Jul 27, 2009

On July 22, Mr. Hekmat Karzai, Director of CAPS and Prakhar Sharma, Head of Research had the privilege of meeting with Admiral James Starvridis, a four-star NATO commander, at the ISAF Head Quarters in Kabul. Admiral James Starvridis is the current Commander, U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).
During the meeting, Mr. Karzai briefed the Admiral and his colleagues on the Centre and its key initiatives in research and training as well as peace building. He also spoke about the extensive provincial and area-based assessments that CAPS has been conducting over the last two years and highlighted the importance of terrain awareness and contextual understanding for the international community’s mission effectiveness in Afghanistan.

Admiral Starvridis was particularly interested in the peace building initiatives launched by CAPS.

Bio of Admiral Stavridis:

Admiral James Stavridis assumed duties as the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe in July 2009.
Admiral Stavridis is a 1976 distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a native of South Florida.

A Surface Warfare Officer, Admiral Stavridis commanded the Destroyer USS Barry (DDG-52) from 1993-1995, completing UN and NATO deployments to Haiti and Bosnia, and a combat cruise to the Arabian Gulf.  Barry won the Battenberg Cup as the top ship in the Atlantic Fleet under his command.

In 1998, he commanded Destroyer Squadron 21 and deployed to the Arabian Gulf, winning the Navy League’s John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational Leadership.

From 2002-2004, Admiral Stavridis commanded Enterprise Carrier Strike Group, conducting combat operations in the Arabian Gulf in support of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

From 2006-2009, he commanded U.S. Southern Command in Miami, focused on Latin America and the Caribbean.

Ashore, the Admiral has served as a strategic and long range planner on the staffs of the Chief of Naval Operations and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  At the start of the Global War of Terror, he was selected as the Director of the Navy Operations Group, DEEP BLUE.  He has also served as the Executive Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy and the Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense.

Admiral Stavridis earned a PhD and MALD from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in International Relations in 1984, where he won the Gullion Prize as outstanding student.  He is also a distinguished graduate of both the Naval and National WarColleges.

He holds various decorations and awards, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal and five awards of the Legion of Merit.  He is author or co-author of several books on naval shiphandling and leadership, including Command at Sea and Destroyer Captain.

The Admiral is married to Laura, and has two daughters Julia and Christina.  He enjoys squash, tennis, and cycling rather slowly.