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| United States European Command | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the United States European Command | |
| Founded | 1 August 1952 (1952-08-01) |
| Country |  United States |
| Type | Unified combatant command |
| Role | Geographic combatant command |
| Part of |  Department of Defense |
| Headquarters | Patch Barracks,Stuttgart,Germany |
| Nickname | EUCOM |
| Website | Official website |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | GenAlexus G. Grynkewich,USAF |
| Deputy Commander | LtGenRobert C. Fulford,USMC |
| Command Senior Enlisted Leader | CSMThomas J. Holland,USA |
| Insignia | |
| Shoulder Sleeve Insignia |  |
| NATO Map Symbol[1][2] |  -_AA_-_European_Command_(FM_1-02%2c_2004_September_21).svg) |
| United States Armed Forces |
|---|
 |
| Executive departments |
| Staff |
| Military departments |
| Military services |
| Command structure |
TheUnited States European Command (EUCOM) is one of the elevenunified combatant commands of theUnited States military, headquartered inStuttgart, Germany. Its area of focus covers 21,000,000 square miles (54,000,000 km2) and 51 countries and territories, includingEurope, theCaucasus,Russia.[3] The Commander of the United States EUCOM simultaneously serves as theSupreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR) withinNATO, a military alliance. During theGulf War andOperation Northern Watch, EUCOM controlled the forces flying fromIncirlik Air Base.
Prior to 1952, the title "European Command (EUCOM)" referred to a single-service,United States Army command. The senior U.S. Army administrative command in the European region had previously been designatedEuropean Theater of Operations United States Army (ETOUSA) from 8 June 1942 – 1 July 1945; United States Forces European Theater (USFET) from 1 July 1945 – 15 March 1947; and then European Command (EUCOM) 15 March 1947 – 1 August 1952.
The first unified command in the European area was established by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 1 August 1952. Designated the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM), it was established to provide "unified command and authority" over all U.S. forces in Europe.[4] Prior to 1 August 1952, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Army presence in Europe maintained separate commands that reported directly to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The respective titles of the service commands were: Commander-in-Chief,U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE); Commander-in-Chief,U.S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean; and Commander-in-Chief, U.S. European Command. In line with the creation of the joint-service European Command, the Army command in Europe has redesignated U.S. Army Europe on 1 August 1952.
The unified command structure was born of the need to address changes wrought not only by America's rapid post-war demobilization but the end of the occupation of Germany in 1949. Questions arose over the U.S. commitment to the defense of Western Europe against theSoviet Union (USSR). Providing for the common defense was a great concern, especially after the Berlin Crisis of 1948–49 when the Soviet Union blocked access to the divided city and the U.S. andUnited Kingdom responded with an unprecedented airlift. In 1949 the allies established theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
In 1952 thearea of responsibility included continental Europe, the United Kingdom, North Africa and Turkey. The AOR was subsequently expanded to include Southwest Asia as far east as Iran and as far south as Saudi Arabia.
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After the Korean War began, the perceived threat to Europe grew. In early 1951, NATO establishedAllied Command Europe. GeneralDwight D. Eisenhower was called from retirement to become the firstSupreme Allied Commander Europe. The United States sent massive reinforcements to Europe to deter theSoviet Union.
From 1950 to 1953 United States military personnel in Europe grew from 120,000 to over 400,000. United States Air Forces in Europe grew from three groups with 35,000 personnel to eleven wings with 136,000 personnel.Sixth Fleet in theMediterranean doubled to more than 40 warships. United States Army, Europe, grew from one infantry division and three constabulary regiments to two corps with five divisions (including two mobilized National Guard divisions) and in November 1950 activated a new field army, Seventh Army, at Patch Barracks, Stuttgart.
The Army activated the10th Special Forces Group atFort Bragg in 1952 and deployed it toBad Tölz in November 1953 for unconventional warfare missions in the Soviet Bloc countries. To provide for national command within NATO and to help control this build-up of forces, Gen. Eisenhower proposed a separate command for all United States forces in Europe. Because the senior United States commander would continue as Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Eisenhower recommended giving "a maximum of delegated authority" to a four-star deputy.
Eisenhower returned to the United States just as the new command was established. The first United States Commander-in-Chief Europe (USCINCEUR) was GeneralMatthew Ridgway, former commander of Eighth Army and the Far East Command during the Korean War. His deputy was GeneralThomas T. Handy, commander of United States Army, Europe. At this point the position of USCINCEUR was "dual hatted" with Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).
