Brunssum, The Netherlands – On 22 November 2022, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Christopher Cavoli, visited Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS) for the first time since taking up his role as the strategic commander of Allied operations in July this year.
Commander JFCBS, General Guglielmo Luigi Miglietta, hosted SACEUR during his visit and took the opportunity to introduce him officially to the Headquarters and its senior leadership.
The main topic for discussion was the how SACEUR sees JFCBS’ ongoing contribution to the Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area (DDA). The Generals also discussed at length the outcomes of the recent Chiefs of Defence (CHODs) conference, which took place earlier this month at JFCBS, involving senior military leaders from countries in the Headquarters’ Area of Responsibility.
During the visit, General Miglietta stated,
The strategic situation has dramatically changed. In this complex context, NATO’s mind-set is evolving to deliver increased effectiveness, more flexibility and optimised capability.
Since the founding of the Alliance, SACEUR has always been U.S. four-star General or Admiral while, in symbolic reflection of the transatlantic bond, his deputy is British or sometimes German. In addition to his NATO responsibilities, SACEUR is also Commander U.S. European Command (US EUCOM), and is therefore in overall command of more than 100,000 U.S. troops currently stationed in Europe.
Gen Cavoli has spent much of his career based in Europe, from his time as a Second Lieutenant with the 325th Airborne Regiment in Vicenza, Italy to his most recent assignment as Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF). The General is also an expert on Russia and a fluent Russian speaker, holding a Masters’ degree in Russian and Eastern European Studies from Yale University. This makes him an ideal person to lead NATO’s operations at a time when Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine has shattered the peace on the Alliance’s borders.