BRUNSSUM, The Netherlands – On Friday, 24 January 2025, Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS) hosted the visit of Lieutenant General Richard E. Angle, US Army, Commander of Allied Special Operations Forces Command (SOFCOM). General Guglielmo Luigi Miglietta, Commander of JFC Brunssum, warmly welcomed Lt Gen Angle at his first visit to Brunssum in his new function. He assumed command of Allied SOFCOM in early October last year, and is also dual-hatted as Commanding General for US Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR).
Special Operations Forces support the Alliance’s three core tasks of deterrence and defence, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security
NATO Special Operations Forces (SOF) are elite military units designed to undertake complex and dynamic security missions within the evolving strategic environment. They complement NATO land, air, maritime, cyber and space capabilities and are essential components of multi-domain operations – particularly in situations requiring covert and potentially high-risk operations. Special Operations Forces support the Alliance’s three core tasks of deterrence and defence, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security
They are amongst the key enablers in support of JFC Brunssum’s mission and are required from the very beginning in any operation to establish the conditions for an early and rapid entry of conventional forces inside JFC Brunssum’s area of responsibility.
Lt Gen Angle was introduced to the tasks and responsibilities of JFC Brunssum, and discussed with General Miglietta and his staff the Headquarters’ requirements for specific SOFCOM support.
Allied Special Operations Forces Command is co-located with Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium. It falls under the operational command of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). Twenty-eight NATO member countries and two partners (Austria and Ireland) are represented among the 200-plus headquarters staff.