The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. The performance must be such as to merit recognition for service that is clearly exceptional. The exceptional performance of normal duty will not alone justify an award of this decoration.
George Alfred Joulwan is a retired United States Army general who served for 36 years. He finished his military career as the Commander-in-Chief of the United States European Command and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander (SACEUR) in 1997.
The Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) is the commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO) and head of ACO's headquarters, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). The commander is based at SHAPE in Casteau, Belgium. In effect, SACEUR is the second-highest military position within NATO, below only the Chair of the NATO Military Committee in terms of precedence. There is another Supreme Allied Commander in NATO, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), titularly equal, but whose duties are less operational. SACT, in Norfolk, Virginia, has responsibility for capability development rather than operations.
Walter Edward Gaskin Sr. is a retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant general who served as the 19th Deputy Chairman of the NATO Military Committee from May 2009 to August 2013. In that role, he served as Acting Chairman of the NATO Military Committee from November 2011 to January 2012. He was the first African American to be appointed as deputy chairman and chairman of the NATO Military Committee.
William E. "Kip" Ward is a retired United States Army three-star general who served as the inaugural Commander of United States Africa Command from 1 October 2007 to 8 March 2011. During his long career in public service, he has taught international affairs and relations at West Point, US Military Academy; served as Commander of Stabilization Force, Operation Joint Forge, Sarajevo, Bosnia; was appointed the Secretary of State's Security Coordinator to the Israel - Palestinian Authority; Deputy Commander, Headquarters US European Command, Stuttgart, Germany; and many other progressively responsible assignments. He later retired and served as President and chief operating officer of the logistics, IT, and engineering business, Vectrus.
Curtis Michael "Mike" Scaparrotti is a retired United States Army four-star general who last served as the commander of United States European Command. He concurrently served as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe. Scaparrotti previously served as the director of the Joint Staff. Prior to his tour with the Joint Staff, Scaparrotti served as commander, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command and deputy commander, U.S. Forces – Afghanistan, the commanding general of I Corps and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and the commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Roscoe Robinson Jr. was the first African American to become a four-star general in the United States Army. He served as the United States representative to the NATO Military Committee. Robinson previously served as commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division and then of United States Army, Japan.
General Johnnie Edward Wilson is a retired United States Army four-star general who served as Commanding General, United States Army Materiel Command from 1996 to 1999. He also served as the 25th Chief of Ordnance for the United States Army Ordnance Corps.
Berton Everett Spivy Jr. was a United States Army four-star general who served as United States Military Representative, NATO Military Committee in Brussels, Belgium, from 1968 to 1971.
Robert Jefferson Wood was a United States Army four-star general who helped organize the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military organization in the early 1950s and later served as director of the military assistance program from 1962 to 1965.
The commanding general of United States Army Europe and Africa was formerly known as the commander-in-chief of United States Army Europe (CINCUSAREUR). Prior to 8 May 1945 the official title was Commander, European Theater of Operations, United States Army. From 1953 to 1967 the commanding general of USAREUR was "dual hatted" as commander of the Central Army Group of NATO forces in Germany.
Frederick Benjamin "Ben" Hodges III is a retired United States Army officer who served as commanding general, United States Army Europe. He has been Senior Advisor to Human Rights First since June 2022 and also serves as NATO Senior Mentor for Logistics. He previously held the Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies at the Center for European Policy Analysis.
Robert Peter Bauer is a Dutch military officer of the Royal Netherlands Navy who has been serving as Chair of the NATO Military Committee since June 2021, succeeding Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach of the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom. He previously served as the Chief of Defence from October 2017 to April 2021, and as the Vice Chief of Defence of the Netherlands of the from 1 September 2015 to 13 July 2017. Bauer was also involved in counter-terrorist and anti-piracy operations in the Mediterranean Sea, and in the Horn of Africa.
The Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee (DCMC) is the deputy head of the NATO Military Committee. Originally titled as the Deputy Chairman, the post was redesignated in 2021 to reflect the gender-neutrality of the post.
Darryl Anthony Williams is a retired United States Army general who served as the commanding general of United States Army Europe and Africa and commander of Allied Land Command from 2022 to 2024. He previously served as the 60th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy, the first African-American to hold the position. He served as commander of Allied Land Command as a lieutenant general from 2016 to 2018.
Christopher Gerard Cavoli is a four star general in the United States Army who serves as the commander of United States European Command since 1 July 2022 and Supreme Allied Commander Europe since 4 July 2022. He previously served as the commanding general of United States Army Europe and Africa from October 2020 to June 2022, and before that as the commanding general of United States Army Europe from January 2018 to September 2020.
Christopher Todd Donahue is a United States Army general who has served as the commanding general of United States Army Europe and Africa and commander of Allied Land Command since 10 December 2024. He most recently served as the commanding general of XVIII Airborne Corps from 2022 to 2024. He previously served as commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division from 2020 to 2022. Throughout his career, Donahue served in staff and command positions for both United States Army and Special Operations units.
Scott Andrew Kindsvater is a retired United States Air Force lieutenant general who last served as the 22nd Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee. He assists the Chair's role as principal adviser to the NATO Secretary General and senior military spokesman of the 30-nation alliance. He also advises the Deputy Secretary General, leads coordination of nuclear, biological and chemical matters and, in the Chair's absence, directs daily operations and the business of the Military Committee, NATO's highest military authority. Previously, he was the deputy chief of staff for operations and intelligence of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.
