DISA Europe’s Field office in Belgium leads NATO support

by DISA Europe Field Command / NATO Field Office
November 22, 2021

 

 

 

 

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The DISA Europe Regional Field Command in Stuttgart, Germany, and the DISA NATO Field Office in Brussels, Belgium form the tip of the spear for DISA’s support to NATO standardization and communications interoperability. 

“DISA’s technical and communications capability is known across the alliance as the gold standard to achieve and is an example to emulate,” said John Kahler, chief of the DISA NATO Field Office.

Maj. Gen. Göksel Sevindi, chief of staff for the NATO Communications Information Agency (NCIA), noted in a recent visit by DISA Europe Commander Army Col. Brent Skinner, that “in many ways DISA and NCIA are alike, and we want to continue to build a strong alliance together, focused on technology exchange and an agile acquisition process to benefit the alliance.”

A key element of DISA’s presence and influence at NATO is the DISA NATO Field Office. The office consists of a team assigned as U.S. National Technical Experts (NATEX) and liaison officers working shoulder-to-shoulder with NCIA and its communications acquisition mission. NATO considers a NATEX the most senior national technical expert representing their nation. They work on projects across organizational elements such as software distribution, life cycle sustainment, networking engineering, cyber security, policy and doctrine.

In addition to the NCIA, DISA also supports the U.S. NATO Mission and Military Delegation. The team recommends U.S. points of interests and positions on the NATO Consultation, Command and Control (C3B) and Military Committee Board (MCB). The C3B body focuses on information sharing and interoperability across cyber defense, information assurance, joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The MCB provides direction to the North Atlantic Council, NATO Nuclear Group and two strategic commanders, including the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, who is also dual-hatted as the EUCOM commander.

The three team members – U.S. NATO Mission, Military Delegation and DISA NATO Field Office - work together as a team supporting the U.S. Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of Defense and DOD Chief Information Officer in their respective roles as U.S. members of the alliance and planning boards. DISA’s NATO Field Office plays a critical role in the U.S. NATO mission; however, it does not do it alone. 

“Together with DISA Europe, DISA Headquarters and its members around the globe, the NATO Field Office proudly represents DISA’s commitment to excellence in defense of the nation,” Skinner said.