Just one day after NATO’s historic two-day summit in Madrid, the alliance swore in a new Supreme Allied Commander and head of US European Command (EUCOM). At a change of command ceremony in Stuttgart, Germany, Gen. Christopher Cavoli, the four-star U.S. general who leads U.S. forces in Europe, raised his right hand and took command of an expanding NATO that will soon have 300,000 active troops under its watch. of. It will also have two new member states – Finland and Sweden – once all 30 NATO member parliaments vote to join. Christopher G. Cavoli, U.S. Army General, smiles as he is awarded the Bavarian Order of Merit by the Bavarian Minister-President. (Sven Hoppe Alliance/image via Getty Images) “Chris knows Europe better than any officer alive in uniform today. Chris is literally built to lead EUCOM,” said Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, accompanied by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Austin thanked outgoing commander General Todd Walters, who oversaw the transformation of NATO in the months since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. TURKEY CRASHES OPPOSITION TO FINLAND, SWEDEN JOINS NATO “I believe that future generations will look back on how we all served the cause of freedom at this pivotal moment,” Austin said during the ceremony. “All are inspired by the resilience and bravery of the Ukrainian people. They will take heart from the way nations of goodwill have rallied against Putin’s aggression.” General Cavoli’s father served in the army for 32 years, retiring as a colonel. Christopher was born in Italy on an American military base while his father was serving. 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 has lived all over the continent and is fluent in French, Russian and Italian. He reads Spanish and Portuguese. And he can understand and understand Polish and Ukrainian, which allows him to communicate directly with half the population of Europe” , General Milley said. President Biden during a press conference on the final day of the NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain, June 30, 2022. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images) General Cavoli served in Bosnia and in combat with the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan. He commanded a brigade combat team in the first Armored Division. He commanded the Seventh Army Training Group in Europe, was deputy commander of the 82nd Airborne Division and later the 25th Infantry Division. He was director of the Russia Office on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, in addition to his master’s degree at Yale University in Russian studies. “He’s tough. He’s experienced in combat. He’s smart and has a deep understanding of Europe and Russia,” Milley said. “Chris Cavoli is the right officer in the right job at the right time. … We are at that pivotal moment, a transitional period in history. And EUCOM is making it important. You support the rules-based international order … You protect America’s vital interests. And, most importantly, you prevent Great Power war.” General Cavoli will oversee some of the biggest military posture changes in Europe since World War II. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, the Pentagon has deployed or expanded deployments for over 20,000 US troops in Europe. The US now has more than 100,000 troops based in Europe. And soon the NATO Ready Force of 40,000 members will increase to 300,000 NATO troops. US DEFENDS SENDING AIRCRAFT THROUGH TAIWAN STRAITS AS CHINA GROWS EVEN MORE AGGRESSIVE Dwight Eisenhower said he and the alliance leaders had ‘the same passionate hope to serve free and secure mankind.’ We still share that hope. We’re still keeping that flame burning,” Austin said. Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a press conference on the final day of the NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain, June 30, 2022. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images) At the NATO summit in Madrid, President Biden announced that the US would establish a military headquarters in Poland that would rotate to protect NATO’s eastern flank. A rotary combat brigade will be sent to Romania, two squadrons of F-35s to the United Kingdom, two Navy destroyers to Spain and a short-range air defense battery to Italy. Another 625 servicemen will head to Germany to operate air defense missile systems. “Putin is looking to Finlandize Europe,” Biden said during the NATO summit. “He will achieve the NATOization of Europe, and that is exactly what he did not want, but it is exactly what needs to be done to ensure security in Europe. President Biden on Friday announced another $820 million in security assistance for additional weaponry for Ukraine, including air defense weapons requested by the Ukrainian government. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP This is the 14th drop package announced since August 2021 and includes munitions for HIMARS, two National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), 155mm munitions and four anti-aircraft radars. Ukraine has four HIMARS or M142 High Mobility Artillery Missile Systems, which are lightweight multiple rocket launchers developed in the late 1990s for the United States military. They are currently in use and will have four more by the end of July, according to senior defense officials. Jennifer Griffin currently serves as national security correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC) and is based out of the Washington, DC bureau. She joined the network in October 1999 as a correspondent based in Jerusalem.
