Commending the United States military servicemembers and NATO allies who successfully planned, coordinated, deployed, and trained as part of the DEFENDER-EUROPE 2020 Exercise.

reaffirms the United States commitment to the NATO alliance that through collective engagement expands America’s economic, diplomatic, and military capabilities in responding to adversarial and rogue nations, because through these instruments of power the United States is better able to protect its shared economic security interests in Europe and throughout the world;

commends United States military servicemembers for their complex operational planning, execution, and response to emerging threats that demonstrated America’s military might and ability to quickly adapt to the evolving operational environment in order to achieve its strategic objectives;

commends the courage and perseverance that United States forces demonstrated while deployed to Europe, as their selfless efforts saved lives in allied nations by directly contributing to NATO’s response to COVID–19, and additionally, their resilience enabled DEFENDER-EUROPE 2020 to continue and validate multiple operational capabilities that had long gone untested; and

commends the NATO allies who participated in DEFENDER-EUROPE 2020, which enhanced communications, interoperability, readiness, and sustainment among allied forces, as investing in such exercises is necessary for developing new tactics, technologies, and partnerships that will ensure NATO’s strategic advantage over time.