Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe Command Operations has at its disposal standing forces such as: Airlift support for SACEUR's travels is provided by the USAF's 309th Airlift Squadron at Chièvres Air Base, Belgium. In 2012 and 2013, NATO underwent a reorganization of the military command, and the land component commands at Heidelberg and Madrid were deactivated, the maritime component command at Naples was closed and the air component command at Izmir also shut down. Today Allied Command Operations (ACO) is one of the two strategic commands of NATO (the other being Allied Command Transformation (ACT). Under this structure, there are two joint force operational headquarters
Gustave Fourreau - Major) on July 1, 1959. He was assigned to the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion 13 DBLE on four different occasional tours. The first assignment was at Bougie on July 22, 1960, on August 10, 1960, on November 3, 1960, then on November 17, 1961. He was then nominated to the 1st Mounted Chasseur Groupment () at Reims. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-colonel, on October 1, 1964. In October, he was nominated to the Command of the general staff headquarters of Supreme Allied Armed Forces () in Europe, the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe SHAPE.