Southcom leader to Europe
Admiral James Stavridis is headed to Europe as Supreme Allied Commander; his appointment was confirmed by the Senate yesterday. Stavridis is well known to (and well liked by) many
here and in Latin America. For the last two and a half years, the Admiral has headed up US Southern Command (a joint command of over 1,200 military and civilian personnel representing the the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Mairn Corps, Coast Guard, as well as other federal agencies). Not only does he have distinguished naval career, Stavridis is also very cultured, widely read and traveled, but best of all, he’s a great listener — not something you see too much in people who have reached his level. I was heartened by his approach to Latin America — he rejected the term “backyard” in refering to Lat Am, saying it was offensive — and he seemed to listen at least as much as he spoke. Stavridis holds a PhD in international relations from the Fletcher School and has one of the best bibilographies on the region I’ve seen. The admiral made lots of friends in Lat Am as well as in south Florida. No doubt he’ll do the same in Europe. Buen viaje, Almirante.

