By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity
JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va., March 8, 2018 — Marine
Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, presented
the Legion of Merit to Czech Gen. Petr Pavel, chairman of the NATO Military
Committee, during a ceremony here today.
More than 250 service members participated in the ceremony
at Whipple Field. The clear, cold day gave great views over Washington and next
door Arlington National Cemetery. The Legion of Merit is the highest award
American leaders can bestow on foreigners.
Pavel has served as chairman of the Military Committee since
June 2015 and his time as chairman coincided with NATO reemphasizing deterrence
in the face of a growing Russian threat. The alliance also had troops in
contact in Afghanistan and joined the effort to defeat the Islamic State of
Iraq and Syria.
Leading Through Challenges
His first mission was to shepherd the decisions made at the
2014 Wales Summit through the Military Committee to ensure the implementation
of those decisions was on course. This included the alliance readiness action
plan to ensure the allies were prepared for the challenges of collective
defense in the 21st century.
Pavel’s time also marked NATO’s growing cooperation with the
European Union. Cyber operations, increasing reliance on space assets,
discussions about needed military capabilities are just a few of the issues
Pavel steered through the committee.
He is the first chairman to come from a nation that was part
of the Warsaw Pact. Before serving in Brussels, he was the chief of the general
staff of the Czech army.
“General Pavel superbly navigated NATO’s Military Committee,
including national military representatives and national chiefs of defense,
through the most challenging period in the alliance’s recent history,” the
Legion of Merit citation states.
Pavel will relinquish the job of chairman to British Air
Marshal Stuart Peach on June 29.
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