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April 22, 2025 Editor, The News-Gazette: For almost 30 years I played a role in the NATO bureaucracy, most of it on the NATO military warning committee. The experience was enlightening. The United States was and is still the critical nation. Everybody else still looks to us to provide leadership and guidance in the framework of democracy writ large.
That means each nation’s critical issues are reflected in their positions on threat and response as well as resources driven by their domestic politics. Nobody dictates anything. Notice the word - it’s the verb for dictator. NATO was set up as the military and political antidote to the politics of national extremism which caused millions of deaths in two world wars and the holocaust. National issues and priorities are known and addressed in a workaday manner with occasional perennial blivots.
Yes, there were occasional exceptions but as the 900-pound gorilla in the room, management was usually possible. It needs to be remembered it was NATO troops which reoccupied Potsdam and took over the Soviet headquarters at Zossen without firing a shot. The East Germans handed over the keys to their establishments.
One story worth telling was what happened to the East German Navy — their admirals were all assembled in their mess for a dinner hosted by the West German Navy. At the end of it they were instructed to remove their jackets and once collected they were informed they were all retired and could go home in peace, which they did. The Cold War was over, and yes, together with our NATO allies we won. Democracy in the end prevailed over the evil empire.
NATO today is a much bigger entity with the defense budgets increasing across the board. There is a place in Stuttgart where the Ukrainians and U.S. are on one side of the hall and 52 countries, including all of NATO, are on the other side.
This is not over but collective GDP and national will are moving in the right direction. The record is a win in the biggest and longest cold war in history. Putin does not like it. His supporters in this country don’t like it either. Congressman Cline take note. TOBIAS PHILBIN Lexington
