Allied Land Command

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NATO Allied Land Command Headquarters, Izmir (Turkey)

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Allied Land Command (LANDCOM) is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's senior land forces command. It is tasked to support the land forces' readiness, competency and standardization, including evaluation and certification; providing a land force planning capability; and, when directed by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), provides the core of the headquarters responsible for the conduct of land operations. Based in Izmir, Turkey, the 400-person headquarters assumed the responsibilities of Allied Force Command Heidelberg in Germany and Force Command Madrid in Spain, which were deactivated as part of NATO’s transformation.

NATO has had a headquarters at Izmir for decades. Initially the organization there was Allied Land Forces Southeastern Europe, under a United States Army lieutenant general. After the end of the Cold War, for a period, this became Joint Command Southeast. JC Southeast was superseded by Allied Air Component Command Izmir. From August 11, 2004, the headquarters of NATO's Allied Air Component Command in the south, formerly known as AIRSOUTH, was located in İzmir, Turkey. AAC Izmir was activated at General Vecihi Akin Garrison (GVAG), Sirinyer, Izmir, that year. Significant support to U.S. personnel there was provided by Izmir Air Station. The NATO CC-Air HQ İzmir was responsible to the Allied Joint Force Command Naples based in Naples, Italy. The NATO Command Structure reorganization in mid-2011 reduced the number of land force headquarters from two (Heidelberg and Madrid) to one.

LANDCOM was founded by the North Atlantic Council to ensure the interoperability of NATO land forces, and placed directly under the Supreme Allied Commander Europe to be the leading voice on land issues within the Alliance. Lt. Gen. Frederick Hodges was the first commander of the new command in Izmir. Today, LANDCOM is commanded and led by Lt. Gen. Darryl Williams. NATO land forces are an integral partner in six of the eight Joint Operations envisioned in the alliance's strategy and are trained and ready to deliver joint effects as a supported or supporting component or as the controlling headquarters of a joint operation. Land forces must be capable of operating as a key component of a comprehensive approach to a wide range of missions, working with civilian governmental and non-governmental organizations. To achieve the intended effect, LANDCOM will leverage each member nation’s land force capabilities and core competencies and the collective experiences of its officers, NCOs, soldiers and institutions to strengthen the networks, relationships, and effectiveness of all alliance land forces and those of partner nations.