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Allied Reach 2004 will focus on "NATO Response Force --Vision to Reality"

MEDIA ADVISORY
January 14, 2004
Release #01-04

Norfolk, Va.  Supreme Allied Commander Transformation is hosting a study seminar from January 23-25, 2004 to provide a forum for NATO's military and civilian leadership to focus on the multinational, operational, training, capability and deployability of the recently established NATO Response Force (NRF).

The theme of the seminar, "The NRF Challenge  Vision to Reality," represents the challenge of taking the newly formed NRF from its infancy and developing a way ahead aimed at achieving full operational capability by 2006.  The study seminar will employ a fictional scenario based in the year 2007, that will allow participants an opportunity to discover the potential employment of the NRF, while being challenged by a complex and dynamic environment requiring rapid planning, decision making and execution.

NATO Heads of State at the Prague Summit, held in November 2002, endorsed the concept of the NATO Response Force (NRF).  The purpose of the force is to provide NATO with a robust and credible high readiness capability which is fully trained and certified as a joint and combined arms force, able to deploy quickly to participate in the full spectrum of NATO missions wherever required.

The NRF will act as a catalyst for collective allied focus on capability development, and act an engine not only to provide the Alliance with an expeditionary capability, but also to act as a medium for the transformation of NATO.

Allied Reach 2004 is the first time NATO has experienced this level of senior military and civilian participation, to include the staffs of NATO's major operational headquarters, at an event such as this.  In all, more than 93 individuals are scheduled to attend representing the 19 member nations of NATO, as well as from the seven countries that will formally join NATO this year.  Senior participation includes General Harald Kujat, Chairman of the Military Committee for NATO, Admiral Edmund Giambastiani, Commander, Allied Command Transformation, and General James Jones, Supreme Allied Commander Europe.  NATO's new Secretary General, Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, is not scheduled to attend, but will be addressing the participants via video.  

Media outlets are invited to attend the press conference being held on Thursday, January 22 at 10 a.m., at the Joint Training Analysis and Simulation Center (JTASC) in Suffolk, Va.  The press conference will cover an overview of the study seminar, followed by a brief question and answer period.  Media will also be afforded an opportunity to visit the JTASC facilities to obtain background video and photography. 

Media interested in attending the press conference should contact the SACT Public Information Office at 757-445-3600.