OEIRAS, Portugal Aug. 14 -- Vice Admiral Bruce W. Clingan assumed command of Joint Command Lisbon during a ceremony at Reduto Freire Gomez in Oeiras.He took over from Vice Admiral James. A. Winnefeld Jr.
“I am humbled by the opportunity to command Joint Command Lisbon and the NATO Response Force for the next several cycles,” Clingan said during the ceremony. “At the same time I am excited - and not just becauseit is a chance to return to Europe and reside in beautiful Portugal.”
Clingan comes to Lisbon from the Office of Chief of Naval Operations where he served as Director of Warfare Integration. He is a graduate from the University of Washington and holds a Masters of Science from the University of Southern California.Previous assignments included command of the Carrier Strike Group 3, Carl Vinson Strike Group and service as Deputy Director of Operations of United States Central Command.
During the ceremony, Winnefeld expressed his appreciation to Joint Command Lisbon's staff for their accomplishments, while also reflecting on his tenure at Commander JC Lisbon.
“We have done much together,” he said. “You have been chosen to lead the NATO Response Force for four stand-by periods, something that simply would not happen had you not built the confidence of higher headquarters through your hard work.”
Winnefeld also remarked on the future of the Oeiras-based command, which is currently responsible for commanding the NATO Response Force (NRF) and for supporting the African Union.
“As I return to my nation I see a bright future for NATO; despite the huge challenges facing thisAlliance, our trans-Atlantic relationship must and will remain strong,” Winnefeld said.
Winnefeld assumed commandof Joint Command Lisbon in September 2007.He also held positions as Deputy CommanderU.S. Naval Forces Europe, Commander Joint Force Maritime Component Europe, Commander U.S. 6th Fleet and Commander Strike and Support Forces NATO.His next assignment as Director, J5 Strategic Plans and Strategy, on the U.S. Joint Staff will bring him back to Washington, D.C.
Joint Command Lisbon forms one of three NATO's operational level headquarters. JC Lisbon has been responsible for commanding the Pakistan Disaster Relief Operation in 2005 and has been assigned the NATO Support Mission tothe African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS)from June 2006 to December2007.Since July 2008 JC Lisbon commands the NATO Response Force (NRF).