James G. Stavridis

James G. Stavridis
Admiral James G. Stavridis, Dean, The Fletcher School at Tufts University, (U.S. Navy retired) — September 2014
Birth name	James George Stavridis
Nickname(s)	Zorbas
Born	(1955-02-15) February 15, 1955 West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1976-2013
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	U.S. European Command Supreme Allied Commander Europe U.S. Southern Command
Awards	Defense Distinguished Service Medal Navy Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit
Alma mater	The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University

James George Stavridis (born February 15, 1955) is the 12th Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, the oldest school in the United States dedicated solely to graduate studies in international affairs. He is also Chairman of the Board of the U.S. Naval Institute. Stavridis is a retired United States Navy admiral who served as the 15th Commander, U.S. European Command (USEUCOM, May 2009 – May 2013) and NATO's 16th Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR, June 2009 – May 2013). He is the first Navy officer to have held these positions. His book "The Accidental Admiral" describing his tenure in these jobs was published on October 1, 2014. Previously, he served as Commander, U.S. Southern Command from October 2006 to June 2009.

Stavridis is a 1976 distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He earned a PhD and Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy 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 1992 distinguished graduate of the United States National War College. He is an Associate Fellow of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy

Personal history

Stavridis was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, the son of Shirley (née Schaffer) and P. George Zafiris Stavridis. He is married to Laura Hall, author of Navy Spouses Guide. His grandparents were Pontic Greeks born and raised in northeastern Anatolia, who emigrated to the United States.

His 2008 book, Destroyer Captain: Lessons of a First Command, goes into more detail about his Greek refugee origins. He wrote,

In the early 1920's, my grandfather, a short, stocky Greek schoolteacher named Dimitrios Stavridis, was expelled from Turkey as part of 'ethnic cleansing' (read pogrom) directed against Greeks living in the remains of the Ottoman Empire. He barely escaped with his life in a small boat crossing the Aegean Sea to Athens and thence to Ellis Island. His brother was not so lucky and was killed by the Turks as part of the violence directed at the Greek minority.

A NATO exercise off the coast of modern Turkey was the "most amazing historical irony [he] could imagine," and prompted Stavridis to write of his grandfather: "His grandson, who speaks barely a few words of Greek, returns in command of a billion-dollar destroyer to the very city - Smyrna, now called İzmir - from which he sailed in a refugee craft all those years ago."

Career

ADM James G. Stavridis, former Commander, EUCOM, and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

Stavridis is a 1976 distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a native of South Florida. He is a career surface warfare officer and served at sea in aircraft carriers, cruisers, and destroyers. After serving with distinction as Operations Officer on the newly commissioned USS Valley Forge, Stavridis commanded destroyer USS Barry from 1993 to 1995, completing deployments to Haiti, Bosnia, and the Persian 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 Persian Gulf in 1998, winning the Navy League’s John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational Leadership. From 2002 to 2004, Stavridis commanded Enterprise Carrier Strike Group, conducting combat operations in the Persian Gulf in support of both the successful Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Afterwards, Vice Admiral Stavridis served as senior military assistant to the United States Secretary of Defense. On October 19, 2006, he became the first navy commander of United States Southern Command in Miami, Florida. In July, 2009, he became Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). He retired as SACEUR in 2013.

Ashore, he 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 on Terror", he was selected as the director of the Navy Operations Group, Deep Blue, USA. He has also served as the executive assistant to the Secretary of the Navy and the senior military assistant to the United States Secretary of Defense.

Stavridis has long advocated the use of "Smart Power," which he defines as the balance of hard and soft power taken together. In numerous articles and speeches, he has advocated creating security in the 21st century by building bridges, not walls. Stavridis has stressed the need to connect international, inter-agency, and public-private actors to build security, lining all of them with effective strategic communications. His message was articulated in his book "Partnership for the Americas" which was published by the NDU Press and was based on his time as Commander of the U.S. Southern Command from 2006-2009 and was summarized in his 2012 Ted Global talk in Scotland which has been viewed more than 650,000 times on line.

