This is my first blog as Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander of U.S. European Command.  I am the first Admiral to assume these two jobs, and the fifteenth officer in a line stretching back to General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

 It is humbling to walk in the steps of my distinguished predecessors, and I am excited to join two superb teams – one in Mons, Belgium (SHAPE) and the other in Stuttgart, Germany (EUCOM).   I spent some wonderful years in Europe and am glad to be back.  I lived in Greece as a child in the 1960s while my father, a U.S. Marine Corps Officer, served as Assistant Naval Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Greece.  My wife, Laura, also lived in Greece during that time, and returned to Europe in the 1970s as a high school student at the U.S. Department of Defense Dependents School in Brussels while her father, a U.S. Naval Aviator, served on the U.S. Mission to NATO.  Both Laura and I enjoyed our prior time in Europe, and we are looking forward to more.

 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

My goal in these first days and weeks is to spend a great deal of time walking around and listening to the teams in both Mons and Stuttgart.  I will be visiting all of our components very soon, and will also begin traveling throughout Europe and to Afghanistan. 

On the NATO side I will focus on Afghanistan and the many other NATO operations; our relations with Russia, which needs to be constructive and transparent; and on helping with developing a strategic concept for the alliance.  I look forward very much to meeting the incoming Secretary-General and renewing a friendship with the current Secretary-General.

From Stuttgart, I want to work hard on developing partnership capacity with our friends throughout the region; conducting effective operations across the spectrum of activity and throughout the region; and enhancing interagency cooperation.

In both Mons and Stuttgart, our ability to articulate our message and communicate it intelligently will be key; it will get a fair amount of my emphasis.  As a leader, I’m committed to communicating effectively, transparently, and honestly.  The professional characteristics that matter to me are simple: civility, quiet confidence, creativity, teamwork and collaboration, determination, and – above all – honesty and integrity.  I’ll write a future post about these characteristics and why I think they are essential.

Let me close with a thank you to everyone at both commands for the superb change of command ceremonies and the warm welcome.  I look forward to accomplishing great things working alongside you!

Adm. James Stavridis
SACEUR and Commander EUCOM