Headquarters EUCOM initially shared the I.G. Farben Building in Frankfurt, Germany, with Headquarters United States Army, Europe. By 1953 over 400,000 U.S. troops were stationed in Europe. In 1954, the headquarters moved toCamp des Loges, a French Army base west ofParis and a short distance from SHAPE. There, EUCOM prepared plans for the defense of Western Europe within theNATO framework against the Soviet Union andWarsaw Pact.
EUCOM used the Military Assistance Program to help its NATO partners build their military capabilities, including after 1955 the GermanBundeswehr. In 1955, EUCOM established a Support Operations Command Europe, soon renamed Support Operations Task Force Europe (laterSpecial Operations Command Europe) for special operations missions. In 1961, EUCOM began operating an airborne command post,Operation Silk Purse.
During the1961 Berlin Crisis, on 25 August 1961, the Department of Defense announced 148,000 reserve personnel would be called on 1 October for twelve months of active duty service. 27,000 of these would be fromAir Force Reserve andAir National Guard flying squadrons and support units to augment the Air Force, and 112,000 wereU.S. Army Reserve. Many Army Reservists were sent to Europe to bring ground combat units up to full strength.
Civil war broke out inLebanon in 1958 due to mounting religious and political conflicts (see "1958 Lebanon crisis"). EUCOM conducted a major contingency operation, Operation Blue Bat, in response to Lebanon's request to restore stability within the government.
In 1966, following disagreements by the French with certain NATO military policies, PresidentCharles de Gaulle stated that all forces within France's borders would have to come under French control by April 1969. Soon afterward, France announced that SHAPE and its subordinate headquarters must leave French territory by April 1967.[5] The following year, SHAPE moved toMons, Belgium, while Headquarters EUCOM moved toPatch Barracks inStuttgart, Germany. Headquarters Seventh Army moved toHeidelberg, where it merged with Headquarters United States Army, Europe. At Patch Barracks, EUCOM renovated the buildings, built a new operations center, and modernized communications infrastructure.
EUCOM continued to prepare for the defense of Europe and began a series of annualREFORGER (Return of Forces to Germany) exercises in 1967. Cold War crises continued, including the 1968Warsaw Pactinvasion of Czechoslovakia. But, because of theVietnam War, the number of the American forces in Europe slowly declined. Troop strength in Europe fell to 265,000 by 1970.
During the 1970s, force protection concerns in Europe increased as terrorist groups, such as theRed Army Faction and theRed Brigades, targeted American facilities and personnel with bombings, kidnapping and assassinations.Palestinian terrorist organizations conducted terror operations in Europe, such as thekidnapping of Israeli athletes during the1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
EUCOM and its components continued to provide military assistance throughout Europe, as well as humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, noncombatant evacuation, support to peacekeeping operations, and other non-traditional missions in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. For example, after theCongo became independent in 1960, EUCOM joined in several multinational operations in that country, including peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, and noncombatant evacuation in 1960, November 1964 (Operation Dragon Rouge), the 1967second Stanleyville mutiny and again in 1978 (duringShaba II). In the Middle East, EUCOM provided military assistance to Israel and noncombatant evacuation of American citizens in 1967, 1973, and 1982–1984.
In the late 1970s, the Soviet Union deployedSS-20 intermediate-range ballistic missiles into Eastern Europe and in 1979 invadedAfghanistan. NATO responded with a "two-track" decision to step up negotiations while deploying American intermediate-rangePershing II missiles andGround Launched Cruise Missiles (GLCM) to counter Soviet actions.
During the 1980s, American forces in Europe increased to over 350,000. EUCOM established Fleet Marine Force Europe (laterMARFOREUR) in 1980.
The 1983Unified Command Plan transferred responsibility for the Middle East from EUCOM to a new combatant command,U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), but EUCOM retained responsibility forIsrael,Lebanon andSyria. At the same time, EUCOM was formally assigned responsibility for Africa south of theSahara. Thus the area of responsibility became Europe (including the United Kingdom andIreland), the Mediterranean Sea (including the islands), and the Mediterranean littoral (excluding Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti).
TheGoldwater-Nichols Act of 1986, together withChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen.Colin L. Powell, who served from 1989 to 1993, further strengthened the role of combatant commanders. Goldwater-Nichols also established United States Special Operations Command, which led to the activation of a new sub-unified command, Special Operations Command, Europe.