Based on an anonymous complaint, in early 2011 the DOD IG began investigating allegations that ADM Stavridis “engaged in misconduct relating to official and unofficial travel and other matters.” He was subsequently the subject of a May 3, 2012, report by the Inspector General of the Department of Defense and was later absolved of wrongdoing by the Secretary of the Navy on September 11, 2012. In a Memorandum for the Record, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus wrote that Stavridis: "has consistently demonstrated himself to be a model naval officer and a devoted public servant whose motivation is to do that which is necessary and appropriate to advance the interests of the United States." Mabus concluded that "I have determined that ADM Stavridis never attempted to use his public office for private gain nor did he commit personal misconduct."

Stavridis earned a PhD in International Relations (1984) and Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (1983) from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where he won the Gullion Prize as outstanding student. He was appointed Dean of The Fletcher School on July 1, 2013. He is also a 1992 distinguished graduate of the United States National War College. In 2003, He was honored with the Naval War College Distinguished Graduate Leadership Award. He frequently publishes his thoughts, opinions and analyses in myriad publications, including the Western Hemisphere policy publication Americas Quarterly and the United States Naval Institute's blog.

As Dean of The Fletcher School, Stavridis has initiated a strategic planning process, invited several high level speakers to the campus, and is focusing thematically on the Arctic, the role of women in international relations, synthetic biology and its impact on foreign affairs, cyber, and the role of online media and social networks in public diplomacy.

Media and public speaking

Since leaving active duty, Stavridis has frequently appeared on major broadcast and cable television networks to comment on national security and foreign policy matters. According to a Fletcher vblog he made more than 70 appearances on national and international media during a one year period. This includes interviews on ABC’s This Week, multiple appearances on CNN’s Situation Room, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”, Fox Business News’ Lou Dobbs Tonight, etc. Stavridis had a remote TV studio installed on the campus of Tufts University so that he and other faculty and administrators could easily make themselves available to the international media.

Stavridis has also been a prolific public speaker – among his known appearances were ones at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the Munich Security Conference in 2013, and lectures at Harvard, Yale, Georgetown, and elsewhere.

Awards and decorations

U.S. Army General David H. Petraeus, right, with the U.S. Navy Admiral James G. Stavridis, commander of European Command and NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe in Brussels in 2011

U.S. Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Army General John Craddock and U.S. Navy Admiral James G. Stavridis, incoming commander, salute during the national anthem at the U.S. European Command change of command ceremony at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart in June 2009

United States Decorations

Surface Warfare Officer badge

	Defense Distinguished Service Medal with 1 bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
	Navy Distinguished Service Medal
	Defense Superior Service Medal
	Legion of Merit with four gold award stars
	Meritorious Service Medal with 2 award stars
	Joint Service Commendation Medal
	Navy Commendation Medal with 3 award stars
	Navy Achievement Medal
	Joint Meritorious Unit Award with 1 oak leaf cluster
	Navy Unit Commendation
	Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation with 2 bronze service stars
	Navy "E" Ribbon w/ Wreathed Battle E device
	Navy Expeditionary Medal
	National Defense Service Medal with 1 bronze service star
	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with 2 bronze service stars
	Southwest Asia Service Medal with 1 bronze service star
	Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Armed Forces Service Medal with 2 bronze service stars
	Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with 1 silver and 2 bronze service stars
	Navy & Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze service star
	Navy Expert Rifleman Medal
	Navy Expert Pistol Shot Medal

International decorations

Commander's degree, National Order of the Legion of Honour of France

Grand Cross Order of the Crown (Belgium)

Grand Cross Order of the Phoenix (Greece)

Commendation Ministry of Defense: "Cross of Merit and Honour First Class" (Greece)

Estonian Order of the Cross of the Eagle First Class

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Knight Grand Cross of the Republic

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Grand Merit Cross with Star

Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

The Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary

Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit (Poland)

Order of Duke Trpimir (Croatia)

Cross of Commander of the Order for Merits to Lithuania

Investiture Medal of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Order of Naval Merit (Argentina)

Order of Naval Merit in the degree of Grand Officer (Brazil)

Cruz de la Victoria (Chile)

Order of Naval Merit Admiral Padilla (Colombia)

Order of the Peruvian Cross of Naval Merit in the rank of Grand Cross along with a White Ribbon (Peru)

The Emblem of Honor of the General Staff of Romania

Medal of Honorary Recognition of Latvia

Military Merit Grand Cross Medal of the Portuguese Republic

Order of Vakhtang Gorgasali - I Rank (Country of Georgia)

