III 

Calendar No. 146 

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 

[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic] 

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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•SRES 156 RS 

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 the 

charge for NATO military transformation, and providing 

relevant and timely support to NATO operations, and 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 NATO member nations and 6 NATO Partner nations and contributes more 

than $100,000,000 annually to the local economy; 


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•SRES 156 RS 

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 

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; 


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•SRES 156 RS 

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

the establishment of NATO ACT; 

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; 


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•SRES 156 RS 

Whereas ACT employs personnel from 26 of the 28 NATO 

member nations and six of the 41 NATO Partner nations 

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 to 

5 continue to transform alliance forces and capabili6 ties, using new concepts such as the NATO Re7 sponse Force and new doctrines in order to improve 

8 the alliance’s 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 65 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 American Treaty Organi23 zation (referred to in this resolution as ‘‘NATO’’), 

24 and partners in Afghanistan; 


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•SRES 156 RS 

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 oriented toward the changing 

6 international security environment and the chal7 lenges of the future; 

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; and 

15 (10) conveys appreciation for the steadfast 

16 partnership between NATO and the United States. 

17 That the Senate— 

18 (1) celebrates the 10th anniversary of the estab19 lishment of NATO Allied Command Transformation 

20 (NATO ACT); 

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

22 transforming Alliance forces and capabilities, using 

23 new concepts such as the NATO Response Force and 

24 new doctrines in order to improve the Alliance’s mili25 tary effectiveness; 


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1 (3) expresses appreciation for the continuing and 

2 close partnership between the United States Govern3 ment and NATO to transform the Alliance; 

4 (4) remembers the 64 years NATO has served to 

5 ensure peace, security, and stability in Europe 

6 throughout the world, and urges the United States 

7 Government to continue to seek new ways to deepen 

8 and expand its important relationships with NATO; 

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

10 women who have served to safeguard the freedom and 

11 security of the United States and the whole of the 

12 transatlantic alliance; 

13 (6) honors the sacrifices of United States per14 sonnel, allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza15 tion, and partners in Afghanistan; 

16 (7) recognizes the outstanding partnership be17 tween the local community in Norfolk, Virginia and 

18 NATO personnel assigned to ACT; 

19 (8) reaffirms that NATO, through the new Stra20 tegic Concept, is committed to helping the Alliance 

21 adapt and prepare for the complex and demanding 

22 future security; 

23 (9) urges all NATO members to take concrete 

24 steps to implement the Strategic Concept and to uti25 lize the taskings from the 2012 NATO summit in ChiVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:00 Jul 25, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\SR156.RS SR156

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•SRES 156 RS 

1 cago, Illinois, to address current NATO operations, 

2 future capabilities and burden-sharing issues, and 

3 strengthen the relationship between NATO and part4 ners around the world; 

5 (10) calls upon the President to use the momen6 tum of the occasion of the 10th anniversary of NATO 

7 ACT— 

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

9 the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in a 

10 dialogue about the long-term health of the Alli11 ance, and strongly encourage each of the member 

12 states to make a serious effort to protect defense 

13 budgets from further reductions, better allocate 

14 and coordinate the resources presently available, 

15 and recommit to spending at least 2 percent of 

16 gross domestic product (GDP) on defense; and 

17 (B) to examine and report to Congress on 

18 recommendations that will lead to a stronger Al19 liance in terms of military capability and readi20 ness across the 28 member states, with particular 

21 focus on the smaller member states; and 

22 (11) conveys appreciation for the steadfast part23 nership between NATO and the United States. 


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Calendar No. 146 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 156 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate on the 10-year 

formation. anniversary of NATO Allied Command TransJULY 24, 2013 

Reported with an amendment and an amendment to the 

preamble 


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