
General Philippe Lavigne and Vice Admiral Guy Robinson visited the staging area of Norfolk NATO Festival’s Parade of Nations in preparation for Allied Command Transformation’s largest community relations event of the year.
NATO’s Allied Command Transformation remains committed to maintaining a strong relationship with the Hampton Roads community by fostering activities with the general public and local businesses. In doing so, Allied Command Transformation seeks to enhance trust and support within the Hampton Roads community and raise awareness about the Alliance.
In support of these efforts, Allied Command Transformation will be participating in the 70th Norfolk NATO Festival hosted by the Virginia Arts Festival in Downtown Norfolk from April 20-22. In preparation for this high profile event, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation General Philippe Lavigne and Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Guy Robinson visited the warehouse where the floats for the Parade of Nations are being built and modified. During the site tour they viewed the floats of numerous Allied Nations that will be used during the parade and spoke with the staff from Allied Command Transformation that were helping to build them. They also spoke with Alex Pincus, who has organized the Norfolk NATO Festival’s Parade of Nations for the past 24 years, as well as other Festival staff to thank them for their continued support.
Speaking on the importance of this event to Allied Command Transformation’s relationship with the local community, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation General Lavigne said, “Norfolk’s continued support for Allied Command Transformation, as exemplified by the 70th annual Norfolk NATO Festival, really means a lot to all of us. It is always great to see the huge warm welcome from the American people, as well as all the family and friends of our staff who come out to show their support.” Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Robinson added, “It was great to see the enthusiasm of the staff that were working on the floats today, and all the updates that they have been adding onto the floats from last year. They have put a lot of work into them, but hopefully they found the work rewarding and enjoy their opportunity to show off their national float on parade day.”
This year’s Norfolk NATO Festival comes at a unique moment for Allied Command Transformation, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this June. This festival offers the opportunity to celebrate Allied Command Transformation and Joint Force Command Norfolk’s contributions and achievements in NATO and the Hampton Roads region. This year’s events include the Norfolk NATO Festival Flag Raising on April 20th, the NATO Night at the Virginia International Tattoo on April 21st, the Parade of Nations and International Village on April 22nd, as well as a banquet hosted by the Greater Hampton Roads World Affairs Council. For more information about the events, click here.
The Virginia International Tattoo is also taking place from April 20-23, with participants from Allied and Partner nations. This year’s Tattoo features music, dance, drill, and drum performances, as well as the only parade in the United States to honour NATO. For more information about the event, click here.
While Norfolk NATO Festival is Allied Command Transformation’s premier community relations event, the Command also conducts numerous other outreach opportunities throughout the year. These community relations efforts are part of Allied Command Transformation’s broader outreach initiatives that seek to foster and increase public awareness and knowledge about NATO and the Command’s mission; particularly in the next generation of diplomatic and military leaders.