Christopher G. Cavoli

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Christopher G. Cavoli
General Christopher G. Cavoli (1).jpg
Official portrait, 2021
Nickname(s)Chris
BornWürzburg, West Germany
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1987–present
RankGeneral
Commands heldUnited States Army Europe and Africa
25th Infantry Division
7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command
3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division
1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment
Battles/warsGulf War
War in Afghanistan
AwardsArmy Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit (3)
Bronze Star Medal (2)

Christopher G. Cavoli is a United States Army general who currently serves as the commanding general of United States Army Europe and Africa. He previously served as the commanding general of United States Army Europe from January 2018 to 30 September 2020. He assumed command of the combined Europe and Africa command on 1 October 2020.

Commissioned into the infantry from the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, Cavoli served in the War in Afghanistan and commanded a brigade of the 1st Armored Division, the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command, and the 25th Infantry Division before assuming command of USAREUR in January 2018.

Biography[]

Born to an Italian-American army officer during the Cold War in Würzburg, West Germany, Cavoli grew up in Rome, Verona, Vicenza, and Giessen.[1] He graduated from Princeton University with an A.B. in biology in 1987 and was commissioned into the Infantry from the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. As part of his undergraduate degree, Cavoli completed a 22-page senior thesis titled "The Effect of Earthworms on the Vertical Distribution of Slime Molds in the Soil."[2] Cavoli was first assigned as a second lieutenant to the 3rd Battalion, 325th Airborne at Vicenza from 1988 to 1991. He was promoted to captain and served as an instructor at Ranger School between 1992 and 1994. He entered the Russian Foreign Area Officer program in 1995, and graduated from Yale University with a Master of Arts in Russian and East European Studies in 1997.[3] In 1999, he became chief of future operations for the 10th Mountain Division as a major and deployed to Bosnia with Implementation Force, before serving as an infantry battalion operations officer between 2000 and 2001. Now a lieutenant colonel, Cavoli served successively as Director for Russia on the Joint Staff Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate from 2001, as deputy executive assistant for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2003, and became a senior fellow at the National Defense University in 2004.[4]

Cavoli became commander of the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division in 2005.[4] The battalion deployed to Kunar Province during the War in Afghanistan with the brigade in 2006. He then commanded the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, in addition to serving as the deputy commander of Regional Command West in Herat during the War in Afghanistan. Cavoli also served as the director of the Coordination Group of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army. Cavoli held fellowships at the National Defense University, the George C. Marshall Center for European Security Studies in Garmisch-Partenkirchen,[5] and the Strategic Studies Group of the Army Chief of Staff.[6]

Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Cavoli in the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany on June 26, 2015

After serving as deputy commanding general for operations of the 82nd Airborne Division, Cavoli became commander of the 7th Army Joint Multionational Training Command at Grafenwoehr Training Area in July 2014.[7] He was assigned to command the 25th Infantry Division on 25 March 2016,[8] and officially assumed command in a ceremony on 4 August. He was confirmed by the Senate for promotion to major general on 26 May 2016.[9] He assumed command of United States Army Europe in a ceremony on 18 January 2018[1] after being confirmed by the Senate for promotion to lieutenant general on 20 December 2017.[10]

On 1 July 2020, Cavoli was nominated and confirmed by the Senate on 30 September 2020, for appointment to the rank of general,[11] and assignment as the commanding general of United States Army Europe and Africa,[12] combining the originally separate Army commands. He assumed his new command in Germany on 1 October 2020 and was formally promoted by Army Vice Chief of Staff Joseph M. Martin at the Pentagon on 7 October,[13] with an effective date-of-rank on 1 October.

