JOINT COMMAND SOUTH - JC SOUTH   Joint Command South (JC SOUTH), in Verona, Italy, is one of four Joint Sub Regional Commands (JSRCs) under the Commander-in-Chief,  Allied Forces Southern Europe (CINCSOUTH) in the military organization of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).  The Joint HQ South is responsible for the planning, conduct and coordination of NATO military exercises and operations as directed by CINCSOUTH.   The Commander JC SOUTH is Italian Army Lieutenant General Cosimo D'Arrigo. Mission: Commander Joint Command South (COMJCSOUTH) is to contribute to the security and territorial integrity of the Allied Forces South Europe (AFSOUTH) area of responsability with forces allocated for that purpose. He is to be prepared to conduct operations and to support or reinforce inter/intra-regionally. He is to contribute to the preservation of peace and the promotion of stability through cooperation and dialog, partecipate in crisis management and be prepared to plan and execute, or provide support for, expanded roles and missions, as assigned by CINCSOUTH. History: A few years after the end of the Second World War, at a time of intense and productive reconstruction in which the Armed Forces were also involved, a designated Army Headquarters was established in Verona with the task of carrying out studies, drawing up plans and making preparations for the defence of the North East Italian Theatre. Many of the city’s buildings were suggested as fitting locations for the new Headquarters: eventually Palazzo Carli was chosen for its prestigious position and its military and historical associations. At about the same time, at Fontainebleau (the first Headquarters of Allied Command Europe) General Dwight D. Eisenhower was gradually developing the idea that the High Command should drop its national features in favour of a more distinct NATO profile. On 10 July 1951, this idea became reality when Headquarters Allied Land Forces Southern Europe (Landsouth), under the command of General Maurizio Lazzaro de Castiglioni, came into being. Landsouth, which was subordinate to Headquarters Allied Forces Southern Europe (AFSOUTH) in Naples, was responsible for land defence of the north-western portion of the ACE Southern Region. In 1998 NATO announced the implementation of the new military command structure with activation on 1999. On 1 September 1999 LANDSOUTH changed its name to Joint Command South (JC SOUTH). Organization: Joint Command South is commanded by an Italian Army 3-star General, assisted by a Deputy Commander (a 2-star German or British Army General, on rotation basis), and by a Spanish Chief of Staff (a 2-star Army General). The Joint Headquarters SOUTH establishment consists of personnel from Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. JC SOUTH Shield: The symbol of Joint Command South (JC SOUTH) is the Lion of St. Mark, which is traditionally associated with the ancient Republic of Venice, whose Patron Saint was St. Mark the Apostle. The JC SOUTH crest shows the winged Lion of St. Mark, passant, coloured in gold on a red background flecked with gold.  The Lion is superimposed on the four-pointed blue and white star which is the NATO emblem.   The star is the only feature distinguishing the JC SOUTH crest from the AFSOUTH crest, which is identical in colour and in all other respects.  In his right forepaw the Lion holds a sword pointing upwards.  The paw rests on an open book, which is also coloured in gold and bears the word "PAX" in large letters. During the flag-raising ceremony to mark the establishment of Headquarters Allied Land Forces Southern Europe (LANDSOUTH) on 18 July 1951, the first Commander in Chief Allied Forces Southern Europe (AFSOUTH), Admiral Robert B. Carney of the United States Navy, stressed the significance of the symbol chosen in the following words: "The flag portrays the Lion of St. Mark, the time-honoured symbol of the Mediterranean, which indicates power but at the same time holds open the "Book of Peace"; the lion is also holding up his sword to shows his determination to keep the peace".  All personnel assigned to Joint Command South wear this emblem, on the badge worn on the left pocket of their Class A Uniform. JOINT COMMAND SOUTH HEADQUARTERS PREPARES TO DEACTIVATE