NATO has named a US admiral to take charge of all its military operations, including the ground war in Afghanistan, as the former commander, tank General Bantz J Craddock, retired. NATO’s top planning committee appointed Admiral James Stavridis as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), at the request of US President Barack Obama, a NATO press release said. It is the first time in 55 years that a sailor has been handed NATO’s highest operational command, following 12 army generals, two air force chiefs and one marine. The committee “agreed with great regret” to the retirement of Craddock, a four-star general and former tank commander who turns 60 next year, the statement said.

Stavridis takes over the command of NATO’s military headquarters, based in the Belgian town of Mons, as the alliance is battling to stabilise Afghanistan in the face of the Taliban insurgency. According to his official biography, the admiral is a surface-warfare specialist who saw combat as the commander of a carrier battle group during the US-led invasion of Iraq. Prior to his appointment as SACEUR, he served as the commander of US Southern Command, a post Craddock also held before he took over command at NATO.

NATO’s current operations also include peacekeeping in Kosovo and fighting piracy off the coast of Somalia.“The committee agreed with great regret to release General Craddock from his assignment as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe,” a statement said. “They expressed to General Craddock, in the name of the NATO governments, lasting gratitude for his distinguished service.”

Stavridis was commander of United States Southern Command, based in Florida in the United States. Like Craddock, he will now also serve as commander of US forces in Europe. The announcement came after US Defense Secretary Robert Gates sacked the top commander in Afghanistan as Washington implements a new strategy to accelerate a seven-year-old war that has struggled to halt a widening Taliban insurgency. NATO is leading a force of 58,000 troops from around 40 nations in Afghanistan, with the aim of spreading the influence of the weak central government and foster reconstruction.

Gates had recommended in March that Stavridis be named SACEUR, a post only for American officers. Craddock came under fire in February after telling commanders that he wanted troops in the NATO-led security force “to attack directly drug producers and facilities throughout Afghanistan.” His “guidance” - a first step before issuing orders - for handling such people was leaked to German news magazine Der Spiegel, and sparked an internal security probe at NATO.