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From: bcstec!shuksan!major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: NATO briefing
Message-ID: <1991May9.064521.14031@amd.com>
Date: 8 May 91 21:46:29 GMT
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From: bcstec!shuksan!major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt)


Some supporting/clarifying comments:

> From: mdlouie@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Michael D. Louie)
> Allied Command Europe... 

"ACE".  The ACE Mobile Force is a unique multi-national airborne force
consisting of British, Netherlands, German, Italian, and U.S. airborne
battalions.  The U.S. contingent is based in Vicenza, Italy.  A lot of 
their exercise training takes place in Norway.  Once in a while they'd
airdrop into Grafenwoehr for training - then we'd have to drive around
in jeeps and pick up the troopers that missed the drop zone :-) 

> There is also Supreme Allied Command, Europe.  
> The head of SACEUR
> ground forces is an American general.  Each officer serves a tour, so I
> don't think they get to stay there forever.  I believe Gen. Eisenhower
> was CINC-SACEUR once in the '50s.

Yes he was - but not "CINC" - just "SAC" (Supreme Allied Commander).
So was Bradley (which was when he got his 5th star - NO let's not go through
that again).  Alexander Haig was also SACEUR at SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters
Allied Powers, Europe), Belgium.  Today, General John Galvin is SACEUR.
(was Colonel Galvin, Chief of Staff 3rd Inf Div when I served under him).  

> The goals for the future are optimistic and flexible.  The alliance did
> work quite well in the Gulf.  Although NATO didn't send actual forces,
> the forces sent by individual nations worked well together.  They've had
> a lot of practice, with huge practice campaigns, such as Operation
> Reforger, in Germany, and the sort, where they trained together.  

Especially true for German-based U.S. units, Canadian, British, and French.
And not only large-scale exercises but small-unit exchanges and even 
individual cross-posting.  

Reforger (Return of Forces to Germany) began as an exercise to re-deploy
the 1st Infantry Division back to Germany.  It was mainly a logistics
exercise that grew out of proportion and ended up a multi-corps, multi-
national exercise - - it's a very complicated story - if anyone wants
background detail - email me.

mike schmitt