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Supreme Allied Commander Europe

Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Field	Value
post	Supreme Allied Commander Europe
flag	Flag of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.svg
flagsize	200px
flagcaption	Standard
insignia	Coat of arms of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.svg
insigniasize	90px
insigniacaption	SHAPE coat of arms
image	Gen Alexus G. Grynkewich (2).jpg
incumbent	General Alexus G. Grynkewich
incumbentsince	4 July 2025
department	North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Operations (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe)
abbreviation	SACEUR
reports_to	North Atlantic Council,
through NATO Military Committee
residence	Chateau Gendebien
seat	Casteau, Mons, Belgium
nominator	President of the United States,
with Senate advice and consent
appointer	North Atlantic Council
formation
first	General of the Army
Dwight D. Eisenhower
website	shape.nato.int

Allied Command Operations (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) through NATO Military Committee with Senate advice and consent Dwight D. Eisenhower

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.

SACEUR has always been held by a U.S. military officer, and the position is dual-hatted with that of Commander of United States European Command.

The current SACEUR is General Alexus G. Grynkewich of the US Air Force.

List of holders

Since 2003 the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) has also served as the head of Allied Command Europe and the head of Allied Command Operations. The officeholders have been:

Deputy

The position of Deputy Supreme Allied Command Europe (DSACEUR) has been known as Deputy Head of Allied Command Operations since 2003. From January 1978 until June 1993 there were two DSACEURs, one British and one German. From July 1993 this reverted to a single DSACEUR. With a small number of exceptions who were German military officers, DSACEUR is normally a British military officer. The officeholders have been as follows:

Single DSACEUR (April 1951 – January 1978)

No.	Portrait	Deputy Supreme Allied Commander	Start of term	End of term	Branch	Unit of Commission
1.	[[File:Bernard Law Montgomery.jpg	60px]]	Field Marshal	2 April 1951	23 September 1958		Royal Warwickshire Regiment
2.	[[File:Richard Gale in Normandy June 1944 IWM B 5352.jpg	60px]]	General	23 September 1958	22 September 1960		Worcestershire Regiment
3.	[[File:The Suez Operation October - December 1956 MH29031.jpg	60px]]	General	22 September 1960	1 January 1964		Royal Welch Fusiliers
4.	[[File:Air Marshal Sir Thomas Pike.jpg	60px]]	Marshal of the Royal Air Force	1 January 1964	1 March 1967		N/A
5.	[[File:Sir Robert Bray, 1964.jpg	60px]]	General	1 March 1967	1 December 1970		Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment
6.		General	1 December 1970	12 November 1973		1st The Royal Dragoons
7.	[[File:John Mogg.jpg	60px]]	General	12 November 1973	12 March 1976		Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
8.		General	12 March 1976	3 January 1978		Royal Artillery

Two DSACEURs (January 1978 until June 1993)

British	German	No.	Portrait	Deputy Supreme Allied Commander	Term	Branch	Unit of Commission	Start of term	No.	Portrait	Term
8.		General	3 January 1978		Royal Artillery	3 January 1978	2 November 1978	9.	General	3 January 1978	-
10.		General	2 November 1978		2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays)	2 November 1978	1 April 1980
1 April 1980	9 April 1981	11.	[[File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F047568-0012, Günther Luther.jpg	60px]]	Admiral	1 April 1980		Naval aviation
12.		Air Chief Marshal	9 April 1981		Royal Air Force Regiment (anti-aircraft artillery)	9 April 1981	1 April 1982
1 April 1982	2 April 1984	13.	[[File:Guenter Kiessling.jpg	60px]]	General	1 April 1982
2 April 1984	16 July 1984	14.		General	2 April 1984
15.		General	16 July 1984		Royal Artillery	16 July 1984	26 June 1987
16.	[[File:General John Akehurst.png	60px]]	General	26 June 1987		Northamptonshire Regiment	26 June 1987	1 October 1987
1 October 1987	17 January 1990	17.		General	1 October 1987		N/A
18.		General	17 January 1990		4th Queen's Own Hussars	17 January 1990	2 October 1990
2 October 1990	5 April 1993	19.		General	2 October 1990		-
20.		General	5 April 1993		Gloucestershire Regiment	5 April 1993	1 July 1993

Single DSACEUR (July 1993 – present)

No.	Portrait	Deputy Supreme Allied Commander	Start of term	End of term	Branch	Unit of Commission
20.		General	1 July 1993	12 December 1994		Gloucestershire Regiment
21.		General	12 December 1994	30 November 1998		Queen's Own Highlanders
22.		General	30 November 1998	17 September 2001		Parachute Regiment
23.	[[File:Dieter Stockmann.jpg	60px]]	General	17 September 2001	18 September 2002		Panzergrenadier
24.		Admiral	18 September 2002	1 October 2004		N/A
25.	[[File:John Reith Turkish Cpt (cropped).JPG	60px]]	General	1 October 2004	22 October 2007		Parachute Regiment
26.	[[File:Royal Visit 2012 0043 (McColl cropped).jpg	60px]]	General	22 October 2007	March 2011		Royal Anglian Regiment
27.	[[File:Richard Shirreff (cropped).jpg	60px]]	General	March 2011	March 2014		14th/20th King's Hussars
28.	[[File:Siradrianbradshaw.jpg	60px]]	General	March 2014	March 2017		14th/20th King's Hussars
29.	[[File:James Everard in 2018.jpg	60px]]	General	March 2017	April 2020		17th/21st Lancers
30.	[[File:Gen Radford at Desk.jpg	60px]]	General	April 2020	July 2023		The Light Infantry
31.	[[File:Vice Admiral Keith Blount (cropped).jpg	60px]]	Admiral	July 2023	Incumbent		Fleet Air Arm

Role in intra-European defence integration

DSACEUR's role in European Union missions

Under the 2002 Berlin Plus agreement, SHAPE may take part in the European Union's (EU) command and control structure as an operational headquarters (OHQ) for EU missions. In such an instance, the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR), who is always a European, would serve as Operation Commander (OpCdr). This use of SHAPE by the EU is subject to a "right of first refusal", i.e. NATO must first decline to intervene in a given crisis, and is contingent upon unanimous approval among NATO states, including those outside of the EU.

References

[https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_236885.htm New SACEUR leader]
Force V: The history of Britain's airborne deterrent, by Andrew Brookes. Jane's Publishing Co Ltd; First Edition 1 Jan. 1982, {{ISBN. 0710602383, p.129, 130, 137, 151.
"List of Former SACEURs". NATO.
"CONSILIUM - EU Operations Centre".
[[The Heritage Foundation]] report, March 24, 2008. {{unfit
"Article".

Info: Wikipedia Source

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