Our Mission: LANDCOM is the Theatre Land Component and Land Advocate responsible for coordinating and synchronizing NATO and Partner Land Forces by enabling land domain READINESS, INTEROPERABILITY, STANDARDIZATION, and COMPETENCY; stands ready to deploy headquarters elements to provide planning, coordination, and C2 capabilities to Allied forces. 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. Initially the organization there was Allied Land Forces Southeastern Europe, under command of 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 JC Southeast was superseded by Allied Air Component Command Izmir.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 assigned 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. To achieve its mission, 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.
