The Director of Public Affairs for the United States European Command (EUCOM), a German-based American 
In Sderot, Capt. Buclatin will observe the media challenges faced in the area from up close.
military unified command hub, is in Israel this week for a series of meetings with senior Israeli officials and IDF officers. He will also be visiting rocket-battered Sderot.
Navy Captain Ed Buclatin arrived on Sunday as the official guest of the IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Avi Benayahu. The EUCOM official is scheduled to hold discussions with senior officers from the IDF Spokesperson Unit and a number of Israeli government spokespeople. Capt. Buclatin is accompanied by two additional military officers.
In Sderot, Capt. Buclatin will observe the media challenges faced in the area from up close. He will also visit Navy and Air Force bases, where he will be escorted by spokespeople from the Israeli Navy and the IAF. Future US-Israeli cooperation in public relations will be discussed at the conclusion of the visit.
"This is an amazing opportunity to visit Israel, meet my counterparts, and get a first-hand understanding of the issues and challenges the IDF Spokesperson's Unit is faced with every day," Capt. Buclatin said. "US European Command Public Affairs and the IDF Spokesperson's Unit have fostered a strong relationship based on cooperation and understanding. Professional visits such as this further our mutual commitment for continued interaction and engagement."
Commenting on the working visit, Brig.-Gen. Benayahu said, "We have extensive experience working with the media during wartime. I intend to share that experience with my American colleagues and learn from their own experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is clear to us all that spokesmanship is monumentally important in urban warfare and the war on terror."
The IDF stresses that the visit was scheduled in advance as part of the routine ties between the two armies, and is intended to strengthen the professional and personal cooperation between the spokesmen. The IDF Spokesperson Unit and EUCOM maintain regular working ties and have held a series of joint exercises. Several months ago, eight American photographers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan took part in an Israeli course focused on documentation in combat situations. Likewise, representatives from the IDF Spokesperson Unit visited the EUCOM Public Affairs headquarters in Germany.
In September of this year, EUCOM deployed a high-powered X-band radar in Israel, along with the American soldiers and equipment needed for operating the system. Needed for a coordinated defense against Iranian missile attack, the radar "was provided at the request of the Israeli government to improve their defensive capabilities," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Corey Barker, a EUCOM spokesman. He said there was no fixed length of time for the presence of the US military personnel, including about 120 people, including soldiers, airmen and Marines.
An IDF spokesman commented at the time, "This cooperation is varied and comes in multiple forms, and it is not our practice to discuss details of our bilateral activities."