Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall has begun traveling through the U.S. European Command area of responsibility beginning Aug. 19, 2024, to strengthen international partnerships.  

Kendall’s trip reinforces the shared relationship between the United States, the Department of the Air Force and NATO and the importance of the indispensable alliance that ensures transparent and effective collaboration across all warfighting domains to ensure collective security for the region. 

“As threats have evolved, NATO remains as unified as ever,” Kendall said. “This trip will reinforce the Department of the Air Force’s commitment to deter aggression and defend our allies and partners in the region.”    

The initial stop of the trip in Belgium included meetings with key Belgian officials, as well as Vice Admiral Shoshana S. Chatfield, the U.S. military representative to the NATO Military Committee, and other senior U.S. leaders at NATO to emphasize the criticalities of the space domain and value of air power’s deterrent effects.  

“As the NATO alliance continues to grow, we need to ensure there is interoperability across multiple domains,” Kendall said. “The ability to link our forces together so they can fight more effectively as an organization will be key as we continue to shift our focus to re-optimizing for Great Power Competition.”   

Kendall is joined by Kelli Seybolt, the deputy under secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs, as they emphasize the importance of training alongside joint and multinational partners, providing support to Airmen, Guardians and allies across the region, and safeguarding European airspace from potential aggressors.  

Kendall’s trip will include stops in Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, Estonia and Poland, and include meetings with international senior leaders, NATO representatives, and Airmen and Guardians deployed and stationed across the U.S. EUCOM region.