Supreme Allied Commander
NATO military is divided into two commands, Atlantic and Europe. Each has a Supreme Allied Commander as highest ranking military officer. They are known as Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) and Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).In practice, SACEUR is also Commander in Chief, US European Command (CINCEUR), although the two roles may have conflicting interests.
The first SACEUR (1951-1952) was General Dwight Eisenhower. The current (2003- )Commander is General James Jones (USMC), who succeeded General Joseph Ralston (USAF).
In June 2003 the SACLANT organisation was decomissioned and the Allied Command Transformation was established. This is a transitory command, intended to reshape the NATO command structure to respond to rapidly changing world situations and tecnology. The commander of the new organisation is Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani, Jr., U.S. Navy. The headquarters of ACT will be at the old SACLANT headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
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