U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, right, stepped into his new role as Supreme Allied Commander Europe at a July 4, 2025, ceremony at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons, Belgium, succeeding Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli of the U.S. Army. NATO
A United States Air Force general assumed command of Allied Command Operations in July 2025, taking the helm of the U.S. and allied forces in Europe at a high-stakes moment as the Russia-Ukraine war rages. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich stepped into his new role as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) at a July 4 ceremony in Mons, Belgium, succeeding U.S. Army Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, who had served since 2022.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised Cavoli for leading the U.S. response to the Russian invasion, strengthening NATO’s presence in the Baltic Sea after several sabotage incidents linked to Russia and establishing NATO’s new command in Germany. “You have been an outstanding SACEUR, leading with honour and integrity,” Rutte said in a NATO news release.
Grynkewich, a former fighter pilot, “has a deep understanding of the threats we face from the skies, and across other domains,” Rutte said. Most recently, Grynkewich, who served as director of operations for NATO’s Joint Staff earlier in his career, has a deep knowledge of the European political and economic landscape and the security challenges it faces. “I know NATO can count on you to serve with the same steadfast resolve as your predecessors,” Rutte said.
A 1993 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Grynkewich has served as an instructor pilot, weapons officer and operational test pilot in the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-22 Raptor. He has commanded at the squadron, wing and Air Expeditionary Task Force levels. Staff assignments include service at Air Combat Command, U.S. European Command, U.S. Central Command, Headquarters Air Force and the Joint Staff. He also served as commander of the 9th Air Force (Air Forces Central), Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, and the Combined Forces Air Component commander for U.S. Central Command, Southwest Asia, according to his official Air Force biography.
Soon after assuming command, Grynkewich, who also serves as commander of the U.S. European Command, warned of a growing threat from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Russia. NATO must be ready to defend itself if the CCP and Russia launch wars in Europe and the Pacific simultaneously, with 2027 being a potential flashpoint year, he said. “We’re going to need every bit of kit and equipment and munitions that we can in order to beat that,” he said at a conference of defense and military leaders at LandEuro, an international symposium dedicated to land forces in Europe, in Wiesbaden, Germany, on July 17, according to Stars and Stripes, an independent military newspaper funded by U.S. Department of Defense publication.
The Allied Command Operations is responsible for the planning and execution of all NATO operations. Grynkewich is the 21st Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). The first to occupy the post was Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, subsequently the 34th president of the United States.