III 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 156 

Expressing the sense of the Senate on the 10-year anniversary of NATO 

Allied Command Transformation. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 23, 2013 

Mr. WARNER submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Relations 

JULY 24, 2013 

Reported by Mr. MENENDEZ, with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 

JULY 31, 2013 

Considered, amended, and agreed to with an amended preamble 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate on the 10-year 

anniversary of NATO Allied Command Transformation. 

Whereas, on June 19, 2003, NATO’s Allied Command 

Transformation (ACT), was formally established to increase military effectiveness and prepare the Alliance for 

future security challenges; 

Whereas, on June 19, 2013, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will celebrate the 10-year anniversary 

of the establishment of NATO ACT; 


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Whereas the security of the United States and its NATO allies have been enhanced by the establishment and continued work of NATO ACT; 

Whereas for the past 10 years, ACT has been leading 

NATO’s military transformation, and providing relevant 

and timely support to NATO operations, while developing 

partnerships around the globe to adapt to the changing 

global security environment; 

Whereas ACT is the only NATO headquarters in the United 

States, and the only permanent NATO headquarters outside of Europe; 

Whereas ACT provides state of the art education, training, 

and application of best practices and lessons learned from 

past operations, and equips Alliance troops with the tools 

they need to win today’s wars; 

Whereas ACT improves NATO’s defense planning and develops compatible equipment and common standards necessary to keep Alliance capabilities aligned; 

Whereas NATO ACT has been integral to a NATO mission 

of promoting a Europe that is whole, undivided, free, and 

at peace; 

Whereas NATO ACT strengthened the ability of NATO to 

perform a full range of missions throughout the world; 

Whereas NATO ACT has provided crucial support and participation in the NATO International Security Assistance 

Force in Afghanistan, as NATO endeavors to help the 

people of Afghanistan create the conditions necessary for 

security and successful development and reconstruction; 

Whereas ACT employs personnel from 26 of the 28 NATO 

member nations and six of the 41 NATO Partner nations 


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•SRES 156 ATS 

and contributes more than $100,000,000 annually to the 

local economy; 

Whereas NATO has been the cornerstone of transatlantic security cooperation and an enduring instrument for promoting stability in Europe and throughout the world for 

over 60 years, representing the vital transatlantic bond of 

solidarity between the United States and Europe, as 

NATO nations share similar values and interests and are 

committed to the maintenance of democratic principles; 

Whereas the Chicago Summit Communique affirms that all 

NATO members ‘‘are determined that NATO will continue to play its unique and essential role in ensuring our 

common defense and security’’ and that NATO ‘‘continues to be effective in a changing world, against new 

threats, with new capabilities and new partners’’; 

Whereas through the Alliance, the United States and Europe 

are effective and steadfast partners in security, and ACT 

is well positioned to contribute to the strength of the Alliance on both continents; 

Whereas NATO ACT has done much to help NATO meet the 

global challenges of the 21st century, including the threat 

of terrorism, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, 

instability caused by failed states, and threats to global 

energy security; and 

Whereas the 10th anniversary of NATO ACT is an opportunity to enhance and more deeply entrench those principles, which continue to bind the alliance together and 

guide our efforts today: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


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1 (1) celebrates the 10th anniversary of the es2 tablishment of NATO Allied Command Trans3 formation (NATO ACT); 

4 (2) recognizes NATO ACT’s leading role in 

5 transforming Alliance forces and capabilities, using 

6 new concepts such as the NATO Response Force 

7 and new doctrines in order to improve the Alliance’s 

8 military effectiveness; 

9 (3) expresses appreciation for the continuing 

10 and close partnership between the United States 

11 Government and NATO to transform the Alliance; 

12 (4) remembers the 64 years NATO has served 

13 to ensure peace, security, and stability in Europe 

14 throughout the world, and urges the United States 

15 Government to continue to seek new ways to deepen 

16 and expand its important relationships with NATO; 

17 (5) recognizes the service of the brave men and 

18 women who have served to safeguard the freedom 

19 and security of the United States and the whole of 

20 the transatlantic alliance; 

21 (6) honors the sacrifices of United States per22 sonnel, allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza23 tion, and partners in Afghanistan; 


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1 (7) recognizes the outstanding partnership be2 tween the local community in Norfolk, Virginia and 

3 NATO personnel assigned to ACT; 

4 (8) reaffirms that NATO, through the new 

5 Strategic Concept, is committed to helping the Alli6 ance adapt and prepare for the complex and de7 manding future security; 

8 (9) urges all NATO members to take concrete 

9 steps to implement the Strategic Concept and to uti10 lize the taskings from the 2012 NATO summit in 

11 Chicago, Illinois, to address current NATO oper12 ations, future capabilities and burden-sharing issues, 

13 and strengthen the relationship between NATO and 

14 partners around the world; 

15 (10) calls upon the President to use the mo16 mentum of the occasion of the 10th anniversary of 

17 NATO ACT— 

18 (A) to engage each of the member states of 

19 the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in a 

20 dialogue about the long-term health of the Alli21 ance, and strongly encourage each of the mem22 ber states to make a serious effort to protect 

23 defense budgets from further reductions, better 

24 allocate and coordinate the resources presently 

25 available, and recommit to spending at least 2 


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1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on de2 fense; and 

3 (B) to examine and report to Congress on 

4 recommendations that will lead to a stronger 

5 Alliance in terms of military capability and 

6 readiness across the 28 member states, with 

7 particular focus on the smaller member states; 

8 and 

9 (11) conveys appreciation for the steadfast 

10 partnership between NATO and the United States. 

Æ 


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