USAFE participates in Unified Engagement 2010

  • Published
  • By Capt. Tony Wickman
  • HQ USAFE
TALLINN, Estonia --  U.S. Air Forces in Europe joined representatives from seven other countries here to participate in Unified Engagement 2010, which started June 7 and continues through Friday.

The Unified Engagement seminar is the fourth Building Partnership Seminar USAFE has conducted with European partners as a transformation war game to explore future combined warfighting concepts and capabilities.

The U.S. delegation led by Gen. Roger A. Brady, USAFE commander, is working with counterparts from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden to strengthen relationships, and improve interoperability and future cooperation.

"These meetings have been good for us and our Allies and have proven productive and valuable," General Brady said in his opening remarks Tuesday. "These sessions serve as effective discussions and are opportunities to share ideas and for military professionals, particularly air forces, to share their perspectives."

General Brady said the relationships established and the work accomplished at the seminar will allow everyone to come together quickly in crisis and effectively face the challenge.

"Because of training seminars like Unified Engagement, the U.S. Air Force and our partners worldwide are better prepared for future operational challenges," the general said. "Estonia is a great NATO partner and they are graciously hosting this meeting."

Brig. Gen. Valeri Saar, Estonian air force commander and event co-host with USAFE Director of Air and Space Operations Maj. Gen. Jack Egginton, said the seminar was important to talk about operational endeavors, military advice and skills.

"The purpose of the meeting will address what role Estonia's air force should have, how to keep security in our region and how to be good neighbors," General Saar said. "We will also look at new issues such as cyber security and energy, and the threats to them."

An example of working closely with Allies for interoperability and future missions is the training between U.S. aircraft and Estonian joint terminal attack controllers.

"We brought in a couple of F-15E Strike Eagles from RAF Lakenheath to Estonia to train with Estonian JTACs who are on their way to Afghanistan," General Egginton said in his remarks. "They are training and using the same procedures as used in Afghanistan that will ultimately protect the Afghan people and NATO troops on the ground."
During the Unified Engagement seminar, participants act in the role of a multinational military staff, and consider possible requirements and concepts for operating together to meet potential future challenges. The participants look through the spectrum of operations from peace enforcement and humanitarian relief situations to cooperative security and stability operations.

Unified Engagement seminars were held in Warsaw in 2007, Bucharest in 2008 and Stockholm in 2009.

In a special ceremony Monday night, General Brady was presented the Estonian Ministry of Defense Cross of Merit Second Class for his long-term fruitful service in support of Estonian national defense. The specific actions cited at the presentation were the general's commitment and dedication to NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission and his contributions to developing Estonian air force capabilities.

"I'm humbled by this unexpected honor, and I will cherish it," General Brady said during his acceptance speech. "This is not about anything I did. It's about what NATO partners can accomplish together."