Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) welcomed nearly 100 senior military leaders and officials from the North Atlantic Council (NAC) and Military Committee for NAC at Sea day July 14.
This annual event demonstrates the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) maritime capabilities to assembled leadership.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for us to bring all the senior leadership of the North Atlantic Council – NATO's governing body – out to visit USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and observe exactly how we do our mission," said Rear Adm. Kurt W. Tidd, commander, Carrier Strike Group 8.
The embarked guests included the NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO ambassadors and the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) Adm. James Stavridis. SACEUR serves a dual role as the leader of all NATO military operations and commanding officer of U.S. European Command, including the 6th Fleet.
"The U.S. Navy is really part of a global coalition of navies carrying out important missions all over the world from antipiracy, counter-narcotics, deterrents and strikes to exercises and training. All of those missions are really part of a global effort and the U.S. Navy fits terrifically in that," said Stavridis.
The embarked guests enjoyed an information brief, static displays and a pass and review from five ships from various navies. The group then moved to the flight deck via an aircraft elevator to observe an air power demonstration.
Stavridis, the first admiral to assume the position of SACEUR, visited the aircraft carrier whose namesake was appointed the very first Supreme Allied Commander Europe in December 1950.
"When I heard that, literally, the first operational thing I would do as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe would be to come to the decks of the ship named after the first SACEUR, I felt surprised and humbled," explained Stavridis. "Standing here aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower makes me very proud of our U.S. Navy's contribution to this larger, global effort, of which NATO is an extraordinary part."
This visit by the SACEUR and members of the NAC helps build relationships among members of the NATO Alliance nations and in turn promotes stability, crisis management and strategies for effective defense.
"Our maritime strategy is all about building partnerships with other maritime forces all around the world to provide security and stability in international waters," said Tidd. "We have decades of experience working with our North Atlantic Treaty Organization partners at sea, and we've had an opportunity to develop all of the procedures that we use today and that we share now with partners all around the world."
"Carrier strike groups are in a position to do everything from projecting power to providing humanitarian assistance wherever it is necessary in the world," said de Hoop Scheffer.
According to Stavridis, the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group has helped promote the NATO mission during its 2009 deployment.
"The men and women of Ike have been contributing wonderfully these last six months," said Stavridis.
"The eyes of the Navy are on the men and women of Ike, and we thank every single one of them for their extraordinary service. They've done a terrific job on this cruise, from everything to working with NATO to operational missions over Afghanistan – the performance of the entire Eisenhower Strike Group has been superb."
The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group is currently operating in the U.S. 6th Fleet Area of Responsibility after a regularly-scheduled five month deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Maritime Security Operations.
Jeff McDowell (NNS)
# END
