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Brig. Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli accepted the transfer of command of the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command from Maj. Gen. Walter E. Piatt at Tower Barracks parade field, July 21, 2014.

Brig. Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli accepted the transfer of command of the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command from Maj. Gen. Walter E. Piatt at Tower Barracks parade field, July 21, 2014. (Christina M. Dion/U.S. Army)

Brig. Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli accepted the transfer of command of the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command from Maj. Gen. Walter E. Piatt at Tower Barracks parade field, July 21, 2014.

Brig. Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli accepted the transfer of command of the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command from Maj. Gen. Walter E. Piatt at Tower Barracks parade field, July 21, 2014. (Christina M. Dion/U.S. Army)

Maj. Gen. Walter Piatt was frocked during his change of command ceremony held at Grafenwoeh, July 21, 2014. Here, he renders a salute with the presiding officer of the ceremony, Lt. Gen. Donald Campbell, the commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and the 7th U.S. Army in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Maj. Gen. Walter Piatt was frocked during his change of command ceremony held at Grafenwoeh, July 21, 2014. Here, he renders a salute with the presiding officer of the ceremony, Lt. Gen. Donald Campbell, the commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and the 7th U.S. Army in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes)

Maj. Gen. Walter Piatt, the outgoing commander for the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command, addresses the gathered crowd during his change of command ceremony held at Grafenwoehr, July 21, 2014.

Maj. Gen. Walter Piatt, the outgoing commander for the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command, addresses the gathered crowd during his change of command ceremony held at Grafenwoehr, July 21, 2014. (Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes)

Lt. John Wasniewski passes Maj. Gen Walter Piatt an engraved ceremonial shell as part of the the general’s change of command ceremony held at Grafenwoehr, July 21, 2014.

Lt. John Wasniewski passes Maj. Gen Walter Piatt an engraved ceremonial shell as part of the the general’s change of command ceremony held at Grafenwoehr, July 21, 2014. (Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes)

Brig. Gen. Christopher Cavoli took command of the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command during a ceremony held at Grafenwoehr, July 21, 2014.

Brig. Gen. Christopher Cavoli took command of the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command during a ceremony held at Grafenwoehr, July 21, 2014. (Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes)

Brig. Gen. Christopher Cavoli receives the Joint Multinational Training Command colors from Lt. Gen. Donald Campbell, the commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and the 7th U.S. Army, during a change of command ceremony held at Grafenwoehr, Germany, July 21, 2014.

Brig. Gen. Christopher Cavoli receives the Joint Multinational Training Command colors from Lt. Gen. Donald Campbell, the commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and the 7th U.S. Army, during a change of command ceremony held at Grafenwoehr, Germany, July 21, 2014. (Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes)

Maj. Gen. Walter Piatt, the outgoing commander for the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command, is frocked by Lt. Gen. Donald Campbell, the commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and the 7th U.S. Army during a ceremony held at Grafenwoehr, Germany, July 21, 2014.

Maj. Gen. Walter Piatt, the outgoing commander for the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command, is frocked by Lt. Gen. Donald Campbell, the commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and the 7th U.S. Army during a ceremony held at Grafenwoehr, Germany, July 21, 2014. (Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes)

Since frocked to Maj. Gen. Walter Piatt, the outgoing commander for the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command, Lt. Gen. Donald Campbell, the commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and the new commander of the JMTC, Brig Gen. Christopher Cavoli finish inspecting the troops during a change of command ceremony, July 21, 2014.

Since frocked to Maj. Gen. Walter Piatt, the outgoing commander for the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command, Lt. Gen. Donald Campbell, the commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and the new commander of the JMTC, Brig Gen. Christopher Cavoli finish inspecting the troops during a change of command ceremony, July 21, 2014. (Michael S. Darnell/Stars and Stripes)

GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — Newly frocked Maj. Gen. Walter Piatt handed over command of the U.S. Army’s 7th Joint Multinational Training Command to Brig. Gen. Christopher Cavoli during a ceremony on Monday.

Piatt’s year as commander of the Army’s largest overseas training facility was one marked by rapid change, influenced heavily by the reshaping of the military’s footprint in Europe. During his tenure, Piatt oversaw the first major uses of the European rotational force during the recent Combined Resolve training exercises, as well as the return of the heavy armor to European shores after its departure in 2013.

Piatt, who was frocked as a major general during the change of command ceremony, now heads to Wiesbaden, Germany, to replace Maj. Gen. Richard Longo, who is retiring later this year. Piatt will be the next deputy commanding general of U.S Army Europe.

Cavoli was most recently deputy commanding general for operations of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C. He now takes command of a training center whose stated mission of furthering multinational cooperation is, in his words, “a beautiful vision.”

“This is like a dream come true, I have an operational history in the infantry and in combat arms units, both in peace and in combat. Also, I’ve had significant experience ... working with other nations’ armies,” Cavoli said. “To bring those two things together, to get to work at a training center that is devoting itself to multinational interoperability, is like combing the two threads of my career into one rope, so I’m very excited.”

darnell.michael@stripes.com

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