Alliance and provide assurance to our Allies. The road to ANAKONDA 2016 and all the ATLANTIC RESOLVE exercises it entails is a manifestation of "Strong Europe" and our enduring priorities of leader development, readiness, and enabling the Alliance. A key example of this is our commitment to re-establishing the expedition mindset within our units while also enabling the Alliance through our continuous "Freedom Shock" Program or USAREUR's Emergency Deployment and Readiness Exercise program. A great recent example was a Patriot Battery from our Air Defense Unit, on short notice, moving 1200 kilometer by ground convoy from Germany to Poland to conduct training exercise with the Polish 3rd Air Defense Brigade. Everything we do under the banner of "Strong Europe" is focused on allowing USAREUR and our Allies to win in a complex world -- as we are executing the Army Operating Concept now within ATLANTIC RESOLVE and beyond.

ATLANTIC RESOLVE is a continuous series of partnership and training exercises along NATO's Eastern Flank, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, designed to assure Allies and improve an already powerful land power network. ATLANTIC RESOLVE consists of two components: AR North and AR South. Building upon the foundation established by the 173rd in April 2014, AR North expanded in late 2014 to include new rotational (RAF) units from the 1st Cavalry Division of Fort Hood, Texas, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment out of Vilseck, Germany. In 2015, the second iteration of the RAF expanded into AR South (Romania and Bulgaria) through Exercise Saber Junction 15. It was formed from: 3rd Infantry Division of Ft. Stewart, Georgia; a Mission Command Element provided by 4th Infantry Division of Ft. Carson, Colorado; USAREUR forces from the 173rd and 2nd Cavalry Regiment; and over eight Allied and multinational units. We continue to build toward Exercise ANAKONDA 16 and expand the AR maneuver box from Estonia in the North to Bulgaria in the South. The end result is a series of continuous and episodic exercises stretching from the Black to the Baltic Sea, which sends a powerful message of assurance and deterrence in the East.

Exercise ANAKONDA 2016 is on its way to being a great display of the NATO Readiness Action Plan, agreed to at the Wales Summit, and will build momentum into the NATO Warsaw Summit, in July 2016. The road to ANAKONDA 2016 will support two crucial components of the NATO Readiness Action Plan: assurance and adaptation. USAREUR is fully committed to enabling this exercise to meet its great potential. ANAKONDA 2016 (AK16) is a very large Field Training Exercise (FTX) in Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland and neighboring countries in June 2016. Multiple Allies will participate in AK16 with USAREUR including: Poland, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, The Netherlands, and Great Britain.

ANAKONDA 2016 consists of seven linked exercises over four phases involving both NATO Command Structure and NATO Force Structure organizations. Phase Zero consists of Special Operation Forces Counter-resistance Operations including Exercise Trojan Footprint. Phase One consists of Early Entry Operations including Exercises Swift Response and BALTOPS Exercise. Phase Two consists of Major Combat Operations including Exercises Combined Resolve and Saber Strike. Phase Three potentially consists of follow-on NATO lead operations. Within this phase is Exercise Trident Joust. JMRC, NATO, JFHQ, and Regional Exercises within ATLANTIC RESOLVE will support USAREUR preparatory training objectives, and provide a gated training opportunity to certify readiness for operating in an Allied and Multinational mission command structure. AK16 will test, validate, and display our Allied adaptation through five major activities.

First, AK16 will certify NATO's Multinational Corps-Northeast (MNC-NE) full operational capability (FOC) which is vital to the continued evolution of Atlantic Resolve and the assurance it provides to the Baltic States. Second, AK16 will certify the VJTF's initial operational capability (IOC), this force will provide NATO with a agile and rapid capability, a major adaptation to NATO force structure for future uncertainty. Third, AK16 will incorporate the capability and versatility of European Activity Set (EAS) which highlights the increased capability the RAF adds to this theater in its ability to rapidly flow into and draw existing equipment sets; onward move, and integrate into an existing fluid training and exercise environment. Fourth, the NATO Force Integration Units (NFIU), a NATO Force structure adaptation, will provide small elements under the NATO Command Structure in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria for Reception, Staging, Onward Movement, and Integration of the VJTF and follow on forces in support of NATO Exercises. Fifth, AK16 will improve our freedom of maneuver throughout the AOR. Atlantic Resolve brought key movement challenges to light. Specifically, USAREUR had to work with a host of Allies for approval to move personnel, materiel, and aircraft between Germany, Baltic States, and Poland. Whilst this has been challenging, the Alliance is enhanced for having exercised these capabilities. Also, the road to AK16 will test our freedom of maneuver capabilities across Europe as multiple USAREUR units and RAF units disperse and converge across the AR maneuver box for various linked exercise associated with AK16. All of these activities will serve the dual purpose of assuring our NATO Allies while building readiness within NATO, USAREUR, and RAF forces. At the conclusion of AK16, USAREUR and NATO will stand with a newly validated capability and sense of partnership having proven our ability to adapt and assure Allies in the face of multiple threats across Europe.

USAREUR remains committed to playing a vital role in providing assurance, deterrence and leadership in Europe's new security environment. Whether enabling our great Alliance or providing capable land power to the various COCOMs, United States Army Europe's key location at the strategic crossroads, enduring relationships, and available forces provide the critical enabling capability so desired by our closest and most capable Allies and partners an ocean closer to our many shared challenges. Though the future may be unknown and unknowable, we remain committed to a safe, stable, secure and prosperous Europe through the framework of "Strong Europe" and manifested through ATLANTIC RESOLVE.