Press Advisory 13 June 2003

Establishment of Allied Command marks new beginning for NATO NORFOLK, VA – In an historical ceremony on June 19, 2003, Allied Command Atlantic will be decommissioned and Allied Command Transformation will be established. The decommissioning/establishment ceremony will take place at the North American NATO headquarters in Norfolk, VA, at 10 a.m. The ceremony will be attended by Senior political and military members of NATO, including Secretary General Lord George Robertson; Chairman of the Military Committee General Harold Kujat; and Supreme Allied Commander, Europe General Jim Jones, USMC. Every nation from the 19-member Alliance and the seven nations invited to join NATO, will be represented. “The creation of a strategic command focused on transformation is a significant event in the history of the Alliance,” said Admiral Ian Forbes, who will be the last Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic. “It is a monumental change that will result in this command being devoted to intellectual, cultural and technological innovation facilitated by war-gaming, experimentation and education.” NATO is transforming to meet the new challenges of the 21st century. NATO's core mission of defending the nations of the Alliance remains; but the threats of the Cold War have ended, and the new threats – a dangerous nexus of terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and rogue dictatorial regimes – are growing. At the 2002 Prague Summit, NATO nations agreed to a slimmer military command structure, a rebalanced relationship at the strategic level, and a global role for the Alliance, with expeditionary capabilities such as the NATO Response Force, a force able to operate as and where required in high intensity war fighting in joint and combined contexts. NOTE TO MEDIA: The ceremony is not open to the public. Invitations are required to attend. Media who would like to attend the ceremony should contact the SACLANT Public Information Office at (757) 445-3600 by June 18 for base access. More information about Allied Command Transformation can be found at www.saclant.nato.int and www.nato.int