As I assume command of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and U.S. European Command, I am truly humbled to serve in the position held by such extraordinary leaders as Generals Eisenhower, Ridgway, Shalikashvili, Ralston and most recently Admiral Stavridis.

Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove took command of U.S. European Command here today during a ceremony at the command’s headquarters with Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter presiding.

United States European Command Change of Command Ceremony between Admiral Stavridis and General Breedlove.

Stuttgart Community members should be aware that during the USEUCOM Change of Command rehearsal on May 9 and ceremony on May 10, artillery rounds will be fired between 10-10:15 a.m. Normal traffic and parking will be disrupted before and during the event.

By actively contributing to and participating in Steadfast Jazz 2013, the U.S. can reaffirm its commitment to trans-Atlantic security and to the NATO alliance. It would also show America’s allies in the Baltic States and Poland that their contributions to overseas military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan were appreciated.

In late April, I'll travel to Berlin to give one of the final speeches of my four years as the Supreme Allied Commander for NATO's global operations.In what will be a bit of a valedictory address, I shall talk about the challenges the Alliance faces in the time ahead -- there are many. I'll also offer some thoughts and solutions that I hope will be helpful to my successor and the team that will continue the voyage at NATO headquarters.

U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove was confirmed by the U.S. Senate yesterday as the next United States European Command Commander and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

If confirmed by the Senate, General Breedlove will replace Admiral Jim Stavridis as the Supreme Allied Commander in late Spring.

NATO’s relationship with Russia is a complicated partnership with many facets.

Admiral Stavridis explains why we still have US troops in Europe: shared values; NATO alliance; largest economic trading relationship; and where we can train, exercise and deploy together.

I spent much of a day earlier this week 800 miles north of the Arctic Circle, high up on the western coast of the massive island of Greenland – indeed, the largest island in the world -- in the north Atlantic.

In Afghanistan I'm just flying towards Europe over the Black Sea, and the wind is blowing hard, creating white caps on the surface of that vast inland body of water.

The commander, European Forces Command, Admiral James Stavridis was in Zagreb Feb. 18 to present Lieutenant General Drago Lovric, the Chief of Defence of the Croatian Armed Forces with the Legion of Merit.

It has been said that "to know another language is to know another life." In this rapidly globalizing 21st century world, that simple statement summarizes the gift of regional expertise, cultural understanding, and the ability to communicate directly in the language of an ally, partner or colleague.

I spent a couple of good days in Bern, the capital of Switzerland last week. The Swiss, are -- of course -- famously neutral in terms of international politics. Yet they are good partners with NATO in places like Kosovo in the Balkans, where we see over 200 exceptionally professional Swiss soldiers supporting peace by ensure a safe and secure environment in Kosovo.

As always, here are ten books I found enjoyable, informative, and interesting from my reading list in 2012. Enjoy good reading in 2013, and please feel free to also check out the EUCOM reading list with nearly 100 books that help us all understand the European region.

– U.S. and international military officials have cut the ribbon on a state-of-the-art facility constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District that will enable the NATO special operations forces community to plan, coordinate and conduct vital missions around the globe.

Today was the stand-up of a new command for NATO, Land Component Command Izmir, which will be a 28-nation, three-star enterprise led by an energetic American Lieutenant General, Ben Hodges.

The idea is to keep a small number of our US airmen "on the ground" in Poland, while we rotate in F-16 fighters and C-130 transport aircraft for mutual training together. This is the first full time presence of US service members in Poland.

Last week, I had a chance to spend three days in Israel, observing our largest-ever defense exercise with our close allies and friends in their country.

In the week ahead, I'll focus on two topics that don't always get a huge amount of attention, but are very important: piracy and missile defense.

As we wrap up high summer, it's a sensible time to look ahead at the fall and think about the big tasks facing the NATO Alliance and US European Command. The Olympics and the Jubilee fade to memory, and hopefully most folks have managed to break away for a short vacation to recharge. The autumn will be a busy time.

Reccommended readings from ADM Stavridis