Allied Command Operations (ACO) Command Senior Enlisted Leader (CSEL) Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Siim Saliste and Allied Land Command CSEL Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Kevin Mathers met with troops during Exercise Steadfast Defender 2021 in Romania from May 31 to June 1, 2021. Throughout the visit the team met with troops from participating nations, military and civilian leaders from the host nation and attended the Distinguished Visitors (DV) day events where Allied troops put their interoperability and training on display.
“We’re all very impressed by the teams out here in Romania as well as the other troops deployed out in the other exercise areas,” said CWO Mathers. “This is such a unique experience that gives an opportunity to these Soldiers from across the Alliance to build on their interoperability, learn from one another and make some last memories they can carry with them throughout their careers.”
“This is such a unique experience that gives an opportunity to these Soldiers from across the Alliance to build on their interoperability, learn from one another and make some last memories they can carry with them throughout their careers. I’m incredibly proud of the efforts of our Allied troops involved in Steadfast Defender 21,” said CSM Siim Saliste. “Their ability to come together quickly, work with one another and demonstrate their capabilities truly shows that as a combined force we are ready and able to meet and defeat any threat when called upon.”
Steadfast Defender 2021 is a NATO-led exercise involving over 9,000 troops from more than 20 NATO Allies and partners. Allies Turkey lead the exercise as commanders of NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF). The objective is to ensure that NATO forces are trained, able to operate together and ready to respond to any threat from any direction. NATO is taking the necessary measures to protect our armed forces. This includes COVID-19 precautions, such as pre-deployment testing and quarantining.
