Military

Gen Craddock to replace Gen Jones as head of US European command

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Berlin, Nov 23, IRNA
Germany-US-EUCOM
US Army General John Craddock will officially assume command of the US European Command (USEUCOM) in the south German city of Stuttgart on December 4, a US military press release announced on Thursday.

Craddock, who previously served as commander of the US Southern Command in Miami, replaces Marine General James L Jones, who has served as the USEUCOM commander since January 16, 2003.

Jones is retiring after 40 years of military service.

Created by the US Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1952, USEUCOM is a unified combatant command of the United States military headquartered in Stuttgart.

USEUCOM responsibility covers 21 million square miles and 92 countries and territories, including Europe, Turkey, Greenland, the former Soviet Union except the Central Asian republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and Africa except for Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia.

The command performs a variety of functions including planning for and conducting contingency operations such as non-combatant evacuations and humanitarian relief operations; providing combat- ready forces to both Allied Command Europe and other US unified commands; and conducting intelligence activities and security assistance.

USEUCOM was also the lead command for potential operations during the Cold War, and also during the wars in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Its commander is dual-hatted and also assumes the role of supreme allied commander for Europe (SACEUR) in the NATO hierarchy.

OT/2321/1414