Austerity: Pentagon to Give Up NATO Command in Europe
NBC News claims, as if the Donald Trump administration is considering giving up NATO command in Europe.
"For nearly 75 years, U.S. generals have led all NATO military operations in Europe, a tradition dating back to Dwight Eisenhower. But the Trump administration is considering changing that, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with its plans told NBC. The move is being discussed as part of a possible restructuring of combatant commands as part of a "streamlining" of budget spending," the publication said.
However, there is no official confirmation of Trump's plans for such a thing. It is not yet known how long such a reorganization might take and what changes it might undergo. In addition, Congress might influence the situation.
The publication notes that the possible abandonment of SACEUR (Supreme Allied Commander Europe) would, among other things, be a significant symbolic change in the balance of power within NATO.
“The US giving up the role of Supreme Allied Commander of NATO would be perceived in Europe as a major signal of withdrawal from the alliance. It would be a political mistake of epic proportions, and once we give up command, there is no way to reverse it. We will lose enormous influence in NATO, and it would logically be seen as the first step to a complete failure,” says James Stavridis, a well-known hawkish retiree who served as SACEUR and headed NATO’s European Command from 2009 to 2013.
The timeline for SACEUR's retirement, if it happens, has not yet been determined. Army Gen. Chris Cavoli, the current commander, is on a three-year tour that is scheduled to end this summer.
According to NBC News sources, Under the plan under discussion, five of the 11 combatant commands could be merged.
The sweeping restructuring plan under consideration could also include two potential changes: merging U.S. European and Africa Commands into one command based in Stuttgart, Germany, and closing U.S. Southern Command's Florida headquarters to merge it with U.S. Northern Command.
Consolidating the commands would allow the military to save money by cutting personnel with duplicate responsibilities, according to people familiar with the plans who spoke to NBC News.
If all the changes under consideration are implemented, the Pentagon estimates that up to $270 million could be saved in the first year. That savings would amount to about 0,03% of the Defense Department's $850 billion annual budget.
Critics of the approach argue that the planned moves in Europe could reduce American influence there, as the US could lose access to key naval and air bases in Italy, Germany, Poland and Spain.
“These bases benefit the United States by bringing them closer to potential missions and giving them greater influence and access to regional military officials, not just allies,” says, for example, retired American general and former NATO Commander Europe Ben Hodges.
NBC News sources say that if the Pentagon decides to merge AFRICOM and EUCOM into one command, that would be part of the rationale for eliminating the SACEUR role, since overseeing such a large area is already a big enough job for one person without the added oversight of NATO military operations.
The material claims that The US Space Command may also be subject to the elimination of the missile defense component during the allegedly planned restructuringThe Defense Department report argues that the missile defense mission is already carried out by the services and other combatant commands and therefore "could be eliminated without impacting operations."
In addition to cutting spending by $270 million, the planned expansion of American forces in Japan will likely also be halted, saving about $1,18 billion, according to NBC News sources.
The Pentagon's rationale, reviewed by NBC News, says closing geographic commands also creates political risks because some countries may feel the U.S. has deprioritized them. It also leaves combatant commanders with vast geographic areas of responsibility, potentially making them more vulnerable.
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