Brussels
NATO Support Activity (NSA or SupAct) provides administrative and logistical support to US agencies and personnel located in Brussels and coordinates additional missions and functions assigned by the Commander. NSA is not in the same location as NATO itself (approx. 5-minute drive from NATO). NSA is part of the NATO/SHAPE Support Group (NSSG)(80th Area Support Group) headquartered at Daumerie Caserne near Chievres Air Base (approximately 50 miles). Presently over 30 agencies and activities representing approximately 2,200 military, civilian, and their family members receive some form of administrative support from NATO Support Activity (NSA).

Duty stations are located in one of the following: at the Brussels American School, at the Defense Attache Office (DAO at US Embassy), at the Defense Contract Management Command, at the Det 6 Air Postal Squadron, at the DoDDS Superintendent's Office (DSO), at the NATO C3 Agency Brussels, at the NATO Headquarters proper, at the NATO Health / Dental Clinics, at the NATO Support Activity, at the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC).

The NATO Support Activity (US Army) is located on the Northeastern side of Brussels. Its mission is to provide assistance to the US operations at NATO and to the other US governmental groups mentioned above. Support services are similar to those at larger military installations, although there is no actual military post in Brussels. Post exchange, commissary, and additional support facilities are available approximately 50 miles away at Chievres Air Base, Belgium, near SHAPE, Belgium.

The primary mission of NATO Support Activity (part of the 80th Area Support Group) is to provide support to NATO and other governmental agencies under the NATO umbrella. As of late 1998 there were approximately 315 military from all branches of service assigned in Brussels, approximately 460 US government civilians, and approximately 1,300 family members. NATO came into being in 1949 with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty by the US and European countries. The basis of the treaty was to combine the military and political forces of Europe to promote stability. An attack against any one or more of the members would be considered and treated as an attack against all of them. The number of countries belonging to the organization has grown from the original 12 to 16. The countries currently belonging to NATO are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Originally, the NATO headquarters was based in Paris, France, and it moved to Belgium in 1967. In the past few years, a lot of work has been done to cooperate with a number of former Warsaw Pact countries (Partnership for Peace). NATO is made up, among other sections, of the International Staff, the NATO Military Committee, the US Mission to NATO, the International Military Staff, and the US Military Delegation to the Military Committee. Recently, NATO has also become host to the NATO-Russia Council and the Partnership for Peace (PfP). NATO's plans to take in three new members (the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland) took effect in 1999. In 1998, a decision was made to solve the problem NATO has with space allocation in the current NATO building. There were four options: a move to a nearby Belgian military facility, an expansion of the existing structure, a new construction, or a move to Bonn (Germany).

The NATO Support Activity is a unique community that offers a wide fast moving housing market. Available housing is privately leased. Only bachelor soldiers E1-E6 are eligible for government housing. All others enjoy the local economy, where most dwellings are single-family houses with yards and garages, located within the boundaries of the DoD school bus route. Most Community Services are located in Chievres - 50 miles southeast, or SHAPE - 44 miles southeast. However, NSA houses a mini PX, library, snack bar, and Travel Office.

Brussels is a cosmopolitan and multilingual city. Official languages in Belgium are French, Dutch and German. Brussels is ideal for travel to all of Europe. Brussels itself is approximately: 220 miles from Paris, France and 150 miles from Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The city is a delicious blend of the old and new. It is a bustling city of over one million people. Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is an important international city with approximately one million people. It is host to the headquarters for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union, and many international companies. In addition to being a pleasant and comfortable place to live, Belgium also boasts a wide variety of historic sights and including open markets, museums, parks, and the city's famous square, the Grand Place.