At the ceremony held on 3rd May in the Belgian city Mons, the General of the American Air Force, Tod Volters became the official commander of the Supreme Joint Command of NATO European Powers (SACEUR). The ceremony was held in the presence of Jens Stoltenberg, General Secretary of the NATO and Volter`s predecessor, General Kurtis Skaparotti. The first man of NATO stated that the former commanders of “SHAPE”, 18 of them, had great responsibility because they were at the top of the Western Alliance during the Cold War, when they opposed the Soviet Union. In addition, they have stopped the brutal wars in the Balkans, helped to defeat Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and spread freedom and democracy throughout Europe. Stoltenberg said that his leadership and vision were key in strengthening NATO. He added that the Western Military Alliance under his command carried out the largest deployment of its troops by deploying four fighting groups in eastern Europe. According to Stoltenberg, thanks to Scaparoti, readiness of NATO units has been strengthened and their willingness to face challenges in North Africa and the Middle East.
“Now is the time for the command to be handed over to General Walters. He will be the commander-in-chief of the 29 NATO member states and will be concerned about their security and security. General Volters will confront the current challenges and threats that evolve. I am sure that he will continue to demonstrate the same level of dedication and determination in his work as he has done in his previous career”, added Stoltenberg.