Supreme Allied Commander Europe

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.<ref>Force V: The history of Britain's airborne deterrent, by Andrew Brookes. Jane's Publishing Co Ltd; First Edition 1 Jan. 1982, Template:ISBN, p.129, 130, 137, 151.</ref> 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 Christopher G. Cavoli of the United States Army.

List of holders

File:First NATO flag with Eisenhower.jpg

Gen. Dwight Eisenhower in front of the flag of SHAPE on 8 October 1951

File:SACEUR change of command ceremony 130513-A-IL200-669.jpg

2013 SACEUR change of command at SHAPE

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:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Officeholder table start Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table Template:Officeholder table end

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	Field Marshal The Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, Template:Post nominals	2 April 1951	23 September 1958	Template:Army	Royal Warwickshire Regiment
2.	File:Richard Gale in Normandy June 1944 IWM B 5352.jpg	General Sir Richard Gale, Template:Post nominals	23 September 1958	22 September 1960	Template:Army	Worcestershire Regiment
3.	File:The Suez Operation October - December 1956 MH29031.jpg	General Sir Hugh Stockwell, Template:Post nominals	22 September 1960	1 January 1964	Template:Army	Royal Welch Fusiliers
4.	File:Air Marshal Sir Thomas Pike.jpg	Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Thomas Pike, Template:Post nominals	1 January 1964	1 March 1967	Template:Air force	N/A
5.	File:Sir Robert Bray, 1964.jpg	General Sir Robert Bray, Template:Post nominals	1 March 1967	1 December 1970	Template:Army	Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment
6.		General Sir Desmond Fitzpatrick, Template:Post nominals	1 December 1970	12 November 1973	Template:Army	1st The Royal Dragoons
7.	File:John Mogg.jpg	General Sir John Mogg, Template:Post nominals	12 November 1973	12 March 1976	Template:Army	Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
8.		General Sir Harry Tuzo, Template:Post nominals	12 March 1976	3 January 1978 (As solo DSACEUR)	Template:Army	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	End of term	No.	Portrait	Deputy Supreme Allied Commander	Term	Branch
8.		General Sir Harry Tuzo, Template:Post nominals	3 January 1978 - 2 November 1978 (As Co-DSACEUR)	Template:Army	Royal Artillery	3 January 1978	2 November 1978	9.		General Gerd Schmückle	3 January 1978 - 1 April 1980	Template:Army	-
10.		General Sir Jack Harman, Template:Post nominals	2 November 1978 - 9 April 1981	Template:Army	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	Admiral Günter Luther	1 April 1980 - 1 April 1982	Template:Navy	Naval aviation
12.		Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Terry, Template:Post nominals	9 April 1981 - 16 July 1984	Template:Air force	Royal Air Force Regiment (anti-aircraft artillery)	9 April 1981	1 April 1982
						1 April 1982	2 April 1984	13.	File:Guenter Kiessling.jpg	General Günter Kießling	1 April 1982	Template:Army
						2 April 1984	16 July 1984	14.		General Hans-Joachim Mack	2 April 1984 - 1 October 1987	Template:Army
15.		General Sir Edward Burgess, Template:Post nominals	16 July 1984	Template:Army	Royal Artillery	16 July 1984	26 June 1987
16.	File:General John Akehurst.png	General Sir John Akehurst, Template:Post nominals	26 June 1987 - 17 January 1990	Template:Army	Northamptonshire Regiment	26 June 1987	1 October 1987
						1 October 1987	17 January 1990	17.		General Eberhard Eimler	1 October 1987 - 2 October 1990	Template:Air force	N/A
18.		General Sir Brian Kenny, Template:Post nominals	17 January 1990 - 5 April 1993	Template:Army	4th Queen's Own Hussars	17 January 1990	2 October 1990
						2 October 1990	5 April 1993	19.		General Dieter Clauss	2 October 1990 - 1 July 1993	Template:Army	-
20.		General Sir John Waters, Template:Post nominals	5 April 1993 - 1 July 1993 (As Co-DSACEUR)	Template:Army	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 Sir John Waters, Template:Post nominals	1 July 1993 (As solo DSACEUR)	12 December 1994	Template:Army	Gloucestershire Regiment
21.		General Sir Jeremy Mackenzie, Template:Post nominals	12 December 1994	30 November 1998	Template:Army	Queen's Own Highlanders
22.		General Sir Rupert Smith, Template:Post nominals	30 November 1998	17 September 2001	Template:Army	Parachute Regiment
23.	File:Dieter Stockmann.jpg	General Dieter Stöckmann	17 September 2001	18 September 2002	Template:Army	Panzergrenadier
24.		Admiral Rainer Feist	18 September 2002	1 October 2004	Template:Navy	N/A
25.	File:John Reith Turkish Cpt (cropped).JPG	General Sir John Reith, Template:Post nominals	1 October 2004	22 October 2007	Template:Army	Parachute Regiment
26.	File:Royal Visit 2012 0043 (McColl cropped).jpg	General Sir John McColl, Template:Post nominals	22 October 2007	March 2011	Template:Army	Royal Anglian Regiment
27.	File:Richard Shirreff (cropped).jpg	General Sir Richard Shirreff, Template:Post nominals	March 2011	March 2014	Template:Army	14th/20th King's Hussars
28.	File:Siradrianbradshaw.jpg	General Sir Adrian Bradshaw, Template:Post nominals	March 2014	March 2017	Template:Army	14th/20th King's Hussars
29.	File:James Everard in 2018.jpg	General Sir James Everard, Template:Post nominals	March 2017	April 2020	Template:Army	17th/21st Lancers
30.	File:Gen Radford at Desk.jpg	General Sir Tim Radford, Template:Post nominals	April 2020	July 2023	Template:Army	The Light Infantry
31.	File:Vice Admiral Keith Blount (cropped).jpg	Admiral Sir Keith Blount, Template:Post nominals	July 2023	Incumbent	Template:Navy	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,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>The Heritage Foundation report, March 24, 2008. Template:Unfit</ref> and is contingent upon unanimous approval among NATO states, including those outside of the EU.<ref>Bram Boxhoorn, Broad Support for NATO in the Netherlands, 21-09-2005, {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

• Supreme Allied Commander – most senior commander within certain multinational military alliances
• Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers – post-WW2 counterpart during the Allied Occupation of Japan
• Secretary General of NATO
• Chairman of the NATO Military Committee
• Supreme Commander of the Unified Armed Forces of the Warsaw Treaty Organization – Warsaw Pact counterpart

External links

• Template:Official