Christopher G. Cavoli

Last updated

Christopher G. Cavoli
Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli (3).jpg
Official portrait, 2022
Born Würzburg, West Germany (now Germany)
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branch United States Army
Years of service1987–present
Rank General
Commands
Battles / wars
Awards
Alma mater
ChildrenTom And Matt

Christopher Gerard Cavoli [1] 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.

Contents

Commissioned into the infantry from the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, Cavoli served in the War in Afghanistan and commanded a brigade of the 1st Armored Division, the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command, and the 25th Infantry Division before assuming command of USAREUR in January 2018.

Early years

Born to an Italian-American army officer during the Cold War in Würzburg, West Germany, Cavoli grew up in Rome, Verona, Vicenza, and Giessen. [2] He graduated from Princeton University with an A.B. in biology in 1987. As part of his undergraduate degree, Cavoli completed a 22-page senior thesis titled "The Effect of Earthworms on the Vertical Distribution of Slime Molds in the Soil." [3]

Military career

Cavoli was commissioned into the Infantry from the Reserve Officers' Training Corps at Princeton. He was first assigned as a second lieutenant to the 3rd Battalion, 325th Airborne at Vicenza from 1988 to 1991.

Cavoli was promoted to captain and served as an instructor at Ranger School between 1992 and 1994.

He entered the Russian Foreign Area Officer program in 1995, and graduated from Yale University with a Master of Arts in Russian and East European Studies in 1997. [4]

Peace Enforcement in Bosnia

In 1999, he became chief of future operations for the 10th Mountain Division as a major and deployed to Bosnia with Stabilisation Force, before serving as an infantry battalion operations officer between 2000 and 2001.

NDU professor of Russian studies

As a lieutenant colonel, Cavoli served successively as Director for Russia on the Joint Staff Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate from 2001, as deputy executive assistant for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2003, and became a senior fellow at the National Defense University in 2004. [5]

Deployment to Afghanistan

Cavoli became commander of the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division in 2005. [5] The battalion deployed to Kunar Province during the War in Afghanistan with the brigade in 2006. He then commanded the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, in addition to serving as the deputy commander of Regional Command West in Herat during the War in Afghanistan.

Cavoli also served as the director of the Coordination Group of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army.

He has held fellowships at the National Defense University, the George C. Marshall Center for European Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, [6] and the Strategic Studies Group of the Army Chief of Staff. [7]

Service in Germany

Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Cavoli in the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany on 26 June 2015 Secretary of Defense Carter visits the Grafenwoehr Training Area, June 26, 2015 (18988969200).jpg
Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Cavoli in the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany on 26 June 2015

After serving as deputy commanding general for operations of the 82nd Airborne Division, Cavoli became commander of the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command at Grafenwoehr Training Area in July 2014. [8]

He was assigned to command the 25th Infantry Division on 25 March 2016, [9] and officially assumed command in a ceremony on 4 August. He was confirmed by the Senate for promotion to major general on 26 May 2016. [10]

Command of US Army Europe

He assumed command of United States Army Europe in a ceremony on 18 January 2018 [2] after being confirmed by the Senate for promotion to lieutenant general on 20 December 2017. [11]

Cavoli assumes command of USEUCOM on 1 July 2022. 2022 USEUCOM Change of Command 220701-Z-JY390-004.jpg
Cavoli assumes command of USEUCOM on 1 July 2022.

On 1 July 2020, Cavoli was nominated and confirmed by the Senate on 30 September 2020, for appointment to the rank of general, [12] and assignment as the commanding general of United States Army Europe and Africa, [13] combining the originally separate Army commands. He assumed his new command in Germany on 1 October 2020 and was formally promoted by Army Vice Chief of Staff Joseph M. Martin at the Pentagon on 7 October, [14] with an effective date-of-rank on 1 October.

