SMART POWER: Adm. James Stavridis, picked to head US European Command, is known for combining diplomatic and military tactics. Miguel Angel Alvarez/Notimex/NewscomFrom The Christian Science Monitor:
Gates picks an admiral with diplomatic skills to command US troops in Europe.
Washington - After seven years of war, American foreign policy has become nearly synonymous with the brawny side of its military. But the US armed forces may now be moving to show a different face to the world.
Last week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended an admiral better known for humanitarian and diplomatic initiatives than for muscle-flexing to assume a critical command post in Europe.
Adm. James Stavridis is an unusual choice to fill a job usually held by the Army. In his two years overseeing US military operations in South and Latin America, he has built a reputation for running a different kind of command – deploying hospital ships and soccer teams while contending with drug trafficking and corruption.
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My Comment: I would prefer a General Patton at the helm .... but that's just me.