It was our pleasure to welcome the Allied Command Operations Command Senior Enlisted Leader (ACO CSEL), Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Siim Saliste, at STRIKFORNATO on 25 and 26 November. CSM Siim Saliste is the sixth Command Senior Enlisted Leader (CSEL) for Allied Command Operations (ACO) at NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). He also serves as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe's principle advisor on matters affecting non-commissioned members (NCM) in the Alliance.

STRIKFORNATO hosted the visit of ACO CSEL CSM Siim Saliste to provide relevant background information on STRIKFORNATO with particular interest regarding the current program of work. During his visit, ACO CSEL CSM Siim Saliste met with the senior enlisted personnel from each STRIKFORNATO member country and discussed further engagement between the two.

STRIKFORNATO provides a Maritime Battle Staff under the Operational Command (OPCOM) to SACEUR in order to deliver a rapidly deployable and scalable headquarters capable of planning and executing the full spectrum of joint maritime operations, and providing command and control of maritime Ballistic Missile Defence, primarily through integration of U.S. naval and amphibious forces, in order to provide assurance, deterrence, and collective defence for the Alliance.

Allied Command Operations (ACO) is responsible for the planning and execution of all Alliance operations. It consists of a small number of permanently established headquarters, each with a specific role. Supreme Allied Commander Europe – or SACEUR – assumes the overall command of operations at the strategic level and exercises his responsibilities from the headquarters in Mons, Belgium: Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, more commonly known as SHAPE.