Defender-Europe 21, one of the largest U.S.-Army, NATO-led military exercises in Europe in decades, began in mid-March 2021 and lasted until June 2021. It included "nearly simultaneous operations across more than 30 training areas" in Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Kosovo and other countries. [15] [16] Cavoli said that "While we are closely monitoring the COVID situation, we’ve proven we have the capability to train safely despite the pandemic." [15]

SACEUR

In May 2022, his nomination to succeed General Tod Wolters as commander of United States European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe was approved by the Senate. [17] [18] [19] [20] He assumed command on 4 July 2022. Secretary-General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg took the opportunity to remark on his "entirely new family of NATO defence plans" which had been approved at the 2022 NATO Madrid summit and said "You were quite simply the right leader, at the right post, at the right time." [21] Cavoli is the author of a 4000-page plan to discuss at the 2023 Vilnius Summit for updating NATO's military commands and preparations. [22]

Awards and decorations

Combat Infantry Badge.svg Combat Infantryman Badge
Ranger Tab.svg Ranger tab
Master Parachutist badge (United States).svg Master Parachutist Badge
Pathfinder.gif Pathfinder Badge
USEUCOM.svg United States European Command Badge
Coat of arms of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.svg Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe Badge
Office of the Secretary of Defense identification badge.svg Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge
Joint Chiefs of Staff seal (2).svg Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
United States Army Staff Identification Badge.png Army Staff Identification Badge
10th Mountain Division CSIB.jpg 10th Mountain Division Combat Service Identification Badge
Brevet Parachutiste.jpg French Parachutist Badge
Emblem of the Spanish Air Force Parachute.svg Spanish Parachutist Badge in black
32 Inf Rgt CoA.jpg 32nd Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia
ArmyOSB.svg 5 Overseas Service Bars
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
U.S. Army Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg
Army Distinguished Service Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster
US Defense Superior Service Medal ribbon.svg Defense Superior Service Medal
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Legion of Merit ribbon.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze Star ribbon.svg
Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Meritorious Service Medal ribbon.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Joint Service Commendation Medal ribbon.svg
Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg
Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Army Achievement Medal ribbon.svg Army Achievement Medal
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Joint Meritorious Unit Award ribbon.svg
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg Bronze oakleaf-3d.svg
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg Meritorious Unit Commendation
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg
National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Southwest Asia Service Medal ribbon (1991-2016).svg
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
Southwest Asia Service Medal with two service stars
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Ribbonstar-bronze.svg
Afghanistan Campaign Medal ribbon.svg
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three service stars
Global War on Terrorism Service ribbon.svg Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal ribbon.svg Humanitarian Service Medal
Army Service Ribbon.svg Army Service Ribbon
Army Overseas Service Ribbon.svg Award numeral 6.png Army Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze award numeral 6
NATO Medal Yugoslavia ribbon bar.svg NATO Medal for the former Yugoslavia
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) ribbon.svg Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
LTU Order for Merits to Lithuania - Commander's Cross BAR.svg Commander of the Order for Merits to Lithuania (27 March 2023) [23]
ESP Gran Cruz Merito Naval (Distintivo Blanco) pasador.svg Grand Cross of Naval Merit (with white distinctive) (Spain) (2024)

Personal life

Cavoli is married to Christina (née Dacey) of Fairfax, Virginia, and they have two sons, Alex and Nick. A speaker of French, Italian, and Russian, he is a Foreign Area Officer with a concentration on Eurasia. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum</span> NATO command

Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS) is a NATO command with its headquarters at Brunssum, the Netherlands. It was established in 2004, as part of a reorganisation that reduced the number of NATO Military Command Structure headquarters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supreme Allied Commander Europe</span> Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montgomery Meigs (born 1945)</span> Recipient of the Purple Heart medal (1945–2021)

Montgomery Cunningham Meigs was a United States Army general. He was named for his great-great-great-granduncle, Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs, the father of Arlington National Cemetery, and for his father Lieutenant Colonel Montgomery Meigs, a World War II tank commander who was killed in action one month before Meigs was born.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7th Army Training Command</span> Military unit

The 7th Army Training Command is a United States Army training organization located at Tower Barracks, Germany. 7th ATC comes under the command of the U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR). 7th ATC is the United States Army's largest overseas training command and responsible for providing and overseeing the training requirements for USAREUR soldiers as well as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and partner-nation countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bantz J. Craddock</span> US Army general