During the 1980s, negotiations continued with the Soviet Union on strategic and theater-level arms limitation. In 1987, theIntermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) called an end to the deployment of SS-20s, Pershing IIs and GLCMs. In 1990, NATO and Warsaw Pact members signed a treaty on conventional armed forces in Europe (CFE).
In 1989, theSoviet Union and other Soviet Bloc countries in Eastern Europe collapsed and theCold War came to an end. The citizens from both East and West Berlin began tearing down theBerlin Wall on 9 November 1989.
As a sign of reduced tensions, in 1991 EUCOM took its airborne command post off alert. Meanwhile, in 1991, EUCOM and its components provided forces -primarilyVII Corps- toCENTCOM forOperation Desert Storm.
EUCOM supports programs in former Soviet Bloc countries such as the Joint Contract Team Program, NATOPartnership for Peace and theNational Guard BureauState Partnership Program. It was also active in operations in the Balkans, including Bosnia, Macedonia andKosovo. During this time, EUCOM's assigned forces were lowered below 120,000.
Since 1990, EUCOM has hosted or co-hosted the annualInternational Military Chiefs of Chaplains Conference, the only one of its kind in the world, working to foster cooperation among religious leaders and understanding of religion as both a force for war and a force for peace.
In 1999, changes to the command's area of responsibility were announced, after amendments to theUnified Command Plan. TheUnited States Atlantic Command areas that had included the waters off Europe and the west coast of Africa were to be transferred to European Command.[7] U.S. European Command already had responsibility for all U.S. land and air military planning in Europe and most of Africa. The change gave EUCOM the responsibility for maritime planning in the same general area of operations.
The changes were made effective on 1 October 2000. The Atlantic Command areas that presently include the waters off Europe and the west coast of Africa were also transferred to European Command.
Immediately afterthe terrorist attacks against New York and Washington, D.C., on 11 September 2001, NATO invoked Article V of the treaty and deployed NATO early warning aircraft to help monitor the skies over North America. EUCOM provided major forces for subsequent operations in Afghanistan and stepped up its efforts to protect United States interests in Europe and Africa. Subsequent terrorist attacks in the EUCOM theater inCasablanca, Madrid, London andAlgiers prompted EUCOM to launch Operation Enduring Freedom Trans-Sahara in 2007 while continuing to provide rotational forces to Afghanistan and Iraq.
The 2002Unified Command Plan transferred responsibility forLebanon andSyria to CENTCOM, but EUCOM retained responsibility forIsrael, and assumed responsibility forRussia (formerly held by the Joint Staff) and for an increased portion of the North Atlantic, to includeIceland and the PortugueseAzores (formerly held by theU.S. Joint Forces Command). TheIceland Defense Force formed part of EUCOM from 2002 until 2006 when it was disestablished.
Joint Task Force East provided from forces rotating from the continental United States through bases in Bulgaria and Romania, was initially intended to be provided by a rotating US-based brigade. Two bases atConstanţa, Romania was developed, apparently with the main facility atMihail Kogălniceanu Airfield. Initially, however,Joint Task Force East was to have been provided by a rotational 2nd Cavalry Regiment Stryker squadron. The Task Force was originally planned to be called the Eastern Europe Task Force. However, since the stresses of the Iraq and Afghan deployments, the army provision of the Joint Task Force East has been replaced by a Marine force known as theBlack Sea Rotational Force.
In 2003, the headquarters reorganized to establish the EUCOM Plans and Operations Center (EPOC). From 2006 to 2008, EUCOM helped stand-up a new geographic unified combatant command,United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), which moved to nearbyKelley Barracks and took over responsibility for Department of Defense activities in Africa on 1 October 2008.
At the end of thefirst Trump presidency, 12,000 American troops were ordered out of Germany shifting to Belgium and Italy and returning to the United States. Secretary of DefenseMark Esper expected the plan to cost billions.[8] The plan was never put into effect and was later canceled by President Biden.[9]
On January 15, 2021, EUCOM transferred coordination of military activities for Israel to CENTCOM.[10]
In 2025,Ansa reported[11] that President Trump wanted to reduce the troop presence in Europe by about 20,000 and wanted financial contributions from European countries for the remaining soldiers.[12]
In June 2025, the area of responsibility ofGreenland was shifted from EUCOM toUSNORTHCOM.[13]
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1967: U.S. European Command headquarters moves to Patch Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany.
1970: 265,000 US troops stationed in Europe.
1980: 350,000 US troops stationed in Europe.
1983: U.S. Central Command is established and takes over responsibility for DoD activities in the Middle East from EUCOM.
