Change of Command at EUCOM and SHAPE
Adm. James G. Stavridis became the 15th U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) commander during a change of command ceremony at Patch Barracks on June 30.
The Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen presided over the ceremony that transferred command to Stavridis from Army Gen. John Craddock, who served as the USEUCOM commander since December 2006.
"Partnership is what this command is all about," Stavridis said in his welcoming speech. "Partnership is built on trust, confidence and shared experience - we have all of these not only with our host nation, but with many nations across this beautiful continent.
"The challenges are many from natural disasters, pandemic diseases, cyber attack and transnational terrorism," he said. "But I will tell you, in every challenge there is an opportunity. An opportunity for partnership. For partnership that is transparent and built on trust."
The "United States European Command" (EUCOM) is one of ten Unified Combatant Commands of the United States military, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers 21 million square miles and 51 countries and territories, including Europe, Iceland, Greenland, and Israel.
The EUCOM commander's responsibility spans 51 nations and five U.S. subordinate commands represented by the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Special Operations Command, Europe.
Stavridis, who previously served as the commander of U.S. Southern Command in Miami, will also serve as the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, following a July 2 change of command ceremony in Mons, Belgium.
The change of command at SHAPE, presided over by NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, marks the first time in NATO history that a navy admiral assumes the post since the position was established in 1951 when General Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first SACEUR.
Admiral Stavridis is the sixteenth American officer to hold the prestigious post.
“Today I am lucky enough to find myself standing on the bridge, ready to take the watch; but I know I am not taking the watch alone,” said Admiral Stavridis after assuming command.
“With me are over seventy thousand shipmates – military and civilian – in three continents from the populated plains and coasts of Europe to the bright blue of the Mediterranean Sea; from the high mountain passes of Afghanistan to the distant Arctic Circle.”
“You stand in a long line of heroes who ‘stood and delivered’ across this continent for decades in both war and peace,”Stavridis continued. “I honour your service, I pledge my support and loyalty to each of you, and I will continue to strengthen the pillars of our transatlantic bridge as we build new ones. That is my mission, and I will do my best."
SACEUR is responsible to NATO’s Military Committee, the highest military authority in NATO, for the overall direction and conduct of military operations for NATO. SACEUR, always a United States flag or general officer, is dual-hatted as Commander U.S. European Command. His command is exercised from Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) at Casteau, Belgium.
Admiral Stavridis commented on these two commands in his blog "From the bridge":
You will have noticed that I have titled this blog “From the Bridge.” I’ve done so not because of the naval reference (the bridge is the area on a ship from which it is commanded) but because of the function that both SHAPE and EUCOM serve as important links between the United States and our friends in Europe, effectively “bridging” the Atlantic.
As I look at these two commands, my initial sense is that I will try to continue an approach that worked successfully in my previous command, U.S. Southern Command, which focuses on Latin America and the Caribbean. While the two regions are very different, many of the most important tasks are similar:
- Undertaking international security cooperation in a way that is respectful of the technology, culture and language of our Allies and partners, and increases our collective capability
- Conducting interagency cooperation, and supporting our interagency teammates in their important work
- Focusing strategic communication to articulate our message, coordinating it with Allies, partners and friends, and disseminating it in both traditional and innovative ways".
Admiral Stavridis’s background may mean he is well-suited for reading NATO’s complex and often-conflicting geography of national priorities. His grandfather was an ethnic Greek born and raised in Turkey, Greece’s historical rival, who immigrated to the United States in 1910. Admiral Stavridis was born in 1955 in West Palm Beach, Fla., to a military family, and he lived in Greece as a young child while his father, an officer in the Marines, was assigned to the United States Embassy in Athens.
With an undergraduate degree from the Naval Academy, and a master’s degree and doctorate from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, Admiral Stavridis has drawn the attention of Navy leaders and senior Pentagon civilians for his understanding of strategic doctrine, long-range planning and international affairs.
He holds various decorations and awards, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal and five wards of the Legion of Merit. He is author or co-author of several books on naval shiphandling and leadership, including Command at Sea and Destroyer Captain.
Reference:
1. United States European Command http://www.eucom.mil
2. North Atlantic Treaty Organization http://www.nato.int
3. US Department of Defense http://defenselink.mil
4. Official Blog of US EUCOM http://useucom.wordpress.com
5. Wikipedia http://www.wikipedia.org
6. Interact Jacksonville.com Admiral Stavridis reflects on past, future