Sentry Staff
For 75 years, the United States has stood with, and stood up for, fellow members of NATO, a nuclear alliance that has proven itself as a primary success story for collective defense. As one of NATO’s 12 founding members — others include Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the United Kingdom — the U.S. has not only helped build the Alliance’s foundations of peace but also helped to fortify and adapt those foundations as new challenges emerge.
The spirit of collective deterrence outlined in Article 5 — an attack on one is an attack on all — holds true today. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged the leaders who solidified the Alliance and reminded members of the importance of standing together and evolving to meet the challenges in the ever-changing security environment.
“We’re also indebted to the leaders and diplomats who shaped the Alliance over these 75 years — not just those who were present at the creation but also those present at NATO’s many recreations over subsequent decades,” Blinken said during remarks at NATO’s 75th anniversary celebration on April 4, 2024. “Their collective service has given generations of people on both sides of the ocean that joins us a rare and invaluable gift: unprecedented security. And yet, even as we meet here this evening, that security — together with the Alliance’s core principles of democracy, liberty, the rule of law — this is once again being challenged, challenged by those who believe that might makes right and those who would seek to redraw borders by force.”
New challenges have emerged that the founders of NATO could not have foreseen, Blinken said, including a growing climate crisis, cyberattacks and disinformation. “The Alliance is meeting these threats as we always have — by adapting together,” he said.
“NATO is the most successful Alliance in history because we have been able to change. The world is changing,” then-NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. “But also because we have been able to stand united despite the differences. We are [32 Allies] from both sides of the Atlantic, a different history, different culture, different political parties in power, but we have always been able to unite around our core task to protect and defend each other.”
The true measure of NATO’s success, however, is not just the enemies deterred or the territories defended, but all the ways citizens of NATO members have used their freedom to improve their lives in tangible ways, Blinken said. “No wonder that democracies continue to make great sacrifices to join this Alliance. No wonder nations far beyond the trans-atlantic region, including dozens represented here this evening, are striving to deepen their partnership with NATO,” Blinken said.
Stoltenberg spoke about the mutually beneficial U.S.-NATO relationship and again highlighted the theme of adaptation during his visit to U.S. Special Operations Command in Tampa, Florida, in February 2024. He said the U.S., which represents 25% of the world’s GDP, is by far NATO’s biggest Ally. When the U.S. is combined with the other members of NATO, the entire Alliance represents about 50% of the world’s GDP — and 50% of the world’s military might — Stoltenberg said.
The U.S. also contributed 16% of NATO’s 2023 budget, which amounted to $567 million, according to Reuters.
“NATO is a good deal for all Allies,” Stoltenberg said. “NATO is important for Europe. But NATO is also important for the United States, especially since the United States is now more concerned about China, the size of their economy, the heavy investments in new military capabilities, technology. NATO is a good deal for the United States. NATO makes also the United States stronger and more secure.”
In 2022, the U.S. surged an additional 20,000 forces to Europe to bolster NATO in response to Russia’s
aggressive moves, bringing the total U.S. force in Europe to 100,000. “We’re sending an unmistakable message, in my view — and I think yours as well — that NATO is strong, and the steps we’re taking during this summit will augment our collective strength,” U.S. President Joe Biden told Stoltenberg during their meeting in June 2022. “We’re going to continue to adjust our posture based on the threat, in close consultation with our Allies. And together, we’re going to make sure that NATO is ready to meet threats from all directions, across every domain: land, air and the sea.”
The 2024 iteration of Steadfast Defender, the largest NATO exercise since 1989, with more than 90,000 troops participating, has allowed the U.S. and other NATO members to practice lessons and skills needed to adapt to the latest threats.
“The adaptation and transformation of the Alliance in the past few years has been remarkable,” U.S. Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, Commander of U.S. European Command and NATO’s supreme allied commander Europe, said in May 2024. “I’m confident that we are ready to confront any challenge. Our nations remain committed, and they are united like never before [in] the world. The world may be turning out to be a different place than [we] would hope, but NATO is turning out to be exactly what we need.”
NATO’s purpose and vision remain clear, and its aim to maintain peace is paramount.
AFP/GETTY IMAGES
“The purpose of NATO is to prevent, or through credible deterrence, is to preserve peace by standing
together,” Stoltenberg said in Florida. “As long as we
continue to communicate to any potential adversary in a credible way, that an attack on one Ally will trigger the response from the whole Alliance, we are safer and stronger than when we try to do this alone.”
The spirit of togetherness and adaptation is one that must be protected at all costs, and the U.S. remains committed to its unwavering support of NATO and its core values.
“As we celebrate this extraordinary Alliance, let’s not lose sight of why we created it or why it has endured these 75 years,” Blinken said during his NATO anniversary remarks. “And let’s recommit ourselves to shoring up the foundations of peace as well as anticipating new and emerging threats. Let us protect all we’ve built in 75 years under NATO’s shield and ensure it remains strong to keep building for the next 75 years and well beyond that.”
Here’s a snapshot of U.S. military contributions to Europe:
- The Baltic region: The United States enhanced its rotational deployments — which include armored, aviation, air defense, and special operations forces — to reinforce Baltic security, enhance interoperability and demonstrate the flexibility and combat readiness of U.S. forces.
- Germany: The U.S. forward stationed an air defense artillery brigade headquarters, a short-range air defense battalion, a combat sustainment support battalion headquarters and an engineer brigade headquarters — approximately 625 total military personnel. These forces enhance the U.S. Defense Department’s air defense capabilities and enable support in Europe, which provide key reinforcement to NATO capabilities and allow U.S. troops to respond more effectively to threats against NATO’s eastern flank.
- Italy: The U.S. forward stationed a short-range air defense battery — totaling approximately 65 personnel. This battery is a subordinate unit of the short-range air defense battalion that the U.S. military stationed in Germany.
- Poland: The U.S. placed a permanently forward station of the V Corps Headquarters Forward Command Post, an Army garrison headquarters, and a field support battalion. These forces — the first permanent U.S. forces on NATO’s eastern flank — help improve command and control capabilities, interoperability with NATO and management of prepositioned equipment. This action builds on the central role Poland has played in supporting NATO’s combat-credible
deterrence and defense posture. - Romania: The U.S. positioned a rotational Brigade Combat Team, thus maintaining an additional brigade on the eastern flank. This brigade, headquartered in Romania, maintains the ability to deploy subordinate elements across the eastern flank, and complements other brigade combat teams stationed and operating in Europe.
- Spain: The U.S. worked with the government to increase the number of destroyers stationed at Rota from four to six.
- The United Kingdom: The U.S. increased its Fifth Generation Fighter presence and ability to support Allies across Europe by forward-stationing two squadrons of F-35s at Royal Air Force Lakenheath.