U.S. Army Master Sgt. John Shelton, communications information systems noncommissioned officer, Allied Land Command in Izmir, Turkiye. (Courtesy photo)
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IZMIR, Turkiye – U.S. Army Master Sgt. John Shelton is deployed to this NATO ally country straddling the divide between Europe and Asia.
His primary job is to provide communication and information services to NATO’s Allied Land Command headquarters staff responsible for ensuring the effectiveness and interoperability of Soldiers and land forces from the 31 nations in the alliance.
For Shelton, this is his first assignment outside the United States that is not a combat deployment.
“This assignment has allowed me to experience this country’s rich history without needing to carry a rifle,” he said.
Izmir is a tourist city rich in history dating back thousands of years. But the city is also a major international port, Turkiye’s third largest city and a hub of commerce and culture with endless recreational activities.
Shelton, who has served in the Army for 20 years, said that while he has enjoyed the opportunity to experience Izmir, the assignment has not been all fun and games. In the first half of his one-year tour he participated in three combat readiness evaluation exercises including Exercise Steadfast Jupiter 2023 in Istanbul.
Steadfast Jupiter was NATO’s largest and most complex computer-assisted, command post exercise of the 21st century. The exercise included more than 7,000 personnel from 17 NATO nations and 24 multinational headquarters exercising every aspect of military operations from the strategic to the tactical levels.
During Steadfast Jupiter, Shelton served as the G6 Network Operations Center noncommissioned officer in charge, collecting all major significant actions and requests for information while monitoring communications systems specific to the NATO organization.
Shelton has enjoyed the challenges of the assignment including volunteering to serve as the first sergeant for Co. A, Allied Forces South Battalion so the outgoing first sergeant could spend more time focusing on medical readiness related to retirement.
Shelton said the challenges of the assignment also come with opportunities and advises Soldiers new to an assignment to Turkiye to take advantage of the programs available to support Soldiers.
“Utilize the sponsorship program,” said Shelton. “Moving out here is much more complicated if you don’t talk to someone who knows the ‘ins and outs’ of how this place works.
“You get out what you put into this place. There is a lot to see and do here in addition to an opportunity to excel in your career.”