Albanian Medal of Gratitude

Slovenian Medal for multinational cooperation 1st grade

Navy National Defense Cross (Guatemala)

Grand Cross (Dominican Republic)

NATO Meritorious Service Medal

NATO Medal for Former Yugoslavia

Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)

Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Other Awards and Honors

• Business Executives for National Security 2012 Eisenhower Award
• Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum 2011 Intrepid Freedom Award
• AFCEA 2011 David Sarnoff Award
• The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle 2011 Athenagoras Human Rights Award
• Navy League of the United States 2011 Alfred Theyer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement
• JINSA 2011 Henry M. Jackson Distinguished Service Award
• Atlantic Council 2011 Distinguished Military Leadership Award
• Chian Federation 33rd Annual Homeric Award
• Israeli Distinguished Ally Award, May 2013
• Stimson Center Pragmatist + Idealist Award, November 2013
• Alpha Omega Council Lifetime Achievement Award May 2015
• Naval Order of the United States - Distinguished Sea Service Award October 24, 2015

Published works

Selected books

• The Accidental Admiral: A Sailor Takes Command at NATO, U.S. Naval Institute Press, 2014 ISBN 978-1-61251-704-9
• Partnership for the Americas: Western Hemisphere Strategy and U.S. Southern Command, NDU Press, November 2010
• Command At Sea, Sixth Edition, Annapolis: U.S. Naval Institute Press, Co-authored with Rear Admiral Robert Girrier, USN, 2010 ISBN 9781591147985
• Destroyer Captain: Lessons of a First Command, U.S. Naval Institute Press, 2007 ISBN 9781591148494
• Watch Officer’s Guide, Twelfth Edition, Annapolis: U.S. Naval Institute Press, Co-authored with Captain Robert Girrier, 2006 ISBN 9781591149361
• Division Officer’s Guide, Eleventh Edition, Annapolis: U.S. Naval Institute Press, Co-authored with Commander Robert Girrier, 2005 ISBN 9781591147992

