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Just sooner or later after a historic two-day NATO summit in Madrid, the alliance swore in a new supreme allied commander and head of U.S. European Command (EUCOM).
At a change-of-command ceremony in Stuttgart, Germany, General Christopher Cavoli, the American four-star normal who has been main the U.S. Army in Europe, raised his proper hand and obtained command of an increasing NATO that can quickly have 300,000 lively troops underneath his watch.
It may also have two new member states — Finland and Sweden — as soon as all 30 NATO member parliaments vote to incorporate them.
Christopher G. Cavoli, U.S. Army normal, smiles as he’s awarded the Bavarian Order of Merit by the Bavarian Minister-President.
(Sven Hoppe/image alliance by way of Getty Images)
“Chris knows Europe better than any living officer in uniform today. Chris is literally purpose built to lead EUCOM,” General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, stated in the course of the ceremony, accompanied by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Austin thanked outgoing commander Gen Tod Wolters, who has overseen the transformation of NATO within the months since Russia invaded Ukraine Feb. 24.
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“I believe that future generations will look back on how we all serve the cause of freedom at this pivotal moment,” Austin stated in the course of the ceremony. “They all take inspiration from the resilience and the valor of the Ukrainian people. They’ll take heart from the way that nations of goodwill rallied against Putin’s aggression.”
General Cavoli’s father served in the Army 32 years, retiring as a colonel. Christopher was born in Italy at a U.S. army base whereas his father served. He attended Princeton University and joined the Army as an infantryman with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in northern Italy.
“He grew up in Europe, and he’s lived all over the continent, and he’s fluent in French, Russian and Italian. He reads Spanish and Portuguese. And he can get by and understand Polish and Ukrainian, which enables him to communicate directly with about half the population of Europe,” General Milley stated.
President Biden throughout a press convention on the ultimate day of the NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain, June 30, 2022.
(Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto by way of Getty Images)
Gen. Cavoli served in Bosnia and in fight with the tenth Mountain Division in Afghanistan. He commanded a brigade fight workforce within the first Armored Division. He commanded the seventh Army Training Group in Europe, was a deputy commander of the 82nd Airborne Division and later the twenty fifth Infantry Division.
He was director of the Russia Desk on the Joint Staff on the Pentagon, along with incomes a grasp’s at Yale University in Russian research.
“He’s tough. He’s combat seasoned. He’s smart and has a deep understanding of Europe and Russia,” Milley stated. “Chris Cavoli is the right officer in the right job at the right time. … We are at that pivotal moment, a transition period in history. And EUCOM makes it matter. You are upholding the rules based international order … You are protecting America’s vital interests. And, importantly, you are preventing Great Power war.”
Gen. Cavoli will oversee a number of the greatest army posture adjustments in Europe since World War II. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, the Pentagon has deployed or prolonged deployments for over 20,000 U.S. troops in Europe.
The U.S. now has greater than 100,000 troops based mostly in Europe. And quickly the 40,000-member NATO Ready Force might be elevated to 300,000 NATO troops.
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“Dwight Eisenhower said that he and the alliance leaders had shared ‘the same passionate hope of serving free humanity and of making it secure.’ We still share that hope. We still keep that flame burning,” Austin stated.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson throughout a press convention on the ultimate day of the NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain, June 30, 2022.
(Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto by way of Getty Images)
At the NATO summit in Madrid, President Biden announced that the U.S. will establish an Army headquarters in Poland that can rotate to guard NATO’s Eastern flank. A rotational fight brigade might be despatched to Romania, two F-35 squadrons to the UK, two Naval destroyers to Spain and a short-range air protection battery to Italy.
Another 625 army personnel will head to Germany to function air protection missile techniques.
“Putin is looking for the Finlandization of Europe,” Biden stated in the course of the NATO summit. “He’s going to get the NATOization of Europe, and that’s exactly what he didn’t want, but it is exactly what needs to be done to guarantee security in Europe.
President Biden announced Friday another $820 million in security assistance for additional weaponry for Ukraine, including air defense weapons requested by Ukraine’s government.
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This is the 14th draw-down package announced since August 2021 and includes ammunition for HIMARS, two national advanced surface-to-air-missile systems (NASAMS), 155mm ammunition and four counter artillery radars.
Ukraine has four HIMARS, or M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, which are light multiple rocket launchers developed in the late 1990s for the United States Army. They are in use right now and will have another four by the end of July, according to senior defense officials.