Giving up American military leadership of the NATO alliance would be "problematic," the top U.S. general in Europe told senators Thursday.
At an annual hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Gen. Christopher Cavoli was asked about reports that the Trump administration is considering relinquishing the U.S. role as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, or SACEUR, a title that has been held by a U.S. general since its inception in the 1950s.
As the chief of U.S. European Command, Cavoli also holds the position of SACEUR right now. While he acknowledged that it will ultimately be a policy decision by the administration whether to give up the SACEUR title, he argued that doing so would create problems for the U.S. nuclear umbrella in Europe.
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"Our allies crave our leadership and are stronger with it, and are stronger for us," Cavoli added.
NBC News reported last month that the Trump administration is mulling giving up the role of SACEUR as part of a broader reshuffling of the U.S. military commands around the globe.
The tradition of a U.S. general being NATO's top military officer dates back to then-Gen. and future President Dwight D. Eisenhower being appointed the first SACEUR in 1950.
But more than tradition and symbolism, Cavoli on Thursday laid out practical reasons for having a U.S. general atop the alliance. In particular, he highlighted that the U.S. extends its nuclear umbrella to its European allies, and that having the same officer in charge of both U.S. and NATO forces prevents complications with nuclear command and control.
"We have some nuclear weapons that in a conflict, upon the agreement of the United States and the rest of the nations, would be turned over to SACEUR to be delivered by a variety of nations who are involved in this program, all of them NATO nations," Cavoli said. "If SACEUR were not an American officer, we would have to find some other way to do that, and it would certainly not be as integrated with the rest of SACEUR's operations as it is now."
"I and key American elements of my staff at the NATO headquarters, at Supreme Allied headquarters Europe, we are able to be the link in that chain that makes it seamless," he added later.
While Cavoli was pressed about the Trump administration's reported plans by several Republicans, suggesting they are troubled by the idea, at least one Republican on the Armed Services Committee offered a full-throated defense of the proposal.
"While some of my colleagues have been wringing their hands over the possibility that the United States might step away from its role as the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, I can tell you who isn't all that worried about it: It's the American people," Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said at the hearing. "Quite frankly, they probably thought that ended when Dwight D. Eisenhower was no longer the Supreme Allied Commander."
In addition to potentially giving up the title of SACEUR, the Trump administration is also considering consolidating European Command and U.S. Africa Command, according to multiple reports.
Africa Command was created in 2007 amid concerns from the George W. Bush administration and lawmakers about a lack of focus on a continent of strategic importance and with a terrorism threat from affiliates of al-Qaida. Prior to that, responsibility for any U.S. military interests in Africa was divided among European Command, Central Command and Pacific Command. While it is a separate command, Africa Command is still headquartered in Europe alongside European Command.
At Thursday's hearing, Cavoli suggested it would be difficult for European Command to absorb Africa Command, given Africa's size.
"I would have the responsibility for 50 more countries," he said in response to a question from the committee's ranking member, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. "It would be a stretch, senator. That's a wide span of control."
Still, Cavoli also suggested his command could handle the extra workload if "the expertise and the capacity" from Africa Command were folded into European Command, rather than cut altogether.
"It would have to be studied very, very closely of course," he added.
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