Selected articles, reviews and commentary

• Air & Space Power Journal en Español:
  • “Semi-Sumergibles: Una Amenaza Emergente en las Américas.” Air & Space Power Journal en Español, Volumen XX, No. 2, pp. 3–5, Segundo Trimestre 2008
• Atlantic Council:
  • “NATO: A Bridge Across Time,” Freedom’s Challenge – Marking the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, December 2009
• Americas Quarterly:
  • “The Americas: We’re All in This Together,” October 2007 Vol. 1, Issue 2
• Australian Defence Force Journal:
  • “Let Us Dare,” Australian Defence Force Journal: Journal of the Australian Profession of Arms, Issue No. 181, 2010, pp. 72–77
• Foreign Affairs:
  • "NATO's Success in Libya: The Right Way to Run an Intervention," pp. 2–7, No. 2, Vol 91, March/April 2012 (with Ambassador Ivo H. Daalder)
• Horizons:
• International Herald Tribune:
  • "NATO Success in Libya," OPED October 31, 2011 (with Ambassador Ivo H. Daalder)
  • "Afghan Realities," Op-Ed. 25–26 September 2010, p. 9
• Joint Force Quarterly:
  • "Sailing the Cyber Sea," pp. 61–67, Issue 65, 2nd quarter 2012
  • "An Intelligent Theater," pp. 104–108, Issue 56, 1st quarter 2010
  • “Whatever Happened to the “War on Drugs”? pp. 109–113, Issue 51, 4th Quarter 2008
  • “Strategic Communication and National Security,” pp. 4–7, Issue 46, 3rd Quarter 2007
  • “The Second Revolution,” Spring 2003 (Reprinted as one of top articles of previous decades)
  • “The Second Revolution,” Summer 1997 (First Prize, RMA Essay Contest)
• Le Journal du Parlement: Politique – Economie – Culture:
  • Ėditorial. “Un long chemin,” pp. 1–2, Nouvelle Serie Nº 51, Inter-session 2010.
• Military review:
  • “Strengthening the Bridge: Building Partnership Capacity,” pp. 2–6, January–February 2010
  • “Partnership for the Americas: The Human Rights Initiative,” pp. 2–8, May–June 2007
  • “Roosevelt, Churchill, and the Naval Wars,” Book Review, pp. 92, July 1986
  • “U Boats Wars,” Book Review, pp. 87–88, July 1985
  • “Submarine Boats: The Beginnings of Underwater Warfare,” Book Review, pp. 92–93, August 1984
  • “The Bowfin: The Story of One of America’s Fabled Fleet Submarines in the World War II,” Book Review, pp. 79–80, February 1984
• Naval history:
  • “Sea of Gray: The Around the World Cruise of the Confederate Raider Shenandoah,” Book Review, June 2006
  • “A Dishonorable Few,” Book Review, pp. 70, December 2005
  • “Cruise of the Sea Eagle,” Book Review, pp. 68–69, October 2005
  • “Patrick O’Brian: A Life Revealed,” Book Review, pp. 67, October 2000
  • “Damn the Torpedoes,” Book Review, pp. 50, October 1999
• Naval Law Review:
  • “United Nations of the Sea Treaty: Time for a Review?” pp. 78–88, Spring 1992 with Captain George Galdorisi, USN (Ret.)
• Naval War College Review:
  • “Taming the Outlaw Sea,” Autumn 2010, Volume 63, Number 4, pp. 72–83
  • “Perspectivas sobre estrategia marítima,” Introducción: Una Estrategia Marítima en las Américas, Naval War College Press, pp. vii-xi, Winter 2009
  • “The Heart of an Officer,” Naval War College Review, Volume 62, pp. 26–41, Spring 2009
  • “Sailing to a New Port,” pp. 7–13, Summer 2007, Volume 60, Number 3
  • “El Dorado Canyon,” Book Review, pp. 136–138, Winter 2004
  • “From Annapolis to Scapa Flow,” Book Review, pp. 180–181, Autumn 2003
  • “Soldiers and Civilians,” Book Review, pp. 175–176, Summer 2002
  • “A World Explored,” Review Essay, pp. 95–97, Spring 2002
  • “The Tale of the Red Knight,” pp. 141–147, Autumn 2001
  • “Seapower: Theory and Practice,” Book Review, pp. 134–136, Winter 1997
  • “The Nightingale’s Song,” Book Review, pp. 136–137, Spring 1996
  • “The Rise and Fall of British Naval Mastery,” Book Review, pp. 113, September–October 1985
  • “Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships,” Book Review, pp. 122–123, May–June 1985
  • “Vietnam: A History,” Book Review, pp. 138–139, January–February 1985
  • “The Future of Conflict in the 1980s,” Book Review, pp. 117–118, July–August 1984
  • “Soviet Policy and Practice toward Third World Conflicts,” Book Review, pp. 104–105, May–June 1984
  • “The American Style of Foreign Policy,” Book Review,” pp. 121-123, November–December 1983
  • “Marine Technology Transfer and the Law of the Sea,” pp. 38–50, July–August 1983
• RUSI Journal:
  • “NATO Taking a Fix – Charting a Course,” Vol. 154, No. 6, pp. 44–47, December 2009
• Shipmate:
  • “Time,” p. 38, An Ocean Away, June 2010
  • “Semi-submersibles: An Emerging Threat in the Americas,” p. 36, An Ocean Away, May 2008
