[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 154 (Tuesday, November 30, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H7724-H7726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1910
COMMENDING THE NATO SCHOOL
Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 527) commending the NATO School for its critical
support of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) efforts to promote
global peace, stability, and security, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 527
Whereas the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany is the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) premier
operational-level education and training facility and has
administered courses to over 185,000 officers,
noncommissioned officers, and civilians from NATO allied and
partner nations since its inception in 1953;
Whereas for 60 years, NATO has served as the bedrock of
transatlantic security and defense, successfully defending
the territories of its North American and European member
[[Page H7725]]
states from a range of external threats and promoting
democratic values throughout North America, Europe, and
Eurasia;
Whereas since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of
the Cold War, NATO has been adapting to address a range of
new and emerging security challenges, including transnational
terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,
the re-emergence of regional and local conflicts, cyber
attacks, piracy, and threats to global energy security;
Whereas while NATO transforms to address the emerging
security challenges of the 21st century, the NATO School
functions as the Alliance's primary vehicle to educate and
train the men and women serving in NATO missions to
successfully carry out the full spectrum of crisis management
operations, from combat and peacekeeping to logistics
support, humanitarian relief and governance enhancement,
institution building, and civil security;
Whereas the NATO School plays a crucial role in supporting
NATO's ongoing operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, the
Mediterranean, and elsewhere, providing much of the training
for NATO personnel serving in NATO's core stabilization
mission in Afghanistan and conducting almost all of NATO's
out-of-country training of Iraqi military officers;
Whereas NATO School efforts to support NATO's ongoing
mission in Afghanistan, including through its training for
personnel in NATO's Provincial Reconstruction Teams, are a
particularly critical component of international efforts to
combat transnational terrorism;
Whereas the NATO School offers a broad-based and
comprehensive approach to its training and educational
activities including courses in civil-military cooperation,
crisis management, peace support operations, and arms control
and non-proliferation that draw upon a range of military,
development, and governance tools;
Whereas the NATO School currently offers 90 courses to
individuals from over 100 countries including an array of
unique programs dedicated to building civilian, governance,
and military capacity in aspiring NATO member states;
Whereas in addition to offering courses at its headquarters
in Oberammergau, the NATO School conducts a variety of
programs through its network of 15 Partnership for Peace
Training and Education Centers located in countries ranging
from Ukraine to the United States;
Whereas the NATO School raises a large portion of its
operating expenses through tuition fees, but also receives
significant financial support from both the United States and
German governments and relies in large part on the invaluable
contribution of expert faculty from NATO member states and
partner countries;
Whereas in February 2009 the NATO School hosted a United
States Congressional delegation for the first time in the
School's history when the United States House delegation to
the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) visited the School
in an effort to boost domestic and international public and
parliamentary support for NATO missions and activities; and
Whereas Congress continues to support the NATO School and
recognizes the critical role it plays in enhancing the
ability of NATO and the United States to successfully
confront the security challenges of the 21st century: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) commends the NATO School for its critical support of
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) efforts to promote
global peace, stability, and security;
(2) reaffirms its commitment to NATO as the bedrock of
transatlantic security and defense; and
(3) expresses appreciation to Colonel James J. Tabak, USA-
MC, for his leadership of the NATO School during his tenure
as commandant from June 2006 to June 2009 and to the NATO
School faculty and staff for their hard work and commitment
to advancing the School's mission, to NATO member states and
partner countries for their consistent and invaluable
contribution of expert faculty to the NATO School, and for
the strong partnership between the United States and German
governments in providing financial support and leadership for
the NATO School.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Tanner) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
General Leave
Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Tennessee?
There was no objection.
Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, this resolution commending the NATO School
for its critical efforts to promote peace, stability and security is
something long overdue, in my opinion.
Last year, I had the honor of participating in a visit of the
bipartisan House delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to the
NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany. The NATO School's mission is to
provide courses in support of the current and developing NATO strategy
and policy, including cooperation and dialogue with military and
civilian personnel from non-NATO countries. As such, the school serves
as NATO's premier operational-level education and training center, and
it plays, I can tell you, a crucial role in preparing the United States
and its allies to face the evolving security challenges of the 21st
century.
Since 1953, more than 185,000 officers, noncommissioned officers and
civilians from all allied and national military commands within the
NATO Alliance have attended courses at the school. In addition,
students from the Alliance's Partnership for Peace Program and the
Mediterranean Dialogue attend the school. I'm proud to report that ours
was the first U.S. congressional delegation to visit the NATO School in
its 57-year history.