Bantz John Craddock is a former United States Army general. His last military assignment was as Commander, United States European Command and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe from December 2006 to June 30, 2009. He also served as Commander, United States Southern Command from November 9, 2004 to December 2006. After his retirement in 2009, he became chief executive of Military Professional Resources, Inc. (MPRI).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curtis Scaparrotti</span> US Army general

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division</span> Active US Army formation

The 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division is an airborne infantry brigade combat team (BCT) of the United States Army. The unit is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska and is the only airborne brigade combat team in the Pacific Theater. It is also the newest airborne Infantry BCT and one of only five in the United States Army; the others are the three Infantry BCTs of the 82nd Airborne Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David R. Hogg</span> United States Army general

Lieutenant General David Richard Hogg is a retired United States Army officer. He served as a United States Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee (USMILREP). He relieved Vice Admiral Richard K. Gallagher and assumed the assignment in 2012. He retired in 2015. Prior to the assignment, General Hogg served as the Commanding General of United States Army Africa (USARAF) from June 10, 2010, to August 3, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James L. Terry</span> US Army general

James L. Terry is a retired lieutenant general of the United States Army. Terry has commanded at multiple levels across the Army. Terry's last assignment was as the commanding general of United States Army Central, retiring 17 November 2015. Terry served as the last commander of V Corps before its inactivation in 2013. While commanding V Corps, he concurrently served as Commander, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command (IJC), and as deputy commander of United States Forces Afghanistan. He was the Commanding General of the 10th Mountain Division from 2009 to 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Hodges</span> United States Army officer (born 1958)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin S. Miller</span> Retired US Army general (born 1961)

Austin Scott Miller is a retired four-star general in the United States Army and former Delta Force commander who served as the final commander of NATO's Resolute Support Mission and United States Forces – Afghanistan from 2 September 2018 to 12 July 2021. He previously served as the commander of Joint Special Operations Command from 30 March 2016 to August 2018. He participated in numerous combat operations, such as the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993, and, since 2001, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He retired from the Army in December after relinquishing command in July 2021. Miller currently serves on the board of advisors for Striveworks and the board of directors for Workhorse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Headquarters Multinational Division Southeast</span> Military unit

Headquarters Multinational Division Southeast is NATO's command and control military body in the South-East region under the Multinational Corps Southeast. The operational control is handled by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). The headquarters are located in Bucharest, Romania. Established on 31 August 2015, the HQ MND-SE is the restructure of the former Romanian 1st Infantry Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darryl A. Williams</span> US Army general (born 1961)

Darryl Anthony Williams is a United States Army general who serves as the commanding general of United States Army Europe and Africa since 28 June 2022 and commander of Allied Land Command since 4 August 2022. 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 24 June 2016 to 29 June 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John M. Murray</span> U.S. Army four-star general

John Michael “Mike” Murray is an active United States Army general, the first commanding general of United States Army Futures Command, a new four-star Army Command headquartered in Austin, Texas. Murray was previously the G-8, a deputy chief of staff to the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. As G-8, Murray served as the principal advisor to the Chief of Staff for materiel requirements, as military counterpart to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Stuart (general)</span> Australian army general

Lieutenant General Simon Andrew Stuart, is a senior officer of the Australian Army who has served as the Chief of Army since July 2022. He was commissioned into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps from the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1990. He has commanded the 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2008–10), Joint Task Force 631 (2010) and Combined Team Uruzgan (2012–13), and deployed to East Timor as part of Operations Warden, Tanager and Astute and to Afghanistan and the Sinai Peninsula. He was Force Commander, Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai from 2017 to 2019, and Head Land Capability from 2020 to 2022. He succeeded Lieutenant General Rick Burr as Chief of Army on 2 July 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Donahue (general)</span> United States Army general (born 1969)

Christopher Todd Donahue is a United States Army lieutenant general who serves as the commanding general of XVIII Airborne Corps since March 11, 2022. He most recently served as commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. Throughout his career, Donahue served in staff and command positions for both United States Army and Special Operations units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Maranian</span> Retired U.S. Army Major General