  • “Humanitarian Operations: Evolving Missions and New Approaches,” pp. 25–27, January–February 2008
• Time.com
  • "What to DO After You've Been NATO's Supreme Allied Commander" June 4, 2014
• Turkish Policy Quarterly:
  • “The Long Road,” Volume 9 Number 1, pp. 23–29, July 2010
• U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings:
  • "Rejoinder to “Punch Them in the Nose…and Then Leave” by CDR John Kuehn," comment and discussion, pp. 8, September 2012"
  • "Another View," pp. 7, June 2011
  • "The Death of NATO: A Rebuttal," pp. 6, January 2011
  • “Teaching the Ropes,” pp. 30–34, May 2010
  • "Sailing Across the Bridge," pp. 16–20, 1 October 2009
  • "One Minute to Midnight," book review, pp. 27–73, March 2009,
  • “Read, Think, Write, and Publish,” pp. 16–19, August 2008
  • “The Far Reaches,” pp. 81–82, September 2007
  • “Sailing in Southern Waters: A New Wind,” pp. 16–21, 1 May 2007
  • “Six Frigates,” Book Review, pp. 83–84, December 2006
  • “Sea of Thunder,” Book Review, pp. 81–82, November 2006
  • “Deconstructing War,” pp. 42–45, December 2005
  • “From Sword to Shield,” pp. 48–51, August 2004
  • “Adapting Aviation Tactical Training for the Surface Warfare Community,” pp. 36–37, January 2003
  • “The Tragedy of Great Power Politics,” Book Review, pp. 91–92, July 2002
  • “Making Room for Risk: Managing Disruptive Techniques,” September 2001
  • “A Soldier’s Duty,” Book Review, pp. 82–83, August 2001
  • “Requiem for a Sailor’s Writer,” pp. 130–131, May 2000
  • “The Got Game,” pp. 51–54, June 1999
  • “Beyond the Law of the Sea,” Book Review, pp. 116–117, March 1999
  • “A Perfect Form One,” pp. 45–47, October 1995 (USNI Prize Winner)
  • “Handling the Arleigh Burkes,” pp. 66–69, October 1994
  • “Beyond Joint: The Interagency Action,” pp. 94–99, May 1993
  • “To Begin Again,” pp. 35–39, July 1993
  • “A Measure of Success,” pp. 80–81, February 1992
  • “Aegis in the Third World,” pp. 61–64, September 1991
  • “New Era Tactic,” pp. 76–78, July 1991
  • “Retreat from Doomsday,” Book Review, pp. 105–106, July 1989
  • “Antisubmarine Warfare Tactics,” pp. 23–25, April 1989
  • “Surface Navy Performance,” pp. 28–29, February 1988
  • “Creating ASW Killing Zones,” pp. 38–42, October 1987
  • “An Alliance for the Pacific,” pp. 77–80, July 1987
  • “Supercarrier,” Book Review, pp. 105–106, February 1987
  • “Handling a Ticonderoga,” pp. 107–110, January 1987
  • “The Global Maritime Coalition,” pp. 58–64, April 1985
  • “Resources Wars,” pp. 72–77, January 1985 (USNI Prize Winner)
  • “Naval Strategy and National Ocean Policy,” pp. 42–47, July 1984
  • “Politics Awareness Training in the Navy,” pp. 23–24, March 1984
  • “War, Peace, and Leadership,” pp. 78–80, August 1983 (USNI Prize Winner)
  • “Closing the Gaps in Naval Leadership,” pp. 76–78, July 1982 (USNI Prize Winner)
  • “Carrier Commander/On Leading Snipes,” pp. 74–76, January 1981
  • “Handling a Spruance Class Destroyer,” pp. 125–126, October 1979
• Miami Herald:
  • “Region Has Strong Partners,” OPED, June 16, 2009
  • “Productive Partnerships Make Region Stronger,” OPED, December 2, 2008
  • “What I’ve Learned,” OPED, May 24, 2008
  • “Ready to help Caribbean neighbors,” OPED with Thomas Shannon, April 3, 2008
  • “Why We Love Miami,” OPED, September 26, 2007
  • “Build a True Partnership,” OPED, March 8, 2007
• USAID Frontiers in Development:
  • "Combat and Compassion," with Dr. Reuben Brigety, pp. 50–60, Spring, 2012
• Washington Post
  • "The Dark Side of Globalization," May 2, 2013, OPED page
• Foreign Policy
  • "The New Triad: Time to Found a Cyber Force," on-line, June 21, 2013
• On Patrol
  • "NATO 3.0 and an Evolving EUCOM," Summer 2013, pp. 57–59

External links

• U.S. Smart Power: Interview with Adm. Stavridis. Bjoern H. Seibert, Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, Summer 2008 Vol 32:2.
• Interview with Adm. Stavridis. Col David H. Gurney, USMC, Joint Force Quarterly, Issue 50, 3d Quarter 2008
• EUCOM blog
• Stavridis gives testimony regarding Libya crisis, 28 March 2011 - see 4.39pm

Military offices
Preceded by GEN Bantz J. Craddock	United States Southern Command 2006–2009	Succeeded by Gen Douglas M. Fraser
Preceded by GEN Bantz J. Craddock	U.S. European Command 2009–2013	Succeeded by Gen Philip M. Breedlove
Preceded by GEN Bantz J. Craddock	Supreme Allied Commander Europe (NATO) 2009–2013	Succeeded by Gen Philip M. Breedlove

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document "http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio.asp?bioID=270".