USAFE officials continue to build partnerships

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Chris Stone
  • USAFE Public Affairs
BUCHAREST, ROMANIA (AFPN) --  U.S. Air Forces in Europe officials joined representatives from seven countries in Bucharest, Romania, May 5 to 9 to participate in a Building Partnership Seminar.  The seminar was part of the Unified Engagement series, a transformation wargame designed to explore future joint warfighting concepts and capabilities.

The event, co-hosted by officials from USAFE and the Romanian air force, is the second such UE Building Partnership Seminar held in Europe and follows on the heels of last year's event in Warsaw, Poland.

The main objective of the seminars is to establish connections between national air forces and officers that will be helpful in near-term and future cooperation.

"We conduct intellectual research and development with the attending coalition countries by exploring a futuristic apolitical scenario -- for instance, a humanitarian disaster or terrorist situation -- and working through how we would handle it as Airmen," said Lt. Col. Fred Shriner, wargaming lead. "Not as an airman from a particular country, but as an airman as a whole, working in a joint, coalition context."

Romanian air force officials were proud to host this year's event as echoed by Romanian Colonel Mihai Radu, chief of tactical evaluations.

"This seminar for us is important because we intend to participate in the next operation with other nations' air forces and for this reason we must be prepared," he said. "We hope that at the end of this seminar in Bucharest, all participants will have more information regarding the future of Romania's air force."

Retired Gen. Paul Hester, former Pacific Air Forces commander, served as senior mentor in the Romania seminar, providing insight and strategic perspective to all participants and was extremely impressed with the success of the seminar.

"UE Building Partnership Seminars are focused on building trust and confidence between friends and allies who in moments of crisis must find solutions to grave problems," General Hester said. "Through that sense, the Romania seminar has been an overwhelming success."

The event in Romania consisted of approximately 60 military leaders and support staff members from eight nations focused on objectives that maximize cooperation and coalition building.

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