The Joint Command (JC) Lisbon or JC Lisbon is one of the three main subdivisions of NATO's Allied Command Operations. It is based in Oeiras, near Lisbon, Portugal. In 2009 a French lieutenant general took command from the previous US Navy admiral who had filled the post for a number of years.
Joint Command Lisbon is responsible for:
- The preparation of staff to command the NATO Response Force
- Mounting a land or sea-based Combined Joint Task Force HQ.
- Contributing to stability through cooperation and dialogue under Partnership for Peace (PfP) and Mediterranean Dialogue (MD).
- The development of the Deployable Joint Staff Element (DJSE) concept.
From 1972, for many years during the Cold War, Oeiras was home to Commander-in-Chief, Iberian Atlantic (Commander Iberian Atlantic until 1982), a Portuguese-led command which was responsible to SACLANT in Norfolk, Virginia. On 1 September 1999, the CINCIBERLANT command was upgraded to CINCSOUTHLANT, a NATO Regional Command with new Terms of Reference and a greater area of responsibility. The headquarters becomes Regional Headquarters South Atlantic (RHQ SOUTHLANT).
On 12 June 2003, command authority for CINCSOUTHLANT was transferred from SACLANT to SACEUR, NATO's European command in Belgium.
0n 4 December 2006, SACEUR rewarded JCL with a Campaign Pennant to recognize the operational contribution during the Pakistan Earthquake Relief Operation.
JC Lisbon is currently responsible for providing assistance to the African Union on request, principally as regards airlift for the mission in Darfur; preparing staff to command the NATO Response Force; mounting a sea-based Combined Joint Task Force Headquarters; and support for cooperation and dialogue under the Partnership for Peace and Mediterranean Dialogue programmes.
During the 2000s (decade), the commander was a United States Navy Vice Admiral who simultaneously held the position of Commander United States Sixth Fleet and Commander, Striking Force NATO (STRIKFORNATO, the old STRIKFORSOUTH), both located in Naples, Italy. The admiral resided in Lisbon and commanded the three commands separated by the western Mediterranean through a rigorous travel schedule and electronic means, including frequent video teleconferences. Vice Admiral Bruce W. Clingan was the last U.S. commander to hold the three commands simultaneously.
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