I was honored to watch the commitment from all involved to include as many community partners and businesses as possible in the event, both inside the NATO Village and outside the NATO Village.
I was honored to have our agency, RTA, be asked to provide delegate transportation for this event and overwhelmed by the delegates appreciation of our services. I learned that in most of their countries public transportation is part of their daily lives.
I was honored to be able to chat with some of the delegates and have them share their extremely positive views on our fine city and the hospitality they received during their visit.
I was honored to watch the RTA Team, as well as all those working at the events, providing top notch service. Everyone worked as a team to show the world we have our act together in Dayton Ohio.
I was honored to see how quickly after the event ended that all parties worked to reopen the secure areas and get our city ready for normal operations.
Finally, I was simply honored to be a Daytonian.
- Robert Ruzinsky, CEO of the Greater Dayton RTA
I applaud the Dayton community for hosting the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. From all accounts, it was a successful event — both for the attendees and for our city.
In 1995, I served as an Air Force liaison officer to the State Department spokesman during the Dayton Peace Accords at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. That experience deeply shaped my understanding of diplomacy and the complexities of peacebuilding.
The Dayton Peace Agreement was never meant to be a perfect or final blueprint for Bosnia and Herzegovina. But it was the attainable solution at the time — one that ended the war and brought a fragile peace to the region.
For the past 29 years, I’ve been part of a local citizen diplomacy group committed to ongoing dialogue about peace in Bosnia, Herzegovina, and the broader Balkans.
Having been part of the support team behind the negotiations, I remain incredibly proud of what the State Department achieved, of the professionalism of the men and women at Wright-Patterson AFB, of my own small role, and of the outpouring of support from the Miami Valley community.
This past weekend during the NATO PA, many enjoyed the privilege of fine venues, cocktails, and social media moments with international guests. But we must not let appearances distract us from deeper truths.
It’s tempting to celebrate peace in the Balkans — but that portrayal is dangerously naive.
There is no true peace — only the absence of active war. Political tension, ethnic division, and fragile institutions still dominate much of the region. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and North Macedonia, historical grievances are still weaponized in politics, civic spaces are shrinking, and reconciliation remains more rhetoric than reality.
As professionals, academics, and community leaders, we must stop romanticizing the Balkans as a “post-conflict” success story. We must acknowledge the persistent instability simmering beneath the surface. Only with clear eyes can we contribute meaningfully to the region’s long-term peace and democratic progress.
Let’s act with clarity — not comfort.
- John W. McCance, Lt. Colonel, USAF (Retired) and Co-Chair of the Dayton Peace Accords Anniversary Committee
One of many facts that most Americans are unaware of is that Article 5 (an attack on one is an attack on all) was invoked only once in all of NATO’s history, and it was invoked for us Americans. Following the tragic attacks on 9/11, NATO sent five and then six NATO AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft to Tinker AFB, OK to fly protective cover over our United States, while our own AWACS aircraft were deployed around the world. They came to OUR aid, and if it were not for NATO, Europe would not be as it is today. I was part of NATO at Ramstein AB, Germany from 1996-99, and later was stationed at Tinker when those AWACS arrived. It was humbling.
- Frank Alfter, Colonel, USAF (Ret), Beavercreek
I have been following the NATO meeting in Dayton with great interest. I was attached to the NATO command (CINCSOUTH, Naples, Italy) as a Navy Bandsman 1992-1995. My duties included performing for the diplomats of the warring interests in the Bosnian War during receptions, dinners, and other formal functions. I am also a native Daytonian, growing up in Moraine, Ohio, graduating from West Carrollton and Wright State University as a music education major.
I left that command in November 1995 just missing out on the first trip to Bosnia for that band after the Dayton Peace Accords were signed. It was a great relief as I was involved with some of the battle planning should peace wasn’t achieved. I am glad it was settled and those plans were never acted upon. I find it amazing that event happened 30 years ago. Cheers to my hometown and all who call it home.
- Michael Durig
Republican leaders funded NATO’s Dayton visit. But will they fund its mission?
NATO isn’t an abstract foreign concern; our nation’s security and economy is intertwined with those of our allies.
U.S. Senator Jon Husted, U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno and U.S. Congressman Mike Turner led efforts to incentivize the NATO events in Dayton as an economic boost. They know as I do that hosting global leadership in Dayton sends a message about the strength of our state and our outsized leadership in the global world.
While they were spending Ohioans tax dollars to attract the summit to Dayton, they have maligned the NATO Alliance in D.C., undermining our standing in the world.
The NATO Parliamentary Assembly was showed what makes Ohio and America a world leader. We must hold Vance, Husted, Moreno and Turner accountable for preserving our transatlantic alliance and stop Trump’s assault on our NATO alliance—maintaining our commitment to our shared values.
- Pavan V. Parikh, Hamilton County Clerk of Courts, Former U.S. Army Reserve Major and Judge Advocate
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
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