THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 14, 1996 TAG: 9604130053
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALISON BOLOGNA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 118 lines
ABOUT A MILE off Hampton Boulevard, in a corner of Norfolk, sit some of the world's most powerful people.
Powerful, because every day they ensure much of what we take for granted: safety, security and peace.
This is the Allied Command Atlantic, home to one of NATO's two major military commanders.
The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic has a staff of more than 400 and is in charge of securing peace over about 12 million square miles, spanning from the North Pole to the Tropic of Cancer, and from the East Coast of North America to the West Coast of Africa and Europe.
In the spirit of NATO's success, the 43rd annual international Azalea Festival will officially begin Monday. This year the Netherlands is the honored nation. Attractions will include anything from a Dutch village featuring craftsmen making wooden shoes and pancakes, to the 50th anniversary of the Blue Angels, the Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy and the traditional coronation of the festival's queen.
``Norfolk is important because it binds Europe and America,'' said Capt. David Smith, executive assis tant to the deputy, Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic. ``Being in Virginia, it's also close to D.C. and keeps NATO up in the profile of the legislators on the hill and those who do the budget.''
The other major NATO commander is the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, in Brussels.
``These two commanders are the heart and soul of NATO,'' said Rear Adm. Robert Sprigg, assistant chief of staff for plans and policy. ``They're the anchors of the trans-Atlantic link.''
This trans-Atlantic link is one of the driving forces behind NATO, according to Smith and Rear Adm. Jacques Waltmann.
``Because there are two headquarters, we're able to establish this transparent relationship that keeps the dialogue going,'' Waltmann said.
NATO, which now has 16 alliance nations, was originally established in 1949 to maintain peace and defend freedom.
``It was set up as a defensive organization after World War II when people perceived the Soviet Union as a threat,'' Smith said.
But since the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, NATO's role has changed. And some have questioned whether it's still necessary.
Smith said it is.
``Russia is still a huge international power,'' he said. ``The difference is they no longer have the same intentions that they had five years ago. But you have to remember that it takes a long time to build capability, but not to switch intentions. It's possible that it could take only one election.''
Sprigg agreed.
``The difference is that threats have changed,'' he said. ``NATO's objective has always been the security and stability of alliance nations and surrounding areas. It's just that now security is being redefined. It's the center of the dilemma because today's risks aren't the same as five years ago.''
NATO will continue to be necessary, Smith argued.
``There will always be group conflict,'' he said. ``But what we can do is control the areas of conflict and reduce it by persuading people to negotiate.''
And that's one of NATO's goals today.
``Our major focus is to keep people informed because we need to understand the importance of this command and NATO globally,'' Sprigg said. ``We need to seek intellectual exchange and tap into the best intellects that we can in politics, academia and industry.''
``We took a quantum leap globally with the Internet'' he said. ``Now all you need is a modem and the punch of a button.''
Communication and information systems are part of Waltmann's expertise.
``It's taken many years to establish a common language among computers,'' he said. ``But with technology, we're more able to work together.''
And working together under the notion that ``an attack on one is an attack on all,'' also backs NATO. Among the 13 nations represented in Norfolk, teamwork has been a major source of success.
``Our strength is our cooperation,'' said Col. Sam Deford, staff officer in the logistics section of the command. ``We're all operating together under a NATO flag.''
Waltmann agreed.
``We work together for the common goal of the alliance and for what we stand for, security,'' he said. ``We're not living for war.''
And war, each expressed, is an indication of failure.
``Using the military to prevent conflict is the last resort,'' Smith said. ``No sane person wants to go around killing people.''
A measure of NATO's success has been keeping peace for more than 50 years, according to the officers.
``The dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union came about as a force of NATO winning a war without having to go to war,'' Waltmann said.
Deford agreed.
``We defeated the pact without even firing a shot,'' he said.
But for the future, NATO has to adapt.
``We have to evolve to become more flexible,'' Deford said. ``We need to be able to respond to a variety of threats. World events have moved ahead of NATO's general organization, so we're working hard to get caught up.' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by U.S. Navy
The Blue Angles will appear at the Azalea Festival next weekend. See
schedule of events, Page E8
Graphic
ABOUT NATO
NATO is a military alliance of 16 North American and West
European nations established in 1949.
Member nations: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany,
Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway,
Portugal, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States
Military commands:
Allied Command, Atlantic, based in Norfolk
Allied Command, Europe, based in Brussels, Belgium
[List]
Azalea Festival Public Events Schedule
For complete listing, see microfilm
KEYWORDS: NATO 43RD AZALEA FESTIVAL by CNB