Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) is the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Allied Command Operations (ACO). SHAPE is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons. The commander of ACO and SHAPE is Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), a U.S. four-star general officer or flag officer who also serves as Commander, U.S. European Command. Since 1967 it has been located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons, but it had previously been located, from 1953, at Rocquencourt, next to Versailles, France. From 1951 to 2003, SHAPE was the
Dieter Stöckmann Staff and Deputy Commander at the Headquarters of the Allied Land Forces Central Europe in Heidelberg. In 1996, now with the rank of a General, he became Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe (CINCCENT) and the Chief of Staff of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) on 1 April 1998. On 17 September 2001 Stöckmann was promoted to Deputy Commander, Supreme Allied Command Europe, a position he held until his retirement on 30 September 2002. General (ret.) Stöckmann is a Member of the Board of Advisors of the Global Panel Foundation (Berlin, Copenhagen, Prague, Sydney and Toronto) - a respected foundation