Change of command at SHAPE

On 3 May, General Wesley Clark handed over the command of the Supreme Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) to General Joseph Ralston at a ceremony held at Mons, home of the HQ in Belgium.

General Ralston, US Air Force, is also the Commander-in-Chief, United States European Command. He previously held a senior position at the Pentagon, Washington D.C. as vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, making him the second highest-ranking military officer in the United States. General Ralston joined the Air Force in 1965. He is a combat pilot with more than 2,500 flying hours, including combat missions over Laos and North Vietnam.