The 18th U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey signs an Austere Challenge 2012 banner. Gen. Dempsey was visiting with U.S. and Israeli service members during AC12 at Hazor, Israel, Oct. 30, 2012. 10th AAMDC Soldiers participate in the joint Austere Challenge 2012 Exercise with Israeli Defense Forces to develop partnered air and missile defense capabilities.

The 18th U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey awards a coin to an Airman for outstanding work. Gen. Dempsey was visiting with U.S. and Israeli service members during AC12 at Hazor, Israel, Oct. 30, 2012. 10th AAMDC Soldiers participate in the joint Austere Challenge 2012 Exercise with Israeli Defense Forces to develop partnered air and missile defense capabilities.

The 18th U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey walks with Israeli Defense Forces officers to their next meeting. Gen. Dempsey was visiting with U.S. and Israeli service members during AC12 at Hazor, Israel, Oct. 30, 2012. 10th AAMDC Soldiers participate in the joint Austere Challenge 2012 Exercise with Israeli Defense Forces to develop partnered air and missile defense capabilities.

Israeli military soldiers and band members prepare for General Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's visit to Tel Aviv, Israel on October 29, 2012.

Israeli military soldiers and band members welcome Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 29, 2012.

Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Sgt. Maj. Bryan Battaglia (right), and Senior Enlisted Leader of the Hungarian Defense Force, Command Sgt. Maj. Istvan Kriston, listen to a briefing given at the 2012 International Senior Enlisted Seminar (ISES), Sept. 6. Held at the George C. Marshall European Center for International Studies in Garmisch, Germany, ISES is the flagship professional development event for NATO, Partnership for Peace and key contact nation senior enlisted leaders, helping to prepare them for increasingly complex and challenging multinational environments, while continuing the development of a professional NCO Corps in NATO and partnered countries.

A two-week joint medical exercise began during a kickoff ceremony here May 28.

Participants of Shared Resilience 2012 stand in formation during the exercise opening ceremony here May 28, 2012. More than 500 military members from nine nations are participating in the annual U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff sponsored exercise May 28 - June 8. The goals of the exercise are to strengthen interoperability, facilitate training in crisis response and disaster management, and validate the readiness of deployable military medical and humanitarian assistance teams. The exercise, in the spirit of partnership for peace, directly supports U.S. European Command's theater cooperation efforts and strategy for active security with European countries.

More than 150 Bosnian-Herzegovinian and U.S. military members cleared brush and overgrown vegetation at the Hutovo Blato National Forest here May 27.

U.S. and Bosnian-Herzegovinian military members clear brush and overgrown vegetation at the Hutovo Blato National Forest here May 27, 2012. More than 150 Bosnian-Herzegovinian military and firefighters and U.S. service members worked together at the national forest to clean up damage caused by a fire in 2011. The goal of the event was to build camaraderie between the partnered nations before beginning Shared Resilience 2012, an annual U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff-sponsored exercise May 28 - June 8.

Comprehensive Joint Assessment is an annual deliberate assessment process directed by Joint Staff to assess a specific topic.

STUTTGART, Germany - Adm. James G. Stavridis became the 15th U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) commander during a change of command ceremony at Patch Barracks here June 30.