WHO

SOUTHERN COMMAND - NATO CONNECTION

From Panama and Miami to NATO (and beyond for some)

by WHO

There has been a SouthCom/Panama-NATO connection going way back:

The post of Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR) (top military commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and concurrently, Commander in Chief, U.S. European Command (EuCom) has been held by the following U.S. Generals since the inception of those positions.

Seven of the 15 (as of November 2006) had served in the Southern Command or its predecessor command, in Panama or Miami, previous to their NATO assignment (names noted in blue below).

Of those seven, three were Commander in Chief of U.S. Southern Command in Panama (Generals John Galvin, George Joulwan, and Wesley Clark); one was Commander of Southern Command in Miami (Bantz Craddock); and one was Commander in Chief of Caribbean Command in Panama -- SouthCom’s predecessor command (Matthew Bunker Ridgway).

NATO COMMANDERS
General Dwight D Eisenhower, Army, 1951 – 1952
	(Panama Jan 1922-Sept 1924, as a captain then major and executive officer to General Fox Conner, commander of the 20^th Brigade, Camp Gaillard, Panama Canal Zone) (1953-1961, 34^th President of the United States)

General Matthew B Ridgway, Army, 1952 – 1953
	(in Panama June 1948-Oct 1949, as Commander in Chief, Caribbean Command at Quarry Heights; 1931-1932, with the 33^rd Infantry Brigade at Fort Clayton) (After Panama, he was deputy chief of staff for administration 1949–1950; commanded the Eighth Army against Communist forces in Korea 1950–1951; Supreme Allied Commander, Far East 1951-195 succeeded General Douglas MacArthur), and lastly Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army 1953-1955)
General Alfred M Gruenther, Army, 1953 – 1956
General Lauris Norstad, Air Force, 1956 – 1962
General Lyman L Lemnitzer, Army, 1963 – 1969
General Andrew J Goodpaster, Army, 1969 – 1974
	(Panama 1942, as a captain with the 11^th Engineer Regiment at Fort Clayton) (Later served as personal advisor to U.S. Presidents from Dwight Eisenhower through William Clinton)
General Alexander M Haig, Jr., Army, 1974 - 1979
General Bernard W Rogers, Army, 1979 - 1987
General John R Galvin, Army, 1987 - 1992
	(Panama 1985-1987, Commander in Chief, U.S. Southern Command)
General John M Shalikashvili, Army, 1992 - 1993
General George A Joulwan, Army, 1993-1997
	(Panama 1990-1993, Commander in Chief, U.S. Southern Command)
General Wesley Clark, Army, 1997-2000
	(Panama 1996-1997, Commander in Chief, U.S. Southern Command)
General W. Ralston, Air Force, 2000-2002
General James L. Jones, USMC, 2003-2006
General Bantz J. Craddock, Army, 2003-2006
	(In Miami 2004-2006, Commander, U.S. Southern Command)