1990:VII Corps (US Army) and other USAREUR units are deployed from EUCOM to Saudi Arabia for theGulf War.
1992:VII Corps (US Army) after redeploying from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait is withdrawn from EUCOM and inactivated.
1999: US troops stationed in Europe fall below 120,000.
2002:V Corps (US Army) is deployed from EUCOM to Kuwait for theIraq War.
2003: General James L. Jones becomes the first US Marine to be EUCOM Commander.
2006:V Corps (US Army) is deployed from EUCOM to Iraq as the command and control element forMulti-National Corps–Iraq.
2008: U.S. Africa Command is established and takes over responsibility for DoD activities in Africa from EUCOM.
2009: Navy AdmiralJames G. Stavridis becomes EUCOM's 15th Commander and the first Navy Admiral to lead the HQ.
2012:V Corps (US Army) is deployed from EUCOM toAfghanistan, providing command and control of all United States ground forces engaged in the theater.[14]
2013:V Corps (US Army) is inactivated after redeploying from Afghanistan, leaving EUCOM without a Corps HQ for the first time since 1951.[15]
2020:V Corps (US Army) is reactivated inFort Knox.[16][17] Corps forward headquarters is to be inPoznań, Poland.[18]
The following list details all operations in which EUCOM has been involved since its inception.[19]
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The main service component commands of EUCOM are theUnited States Army Europe,United States Naval Forces Europe/U.S. Sixth Fleet,United States Air Forces in Europe andUnited States Marine Corps Forces, Europe
United States Army Europe (formerly Seventh Army) is based in Germany. It controls two brigades, one aviation brigade, and several supporting units while also providing support to other Army units in Europe. Previously it had two divisions, although for almost all of the Cold War it controlled two corps of two divisions each.V Corps was deactivated in 2013 upon its return from Afghanistan.VII Corps was deactivated in 1992 after returning to Germany after the Gulf War.
The Sixth Fleet provides ships to NATOJoint Force Command Naples'Operation Active Endeavour, deterring threats to shipping in theStraits of Gibraltar and the remainder of the Mediterranean.Joint Task Force Aztec Silence, a special operations force established under the command of Commander, Sixth Fleet, has been involved in fightingOperation Enduring Freedom - Trans Sahara. It also has a growing role around the shores of West and East Africa, under the direction ofUnited States Africa Command. It previously had a significantMediterranean presence function against theSoviet Navy's5th Operational Squadron (Mediterranean Squadron, effectively fleet sized), and for most of the Cold War was the most powerful maritime striking force along NATO's southern flank.
TheUnited States Air Forces in Europe, the Wing-support command, andThird Air Force, USAFE's Warfighting Headquarters are both based atRamstein Air Base in Germany. They are now much reduced from their high Cold War strength and provide a pool of airpower closer to many trouble spots than aircraft flying from the United States.
TheUnited States Marine Corps Forces, Europe is headquartered inPanzer Kaserne in Böblingen (Stuttgart), Germany, and serves as the Marine Corps component of EUCOM. MARFOREUR is integral in the planning and execution ofBlack Sea Rotational Force.
A subordinate unified command of EUCOM is SOCEUR (Special Operations Command Europe), headquartered atPatch Barracks in Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany. Special forces units within the AOR include the352nd Special Operations Group of the USAF, based atRAF Mildenhall in the UK, aU.S. Navy SEALs unit, and Naval Special Warfare Unit 2 and 1st BN,10th Special Forces Group located atPanzer Kaserne, Germany.
EUCOM is also headquartered at Patch Barracks inStuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany.
TheKaiserslautern Military Community is the largest U.S. community outside of the U.S., while theLandstuhl Regional Medical Center is the largest U.S. military hospital overseas, treating wounded Soldiers fromIraq andAfghanistan.
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U.S. European Command administers the low-profile U.S. military storage installations in Israel.William Arkin in his bookCode Names revealed the locations of some of the American bases in Israel.[25] Arkin writes that the sites do not appear on maps, and their exact locations are classified. According to the book, some of the sites are located atBen Gurion Airport, Nevatim,Ovda air base, and inHerzliya Pituah.
The sites are numbered as "site 51," "site 53," "site 54," "site 55" and "site 56." Some of the depots are underground, others were built as open hangars. According to Arkin, site 51 holds ammunition and equipment in underground depots. Site 53 is munitions storage and war reserve vehicles atIsraeli Air Force bases, site 54 is an emergency military hospital near Tel Aviv with 500 beds, and Sites 55 and 56 are ammunition depots.