Stephen J. Maranian is a retired major general who served in the United States Army from 1988 to 2023. Commissioned as a Field Artillery officer, Maranian served continuously on active duty, commanding from the platoon to the two-star level. In his final assignment he served as commanding general of the 56th Artillery Command in Mainz-Kastel, Germany from 2021 to 2023. Maranian served in combat deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq and more than half of his career was spent overseas. Maranian holds two master's degrees and is a graduate of both the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the United States Army War College; he has also graduated from the NATO Defense College and the Defense Language Institute.

References

  1. "Promotion Ceremony iho LTG Christopher Cavoli hosted by VCSA". DVIDS. 7 October 2020. Archived from the original on 7 August 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  2. 1 2 Dillard, Tamika (18 January 2018). "Cavoli assumes command of U.S. Army Europe". U.S. Army Europe Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  3. Cavoli, Christopher Gerard. The Effect of Earthworms on the Vertical Distribution of Slime Molds in the Soil (Thesis). Princeton University. Department of Biology. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  4. "About the contributors". The Journal of Slavic Military Studies. 11 (2): 5–6. 1998. doi:10.1080/13518049808430337.
  5. 1 2 Cavoli, Chris. "Chris Cavoli". LinkedIn. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  6. Stoutamire, Dan (18 January 2018). "Warrior-scholar Cavoli takes reins at USAREUR". Stars and Stripes. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  7. 1 2 ""The Paradox of War" Alumni Companion Program, June 1 – July 13, 2014: Webinar Presenter". Alumni Association of Princeton University. 2014. Archived from the original on 16 December 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  8. "Cavoli takes reins of 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command". JMTC Public Affairs Office. 22 July 2014. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  9. "General Officer Assignments". Department of Defense. 25 March 2016. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  10. "U.S. Army's European training command to change commanders, July 15". 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command. 27 June 2016. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  11. "PN1263 – Maj. Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli – Army". United States Congress. 20 December 2017. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  12. "PN2080 – Lt. Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli – Army". United States Congress. 1 July 2020. Archived from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  13. Lucas, Ryan (1 October 2020). "Army Consolidating Europe, Africa Commands". Association of the United States Army. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  14. "Promotion Ceremony iho LTG Christopher Cavoli hosted by VCSA". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. 7 October 2020. Archived from the original on 7 August 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  15. 1 2 "Massive, Army-led NATO exercise Defender Europe kicks off". Army Times . 15 March 2021. Archived from the original on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  16. "NATO, US to stage large-scale military exercises around Serbia until summer". Euractiv . 22 March 2021. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  17. Youssef, Nancy; Lubold, Gordon (11 April 2022). "White House Expected to Name New Commander to Lead Allied Forces in Europe". The Wall Street Journal . Washington, D. C. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  18. Myers, Meghann (12 April 2022). "Army generals to be nominated to lead European Command, Special Operations Command: report". Military Times. Archived from the original on 12 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  19. "PN2049 – Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli – Army, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". U.S. Congress. 3 May 2022. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  20. "General Officer Announcement". U.S. Department of Defense. 3 May 2022. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  21. "NATO welcomes new Supreme Allied Commander Europe". NATO. 4 July 2022. Archived from the original on 9 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  22. "NATO is drafting new plans to defend Europe". The Economist. 2 July 2023. ISSN   0013-0613.
  23. "Apdovanotų asmenų duomenų bazė" [Database of awarded persons]. Lietuvos Respublikos Prezidentas (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 29 June 2023.
Military offices
Preceded by Commanding General of the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command
2014–2016
Succeeded by
Preceded by Commanding General of the 25th Infantry Division
2016–2018
Succeeded by
Preceded by Commanding General of United States Army Europe and Africa
2018–2022
Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander of the United States European Command
Supreme Allied Commander Europe

2022–present
Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Commander of U.S. Central Command Order of precedence of the United States
as Commander of U.S. European Command
Succeeded byas Commander of U.S. Africa Command