Military Review English Edition November-December 2014 | Page 9

ASSURANCE IN EUROPE

expressed amazement that USAREUR could react as
quickly as it did and also that senior leaders took time
to meet and work with them, in person, and establish a foundation for the mission. While USAREUR
played a large role in the response to the situation in
Ukraine, the command believes that the overall operation was made possible by a holistic team effort from
USEUCOM and the joint and interagency communities in providing a comprehensive response in support
of U.S. objectives.

Operation Atlantic Resolve
The ability to have soldiers—without a formal
request for forces—board a tactical aircraft in Italy,
fly just over two hours, walk off the plane, and immediately begin training with a partnered force sends a
powerful message of assurance to a country that lives
day in and day out in the looming shadow of a perceived threat. USAREUR leadership believes this rapid
response could not have been conducted from anywhere else but Europe without a significant amount of

country coordination, foreign clearances, and cross-talk
over different time zones.
From 23 to 26 April 2014, company-sized contingents of U.S. paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne
Brigade Combat Team arrived in Poland, Latvia,
Lithuania, and Estonia to begin exercises with their
troops. At each location, as part of a joint welcome
ceremony, Longo was on the ground to make remarks
about USAREUR’s unwavering commitment to its
friends and allies. The leaders of these countries explained how they had called upon NATO, and especially the United States, for support during a trying time.
The response included tactical aircraft on the airfield
with U.S. soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder in
formation with their own forces. USAREUR soldiers
were always met by the host country’s soldiers for
handshakes and patch exchanges as they arrived. They
were welcomed with open arms. Longo, a leader with
34 years of service, later stated, “This was the greatest
experience of my military career.”
There are countless other examples of what this
assurance message meant to these countries; the
Lithuanian president personally shook hands with each
of the Sky Soldiers as they disembarked the aircraft,
the Estonian president broke bread with three Sky
Soldier privates after his welcome speech, and dozens
of civilians approached Longo in town to thank him for
bringing soldiers to help them.
During the Conference of Eu &