The curriculum taught at the NATO School offers our soldiers,
civilian leaders and allies over 90 different specialized courses on
subjects such as arms control strategies, counterinsurgency training,
intelligence gathering, electronic warfare, special operations and a
host of other programs. Courses are continually revised and updated to
reflect current operations and developments in NATO, and in so doing,
the school strives for top-down clarity of vision in the educational
process.
With the unveiling of NATO's new Strategic Concept earlier this month
in Lisbon, which details NATO's evolving role in global affairs, it is
especially important that we stop and take a moment to acknowledge and
support the work of the NATO School so that we can continue to operate
as a truly unified alliance.
I would ask our colleagues to support this resolution.
With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to first congratulate the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Tanner) for sponsoring this legislation, and I rise in
strong support of House Resolution 527, which commends the NATO School
in Oberammergau, Germany, for its critical support of the NATO
Alliance's efforts to promote global peace, stability and security.
The NATO School in Germany provides support and training for NATO's
operations, including the stabilization mission in Afghanistan and the
training of Iraqi officers. The school offers courses and programs to
individuals from different countries focusing on peace support
operations, arms control and nonproliferation, civil-military
cooperation, governance and the building of military capacity in
aspiring NATO member states.
As we all know, the NATO Alliance was the heart of trans-Atlantic
security during the Cold War and is now transforming itself to address
new security challenges. There is indeed a multitude of emerging
threats and challenges that the Alliance must play a role in
addressing, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
and piracy and the challenge NATO faces in the stabilization mission in
Afghanistan. Indeed, NATO's performance in Afghanistan will serve as a
test with regard to the Alliance's effectiveness and relevance in
addressing the security challenges of the 21st century.
As the measure notes, the NATO School itself is playing an important
role in ensuring that the NATO mission in Afghanistan is a complete
success.
Again, I would like to express my support of this resolution, and I
urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it as
well.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TANNER. Thank you, Mr. Poe.
At this time, it is with a great deal of pleasure that I yield 3
minutes to my colleague, David Scott, from Georgia. Mr. Scott is a
member of the NATO parliamentary delegation from the Congress to the
NATO Parliamentary Assembly headquartered in Brussels, and he has made
an enormous contribution in that area.
[[Page H7726]]
Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Thank you very much, Mr. Tanner. I certainly
appreciate that.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in order to recognize and commend the NATO
School for its critical support of NATO's efforts to promote global
peace, stability and security. As a member of the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly, I have seen firsthand and I have been a part of and supported
the many great efforts of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to
maintain security and favorable relations between not only the NATO
member states but with those states that are outside of the region and
our 28-nation Alliance.
Mr. Speaker, for over 60 years, NATO has been the foundation in
maintaining trans-Atlantic security and defense. It has successfully
defended the territories of its North American and European member
states from numerous external threats while promoting democracy and its
values throughout the Western World and Eurasia. Since NATO's
beginning, the NATO School in Germany has served as a premier
operational-level education and training facility and has supplemented
the knowledge, skills and experience of over 185,000 officers,
noncommissioned officers, and civilians from NATO-allied and partner
nations.
Mr. Speaker, I have visited the NATO School personally during a
recent trip to Germany, and I have seen firsthand the extraordinary and
effective job that they are doing. As NATO continues to evolve and
transform to address 21st century threats, the NATO School's importance
is all the more emphasized. Its support role is critical to NATO's
ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, Kosovo and elsewhere, and
the NATO School continues to provide much of the training for personnel
serving in NATO stabilization mission in Afghanistan and conducts much
of NATO's out-of-country training of Iraqi military officers. It is
very important to note that the training and education the school
provides beyond strictly military strategies, including civil-military
cooperation, crisis management, and peace support operations and arms
control and nonproliferation, issues that draw upon a range of
military, development and governance tools.
Our recognition of the NATO School today, Mr. Speaker, falls just 2
days after confirmation that six NATO troops were killed during
training operations in eastern Afghanistan. Their sacrifices underscore
the continued importance and relevance of NATO and the NATO School as
it evolves in the 21st century, making our Nation's commitment to the
organization and its efforts to promote global peace and democracy all
the more important.
So this resolution is very important, and I commend the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner), who is also the president of the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly. And I commend him not only for this resolution,
but I commend Mr. Tanner also for the extraordinary service that he has
given over the years to NATO.
Mr. POE of Texas. I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. McMahon). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 527, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground
that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum
is not present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
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