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NATO Celebrates 70 Years of Peace

April 2, 2019 | By Jim Garamone
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NATO has been called the most successful alliance in history.

The organization celebrates its 70th anniversary on April 4. On that day in 1949, 12 nations signed the North Atlantic Treaty, establishing NATO and ensuring years of peace in Europe.

A tank drives as a helicopter flies above.
A tank drives as a helicopter flies above.
Overhead Security
An Army AH-64D Apache helicopter from 1st Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, provides overhead security for soldiers during a live-fire air assault exercise as part of the Rock Spring exercise at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, March 4, 2018. The soldiers are assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and the 1st Infantry Division.
Download: Full Size (2.7 MB)
Credit: Army Sgt. Brandon Brashere
VIRIN: 190304-A-LD568-405C

The United States has been a mainstay in the alliance since its formation. At the height of the Cold War, there were more than a million American service members in Europe helping ensure the peace.

A group stands below a large sculpture.
A group stands below a large sculpture.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Joe W. McFadden
Germans and Americans gather for the reopening ceremony of the Berlin Airlift Memorial at Frankfurt International Airport, Germany, Nov. 22, 2016. The memorial, which features a corresponding tower in Berlin, commemorates the two launchpads for the humanitarian airlift conducted by the U.S. and British air forces to deliver food and supplies to the blockaded citizens of West Berlin between June 1948 and September 1949.
Download: Full Size (2.28 MB)
Credit: Staff Sgt. Joe McFadden
VIRIN: 161122-F-ZL078-348C

Through the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall, American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines and their civilian counterparts have given Europeans the gift of stability.

A Deeper Dive into NATO History A Deeper Dive into NATO History: https://dod.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1803445/a-short-history-of-nato/

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