US European Command signed an agreement with the European Union to facilitate the exchange of information and cooperation between the two, according to a Nov. 30 release. The formal agreement, signed by EUCOM commander Gen. Philip Breedlove and EU military staff director general Lt. Gen. Wolfgang Wosolsobe, will make it easier for the US and the EU to work together on defense and security matters. The US and EU had pledged in 2014 to increase security and crisis response management cooperation, said Anthony Gardner, the US ambassador to the EU, in a written statement. “I’m thrilled to see that pledge become a reality,” he said. “This US mission to the EU will continue to advance US-EU foreign policy partnership to assist in facing common threats, providing humanitarian assistance, and furthering other common areas of interest.” Pedro Serrano, the European External Action Service’s deputy secretary general for common security and defense policy, said the agreement is a marker of progress. “The ‘enduring alliance’ across the Atlantic is needed more than ever in the current international security environment,” he said.
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…