THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2025 15 our military forces overseas after these attacks was necessary, but it was by no means sufficient. Along with those forces, on the front lines and in the trenches, we relied on civilian members of many other federal agencies to serve as the ultimate force multiplier. Like sailors, soldiers, airmen, and Marines, our civilians from the State Department and other agencies operated by our side at the tip of the spear, assuming similar risks as we fought our common enemy. This understanding was not lost on me when I assumed the duties of commander of the U.S. Sixth Fleet from 2014 to 2016 and later as the four-star commander of Naval Forces Europe and Africa and commander of Allied Joint Forces Command in Naples, Italy, from 2017 to 2020. I valued the contribution of our U.S. ambassadors and their country teams in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East in the areas of my responsibility. I traveled frequently and always made it a priority to stop first at the U.S. embassy and pay a call on the ambassador or chargé d’affaires and meet with the U.S. country team. These visits were always enlightening. Whenever possible, I adjusted my schedule and my talking points to align with the subject matter experts in the diplomatic service of our nation. Likewise, when I could not travel to the region, I set up a series of regional ambassadors conferences at my headquarters in Naples, coordinated by my State Department political adviser. The Black Sea, Balkans, and Southern Europe/North Africa ambassadors conferences brought together our U.S. ambassadors, U.S. defense attachés, and chiefs of navies from Allied and partner countries, who convened to discuss regional issues and pooled resources to solve difficult challenges in support of collective national interests. As a naval officer, I have always supported the position of Theodore Roosevelt, who once opined: “A good Navy is not a provocation of war. It is the surest guarantee of peace.” I will always value the U.S. Navy’s contribution as an extended arm of diplomacy, and this principle guided me during my 11 years as a flag officer. My hat is off to those expeditionary diplomats who helped me during my many tours of duty in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Serving alongside them, I learned that diplomats do extraordinary things to save American lives. They, like our colleagues in uniform, are essential to our nation’s security and prosperity. They have protected us for decades. Now it is our turn to protect them. n Some of the wisest commanders in the U.S. military taught me that U.S. ambassadors and their expert country teams were an essential ingredient in advancing the interests and national security of the United States of America.
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