For almost 75 years, it has been a specific American responsibility for a four-star American general to oversee all NATO military operations in Europe – a command that began with the hero of World War II – and future president – Dwight D. Eisenhower.
But the Trump administration is now considering changing this custom, according to two defense officials familiar with the planning and a Pentagon information note seen by NBC News. The move is being discussed as part of a possible restructuring of combatant commands to help the Department of Defense reduce its costs.
The Pentagon is undertaking a significant restructuring of combatant commands and the headquarters of the U.S. Army. And one of the plans under consideration, said the two defense officials, would involve giving up the role of Supreme Commander of NATO forces in Europe - known in military jargon as SACEUR.
The general currently holding this role, who is also the head of the U.S. European Command, has been the primary commander overseeing support to Ukraine in the war against Russia.
It is not clear how long such a reorganization could take, which could undergo changes until it is finalized. Congress could also intervene, using its prerogatives if members were to oppose any aspect of the initiative, NBC notes.
Renouncing SACEUR would represent a major symbolic change in the balance of power within NATO, the alliance that has defined European security and peace since World War II.
"For the United States, giving up the role of supreme commander of allied forces would be seen in Europe as a significant signal of distancing from the alliance," retired Admiral James Stavridis, who was SACEUR and head of the U.S. European Command from 2009 to 2013, said in an email.
"It would be a mistake of epic proportions, and once we give it up, they won't take it back," he wrote. "We would lose enormous influence within NATO, and this would be rightly seen as probably the first step towards leaving the Alliance altogether," Stavridis warned.
SACEUR, a position held by famous names
Since Eisenhower inaugurated the position, it has been held by some of the country's most prominent military leaders. In addition to Stavridis, these include Alexander Haig, who also served as Chief of Staff to two presidents and Secretary of State to a third. John Shalikashvili, who became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Wesley Clark, who was a Democratic nominee for U.S. president in 2004, NBC reminds.
The restructuring proposal comes as the Trump administration has reduced spending and personnel across the entire federal government, and President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have made it clear that the new administration wants European partners to take on more responsibilities for defending Europe.
If the U.S. gives up SACEUR, other NATO countries will likely have to decide among themselves which country will propose the commander.
Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO members for not meeting a target the alliance set for the percentage of GDP each country should spend on defense. He is also considering a major policy change, whereby the U.S. may not defend another NATO member if it is attacked - a fundamental principle of the alliance - if that country does not meet the defense spending threshold.
The timeline for the decision on SACEUR, if it happens, is still undetermined. General Chris Cavoli, the current SACEUR, has a three-year term that will end this summer.
Reorganization, consolidation, savings
Five of the 11 U.S. Army combatant commands could be consolidated under the discussed plan, the two defense officials familiar with the planning said. CNN also reported, citing sources, about similar plans.
According to CNN, the Pentagon is considering merging the European Command and Africa Command into a single command based in Stuttgart, Germany, and merging the Northern and Southern Commands in the U.S. into one command, AMERICOM.
The consolidation of commands would allow the army to save money by reducing personnel with overlapping responsibilities, according to the officials cited. If all the envisaged changes are implemented, up to $270 million could be saved in the first year, according to a Pentagon information note seen by NBC News. These savings would amount to approximately 0.03% of the Defense Department's annual budget of $850 billion.
A potential reorganization of this nature, considered after two months of the administration, seems to be motivated by cost reduction rather than a comprehensive new military strategy, said retired three-star General Ben Hodges, who was most recently the senior army commander in Europe.
The anticipated moves in Europe could reduce American influence there, as the U.S. could lose some access to key naval and air bases in Italy, Germany, Poland, and Spain - bases that benefit the U.S. by placing it closer to potential missions and providing more influence and access to regional military officials, not just its allies, Hodges explained.
“What strategic analysis drove them to want to do this? This happened so early that it smells more like cost reduction than strategic analysis,” General Hodges told NBC.