Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti took over command of US European Command during a ceremony on Tuesday, replacing retiring Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove. Scaparrotti arrives in Brussels after serving as commander of US Forces Korea and as commander of ISAF Joint Command. “Scap knows the practicalities of land and joint combat,” Carter said at the ceremony in Stuttgart, Germany. “He has been a tower of strength and deterrence, continually preparing his troops for evolving threats.” Scaparrotti takes over as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during a time of increased tensions between the US, its allies, and Russia. “Today, our way of life is at a pivotal moment as we are encountering numerous threats and strategic challenges,” Scaparrotti said at the event, according to a Defense Department release.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. still “believes” in his mantra of “Accelerate Change or Lose”—and indicated the doctrinal changes it produced when he was Air Force Chief of Staff played a role in the service’s recent response to Iran’s aerial assault on Israel, he…