Les Echos: 5 things to know about Christopher Cavoli, the new NATO Commander-in-Chief
The joint NATO forces in Europe have a new commander — General Cavoli, according to the French edition of Les Eco. Interestingly, the news came out under the heading "Ukraine". Who would have thought that one day it would be "under Ukraine" that NATO's top commanders would be chosen.
American General Christopher Cavoli has been appointed the new commander-in-chief of NATO forces in Europe, the alliance's press service said on Tuesday. This post is currently held by US Air Force General Tod Walters.
In the context of strong tensions in relations with Russia, NATO attaches particular importance to who will command the United Forces of the organization in Europe. So who is General Christopher Cavoli and what will he command?
The Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (SACEUR) is one of the two strategic commanders of NATO. He is responsible for the overall command of NATO military operations. Christopher Cavoli will replace General Todd Walters at a ceremony scheduled for the summer. When we look at his biographical information, the career of a brilliant professional military man opens up to us.
1. His father was a military man
The son of an American officer of Italian descent, Christophe Cavoli was born at the height of the Cold War in Würzburg (West Germany) and grew up on military bases where his father served.
2. He studied earthworms
Cavoli has a bachelor's degree in biology in his educational baggage, and he graduated from the prestigious Princeton University. His dissertation was titled "The influence of earthworms on the vertical distribution of slime molds in the soil." After graduating in 1987, he entered the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC).
3. He speaks Russian
One of the features of this brilliant career military: Christopher Cavoli speaks Russian. As part of his army career in 1995, he joined a program designed for officers who want to specialize in knowledge of a specific geographical area, that is, lovers of country studies. In 1997, he received a master's degree in Russian and Eastern European Studies from Yale University. Since 2003, he has headed the Department for Russia in the office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which includes senior officers of the US army. Apparently, this skill of his played a role in choosing his candidacy in the current situation.
4. He has combat experience
Christopher Cavoli participated in numerous military operations. After the first Gulf War in the early 1990s, Cavoli was sent to Bosnia in the late 1990s, and then from 2006 led operations in Afghanistan. He was even for a while the deputy commander of the NATO regional command in Herat.
5. He has already commanded US troops in Europe
Christopher Cavoli has already managed to lead the US army in Europe from January 2018 to October 2020. After that, he worked in the Joint European-African Command of NATO with headquarters in Wiesbaden (Germany).