The helm of US European Command changed hands Monday from Marine Corps Gen. James Jones to Army Gen. John Craddock in a ceremony at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany. On Thursday, there’ll be a repeat performance when Craddock assumes the mantle of Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, in a ceremony in Mons, Belgium. Craddock, who previously served as head of US Southern Command, has spent 13 years in European assignments during his career.
U.S. Southern Command recently announced its first lethal strike on a suspected narco-trafficking vessel in two months, and the first under a newly formed permanent counter-cartel task force. The U.S. is also reportedly planning to transfer MQ-9 drones to Colombia to bolster its counter-cartel efforts.