Historic NATO Naval Cooperation Flag – Gift to the National Defence Academy

This flag is a historic symbol of NATO naval cooperation, which was gifted to the National Defence Academy in 2023 during the visit of University of North Georgia Army ROTC cadet Bailey A. Edwards. The flag belonged to her grandfather — U.S. Navy Captain (Ret.) Stephen H. Edwards, whose service was closely connected with the development of NATO collective defense during the Cold War.

Captain Edwards served in NATO’s Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT) — the first permanent NATO naval force. It was established around 1972 to ensure a continuous allied naval presence in the Atlantic Ocean and to demonstrate NATO’s ability to operate as a unified multinational force.

The squadron brought together warships from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, and Portugal. Unlike earlier NATO operations, where units were formed only for specific exercises or crisis periods, STANAVFORLANT was a permanent structure with regular rotations, joint training, and operational readiness.

Captain Edwards commanded the guided missile escort destroyer “USS Furer DEG-6”, which became the first United States ship in the squadron’s initial composition. The creation of the unit was based on earlier NATO experiments with integrated naval forces, especially the “MATCHMAKER” program, during which in the 1960s the concept of long-term joint service of multinational ships was tested.

The first squadron service rotation lasted six months — it began in Halifax, Canada, and concluded in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. During this time, allied sailors not only carried out joint exercises and operations but also formed close professional and personal ties that became the foundation of NATO cooperation in the following decades.

At the conclusion of the deployment, allied officers presented this flag to Captain Edwards as a token of gratitude and friendship. Later, he acknowledged that out of more than 26 years of service and duty on seven destroyers, STANAVFORLANT was the most significant and personally fulfilling experience of his career.

For more than fifty years, the flag was carefully preserved in his military archive in the United States. It was discovered by his granddaughter — a U.S. military cadet — who, while visiting the National Defence Academy during International Cadet Week, decided to present the flag to the Academy as a symbolic gift.

Thus, the flag continues its journey among NATO allies — from the generation of Cold War sailors to the education of today’s future officers.

Today it serves as a symbol of NATO unity, allied trust, professional solidarity, and the continuity of military tradition between nations and generations of officers.