, one of the largest U.S.-Army, NATO-led military exercises in Europe in decades, began in mid-March 2021 and lasted until June 2021. It included "nearly simultaneous operations across more than 30 training areas" in Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Kosovo and other countries.[14][15] Cavoli said that "While we are closely monitoring the COVID situation, we’ve proven we have the capability to train safely despite the pandemic."[14]

Awards and decorations[]

Combat Infantry Badge.svg Combat Infantryman Badge
Ranger Tab.svg Ranger tab
Master Parachutist badge (United States).svg Master Parachutist Badge
Pathfinder.gif Pathfinder Badge
Joint Chiefs of Staff seal (2).svg Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge.png Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge
United States Army Staff Identification Badge.png Army Staff Identification Badge
10th Mountain Division CSIB.jpg 10th Mountain Division Combat Service Identification Badge
Brevet Parachutiste.jpg French Parachutist Badge
Emblem of the Spanish Air Force Parachute.svg Spanish Parachutist Badge in black
32 Inf Rgt CoA.jpg 32nd Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia
ArmyOSB.svg 5 Overseas Service Bars
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svgBronze oakleaf-3d.svg Legion of Merit with two bronze oak leaf clusters
Bronze oak leaf cluster
Width-44 scarlet ribbon with width-4 ultramarine blue stripe at center, surrounded by width-1 white stripes. Width-1 white stripes are at the edges.
 Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svgBronze oakleaf-3d.svgBronze oakleaf-3d.svgBronze oakleaf-3d.svg Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Bronze oak leaf cluster
 Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Bronze oak leaf cluster
 Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Army Achievement Medal
Bronze oakleaf-3d.svgBronze oakleaf-3d.svg Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Unit Commendation
Bronze star
 National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svgBronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg Southwest Asia Service Medal with two service stars
Bronze-service-star-3d-vector.svgBronze-service-star-3d-vector.svgBronze-service-star-3d-vector.svg Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three service stars
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal
Army Service Ribbon
Award numeral 6.png Army Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze award numeral 6
NATO Medal for the former Yugoslavia
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) ribbon.svg Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Personal life[]

Cavoli is married to Christina (née Dacey) of Fairfax, Virginia, and have two sons, Alex and Nick. A speaker of French, Italian, and Russian, he is a Foreign Area Officer with a concentration on Eurasia.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Dillard, Tamika (18 January 2018). "Cavoli assumes command of U.S. Army Europe". U.S. Army Europe Public Affairs. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  2. ^ Cavoli, Christopher Gerard. Princeton University. Department of Biology (ed.). "The Effect of Earthworms on the Vertical Distribution of Slime Molds in the Soil". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ "About the contributors". The Journal of Slavic Military Studies. 11 (2): 5–6. 1998. doi:10.1080/13518049808430337.
  4. ^ a b Cavoli, Chris. "Chris Cavoli | LinkedIn". LinkedIn. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  5. ^ Stoutamire, Dan (18 January 2018). "Warrior-scholar Cavoli takes reins at USAREUR". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  6. ^ a b ""The Paradox of War" Alumni Companion Program, June 1 – July 13, 2014: Webinar Presenter". Alumni Association of Princeton University. 2014. Archived from the original on 16 December 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  7. ^ "Cavoli takes reins of 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command". JMTC Public Affairs Office. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  8. ^ "General Officer Assignments". Department of Defense. 25 March 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  9. ^ "U.S. Army's European training command to change commanders, July 15". 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  10. ^ "PN1263 — Maj. Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli — Army". United States Congress. 20 December 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  11. ^ "PN2080 — Lt. Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli — Army". United States Congress. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  12. ^ Lucas, Ryan (October 1, 2020). "Army Consolidating Europe, Africa Commands". Association of the United States Army. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  13. ^ "Promotion Ceremony iho LTG Christopher Cavoli hosted by VCSA". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. 7 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  14. ^ a b "Massive, Army-led NATO exercise Defender Europe kicks off". Army Times. 15 March 2021.
  15. ^ "NATO, US to stage large-scale military exercises around Serbia until summer". Euractiv. 22 March 2021.
Military offices
Preceded by Commanding General of the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command
2014–2016 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commanding General of the 25th Infantry Division
2016–2018 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Timothy P. McGuire
Acting
 Commanding General of United States Army Europe and Africa
2018–present 		Incumbent
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