Ministry Of Defence
The GEO is the operating title of the United Kingdoms military mission in Germany. It is a UK Strategic Command capability within Directorate Overseas Bases.
The GEO is the United Kingdoms responsible and accountable authority for UK Defence activity in Germany. It is responsible and accountable to:
- the authorities of the United Kingdom
- the authorities of the Federal Government of Germany
- allied sending states in Germany: BEL, NLD, FRA, CAN, USA
The head of the organisation is referred as the United Kingdoms Head of Mission to the sending states Germany.
All the United Kingdoms defence activity in Germany, whether resident or transient, is enabled through compliance with:
- NATO Status of Forces Agreement (NATO SOFA)
- Supplementary Agreement to the NATO SOFA Germany
- other specific-to-task subordinate agreements drawn in detail from the above
What we do
The United Kingdoms military mission in Germany can be likened to that of a local authority in the United Kingdom.
The GEO provides a range of enabling capability. For example, personal support with immigration status and identification, registering private vehicles, and providing tax advice - through to the more strategic requirements of enabling military equipment and personnel to operate in and through Germany. This includes commercial contracting, commercial lift (rail, road, air), and enabling airports and seaports for use by UK Defence.
NATO SOFA Supplementary Agreement in Germany
In 1959 the United Kingdom became a signatory nation to the NATO SOFA Supplementary Agreement in Germany, becoming an international partner member of the sending states forum Germany.
Each sending state must retain a military mission in Germany responsible for the nations compliance with the agreement and the delivery of delegated capabilities, for example immigration, diplomatic clearance and more.
History
NATO was created in 1949. Subsequently, the NATO SOFA was ratified and brought into service in 1951.
The purpose of the NATO SOFA is to deliver a foundational legal framework setting out common measures for the presence and operation of one nation states (sending state) military in the territory of another nation state (receiving state). The agreement allows for further refined bilateral or multilateral arrangements to be developed.
An example of a further refined multilateral agreement is the Supplementary Agreement in Germany. The agreement was signed in 1959 at Bonn by the United Kingdoms Ambassador to West Germany, Sir Christopher Steel. At this time he was also the permanent UK representative to NATO.
The UK has maintained its membership since inception. From 1959 to September 2019 the British Army provided the United Kingdoms military mission in Germany through bases and was responsible for the conduct of the whole of defence in Germany under the terms of the agreement.
In 2010 it was determined that the British Army would withdraw from Germany as a base. Withdrawal was concluded in September 2019.
In 2012 the United Kingdom retained membership of the Supplementary Agreement in Germany in recognition of its strategic value and acknowledged the requirement for a UK military mission in Germany.
The military mission transferred to operate under the then Joint Forces Command, now United Kingdom Strategic Command.
The Germany Enabling Office officially assumed the responsible and accountable role on behalf of UK Defence on 23 September 2019 and continues to deliver it today.
Related content
UK Defence in Germany - Information notes
NATO Status of Forces Agreement - identification of status
Spousal employment - NATO Status of Forces Agreement and Supplementary Agreement Germany
Contact
Email: GSO-GEO-CmdGrp@mod.gov.uk