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1 [1] (February 5, 2026)

handle is hein.crs/govetgq0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Conqre~ Infir~ning fl S Updated February 5, 2026 Defense Primer: U.S. European Command (EUCOM) U.S. European Command (USEUCOM, commonly referred to as EUCOM) is one of 11 combatant commands (CCMDs) within the Department of Defense (DOD, which is using a secondary Department of War designation, under Executive Order 14347 dated September 5, 2025). EUCOM is responsible for the command and control of U.S. military forces in Europe. The EUCOM commander, who commands all U.S. forces stationed in Europe, has traditionally had dual-hatted responsibilities (i.e., simultaneously overseen two distinct organizations), also serving as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), the alliance's chief military commander. Since 2014, EUCOM has increasingly focused on deterring Russia and providing assistance to Ukraine. In November 2022, the command established the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine (SAG-U) to support long-term coordination of training and equipping the armed forces of Ukraine. Background EUCOM was established in 1947. Since 1950, as a matter of tradition, the North Atlantic Council, the primary decisionmaking body within NATO, has asked the U.S. President to nominate an American officer to serve as SACEUR, though no formal council resolution or treaty requires the council to do so. Mssion and Organizaton EUCOM, led by a four-star general or admiral, is headquartered at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany. The Senate confirmed the current EUCOM commander, U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, in June 2025. According to EUCOM, the command's mission is to deter conflict, maintain peace and security, and provide strategic depth through military operations, exercises and security cooperation with NATO allies and partners. In April 2025 testimony, then-EUCOM commander General Christopher Cavoli identified three strategic imperatives for EUCOM: Defend the homeland forward; project U.S. combat power globally; and deter Russian aggression. Area of Responsibility. The EUCOM area of responsibility (AOR) spans Europe, the Caucasus, Russia, and Iceland, encompassing 50 countries and territories. This AOR changed in 2008, when the newly established U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) took responsibility for overseeing U.S. military activities on the African continent; in 2021, when DOD shifted Israel to U.S. Central Command's AOR; and in June 2025, when DOD shifted Greenland to the U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) AOR. EUCOM's AOR has 30 overseas bases that DOD has consistently used for at least 15 years and at which the U.S. military exercises some degree of operational control; there are also 19 other military sites across EUCOM's AOR that the U.S. military has used or to which it has access (see Figure 1). Figure I. EUCOM Military Bases and Selected Sites Source: CRS analysis of unclassified U.S. government documentation, updated June 17, 2025. For more information about EUCOM and the methodology used to develop this map, see CRS Report R48123, U.S. Overseas Basing: Background and Issues for Congress. Notes: Some dots may reflect more than one base or site. This map may not show all facilities where the United States has an access agreement with host nations within the selected geographic range. Inclusion or exclusion may not reflect current deployments and operations. Names and boundary representations are not necessarily authoritative. Components. All five DOD armed services, as well as U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), provide forces to EUCOM. According to General Cavoli, as of April 2025, nearly 80,000 servicemembers were assigned within the EUCOM AOR. According to DOD, as of September 2025, the majority of these personnel were stationed in Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Budget DOD budget documents do not typically enumerate funding for CCMDs. With certain exceptions, appropriations for CCMDs are largely dedicated to operations and maintenance accounts for headquarters and mission support activities, while joint force personnel and operations at CCMDs are typically funded by individual military services. In supporting the Army secretary's role as combatant command support agent, the Department of the Army provides administrative and logistical support for EUCOM's headquarters. In FY2026, the Army requested $385.7 million for such activities. Kon I Resear h ervic t~ve d ba ~ 'e 1914