Previously, this position held the title "Commander-in-Chief (CINC), United States European Command". However, following an order dated 24 October 2002 bySecretary of DefenseDonald Rumsfeld, all CINCs in theUnited States military were retitled "Commanders" and the use of "CINC" as an acronym for anyone other than the President was forbidden.[26]
| No. | Commander | Term | Service branch | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Duration | ||
| As Commander-in-Chief (CINC), United States European Command | ||||||
| 1 | .jpg) | Ridgway, MatthewGeneral Matthew Ridgway (1895–1993) | 30 May 1952 | 11 July 1953 | 1 year, 42 days |  U.S. Army |
| 2 |  | Gruenther, AlfredGeneral Alfred Gruenther (1899–1983) | 11 July 1953 | 20 November 1956 | 3 years, 132 days | U.S. Army |
| 3 |  | Norstad, LaurisGeneral Lauris Norstad (1907–1988) | 20 November 1956 | 1 November 1962 | 5 years, 346 days |  U.S. Air Force |
| 4 | .jpg) | Lemnitzer, LymanGeneral Lyman Lemnitzer (1899–1988) | 1 November 1962 | 1 July 1969 | 6 years, 242 days | U.S. Army |
| 5 |  | Goodpaster, AndrewGeneral Andrew Goodpaster (1915–2005) | 1 July 1969 | 15 December 1974 | 5 years, 167 days | U.S. Army |
| 6 |  | Haig, AlexanderGeneral Alexander M. Haig Jr. (1924–2010) | 15 December 1974 | 1 July 1979 | 4 years, 198 days | U.S. Army |
| 7 |  | Rogers, BernardGeneral Bernard W. Rogers (1921–2008) | 1 July 1979 | 26 June 1987 | 7 years, 360 days | U.S. Army |
| 8 |  | Galvin, JohnGeneral John Galvin (1929–2015) | 26 June 1987 | 23 June 1992 | 4 years, 363 days | U.S. Army |
| 9 |  | Shalikashvili, JohnGeneral John Shalikashvili (1936–2011) | 23 June 1992 | 22 October 1993 | 1 year, 121 days | U.S. Army |
| 10 |  | Joulwan, GeorgeGeneral George Joulwan (born 1939) | 22 October 1993 | 11 July 1997 | 3 years, 262 days | U.S. Army |
| 11 |  | Clark, WesleyGeneral Wesley Clark (born 1944) | 11 July 1997 | 3 May 2000 | 2 years, 297 days | U.S. Army |
| 12 |  | Ralston, JosephGeneral Joseph Ralston (born 1943) | 3 May 2000 | 17 January 2003 | 2 years, 259 days | U.S. Air Force |
| 13 | .jpg) | Jones, JamesGeneral James L. Jones (born 1943) | 17 January 2003 | 7 December 2006 | 3 years, 324 days |  U.S. Marine Corps |
| As Commander, United States European Command | ||||||
| 14 |  | Craddock, BantzGeneral Bantz J. Craddock (born 1949) | 7 December 2006 | 2 July 2009 | 2 years, 207 days | U.S. Army |
| 15 |  | Stavridis, JamesAdmiral James G. Stavridis (born 1955) | 2 July 2009 | 13 May 2013 | 3 years, 315 days |  U.S. Navy |
| 16 |  | Breedlove, PhilipGeneral Philip M. Breedlove (born 1955) | 13 May 2013 | 4 May 2016 | 2 years, 357 days | U.S. Air Force |
| 17 |  | Scaparrotti, CurtisGeneral Curtis M. Scaparrotti (born 1956) | 4 May 2016 | 3 May 2019 | 2 years, 364 days | U.S. Army |
| 18 |  | Wolters, Tod D.General Tod D. Wolters (born 1960) | 3 May 2019 | 1 July 2022 | 3 years, 59 days | U.S. Air Force |
| 19 | .jpg) | Cavoli, Christopher G.General Christopher G. Cavoli (bornc. 1964) | 1 July 2022 | 1 July 2025 | 3 years, 0 days | U.S. Army |
| 20 |  | Grynkewich, Alexus G.General Alexus G. Grynkewich (born 1971) | 1 July 2025 | Incumbent | 147 days | U.S. Air Force |
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)The term 'CINC' is sunk. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld put out a memo Oct. 24 to DoD leaders saying there is only one commander in chief in America — the president.
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