HEIDELBERG, Germany - The 26 NATO member nations recently gathered in Riga, Latvia, for a heads of state and government summit. At the beginning of the Nov. 29 formal session, participants honored attending veterans of alliance operations, including one U.S. Army, Europe Soldier.
First Sgt. Randy Collins, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, represented the U.S. military during ceremonies honoring the armed forces of each NATO country for their commitment in the Global War on Terrorism.
"For decades they have been the guardians of democracy and freedom," said NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, thanking the 26 warriors on behalf of attending heads of state.
Scheffer added that such service "cannot be taken for granted. In Afghanistan, they are putting their lives on the line to bring a better life to the long-suffering people and ensure that terrorism never again finds a sanctuary there."
The secretary general, noting that 50,000 servicemembers are currently deployed in six alliance-led missions on three continents, asked participants to observe a moment of silence for those who will not return from these and past operations.
"Today, we also remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our values, who have fallen in the service of our alliance," he said.
Among the leaders present was President George W. Bush, who spent several minutes talking with Collins, whose service in Helmond Province, Afghanistan, as first sergeant for the 74th Infantry Detachment (Long Range Surveillance) led to his summit participation.
"As a Soldier meeting the commander in chief, I was very proud to be in the Army and to be in uniform," Collins said. "The first thing he told me when I walked up to shake his hand was that he was honored to be in my presence. I told him that I, too, was honored. We spoke briefly about where I was from, my tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and my upcoming deployment to Iraq."
Collins, based out of Vicenza, Italy, took advantage of the other participants' experience to gain more perspective on NATO operations.
"I had a wonderful opportunity to sit down with NATO personnel who are subject-matter experts on Afghanistan in hopes of bettering the way we fight the Taliban in the future," Collins said. "I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge about NATO and believe that it is a big combat multiplier in Afghanistan."
Overall, he described serving as a first sergeant in a multinational unit as "incredibly rewarding."
"One big advantage to operating jointly in a theater like Afghanistan is assets," Collins said. "With the Romanians, we had use of their armored personnel carriers, fuel trucks, food and other (essentials) if we needed. Also, Special Forces have dedicated assets that normally we would have to request from higher levels; therefore, it was easier to operate as a joint patrol rather than operating independently."
Additionally, Collins noted, working with the Afghan National Army provided cultural advantages over actions resulting from solely U.S. units.
"Our idea was to always place an 'Afghan face' on each of our operations," he said. "If our unit had to search door to door, we would have the ANA do the searching - to not offend any of the local population with our (lack of knowledge) of some customs. It also emboldened the ANA to operate in plain view of their own people, demonstrating that they would be there when needed."
Collins stressed that his ANA allies and Afghan interpreters were a part of his unit - not an attachment. "We ate together, climbed the same mountains, patrolled and fought the same enemy."
Brig. Gen. John Adams, deputy U.S. military representative to NATO, called Collins "an ideal representative of U.S. armed forces."
"It was a privilege to witness the professional manner in which he represented the Army to our allies at all levels, to include the most senior authorities, at a time when solidarity is crucial to NATO's success, especially in Afghanistan," Adams said.
"When President Bush met 1st Sgt. Collins, it was an important meeting for both men, a tangible link between our president and the Soldiers that give their all in service of our nation," Adams said. "He is a Soldier in whom we can all be proud."
Scheffer echoed the general's sentiments as he addressed all 26 representatives. "Thank you for the work you are doing," the secretary general said, "and for the sacrifices you and your families have made to help ensure our security."
(Additional information provided by NATO public affairs)
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