Marine Col. James J. Tabak has become commandant of the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany, replacing Air Force Col. Mark P. Sullivan.

Tabak previously was commander of the Combined Arms Training Center at Camp Fuji, Japan.

From March 2002 until April 2004, Tabak was assigned to the U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany, where he was chief of plans for counterterrorism and division chief for the Crises and Contingency Plans Division.

The NATO School, in southern Germany, has about 200 employees from 25 nations. Classes are taught in joint operations, policy, weapons of mass destruction, and intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance.

Sullivan has been assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Policy Division in the Pentagon.