Christopher G. Cavoli

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.

Christopher G. Cavoli
Cavoli in 2020
Nickname(s)	Chris
Born	Würzburg, West Germany
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1987–present
Rank	General
Commands held	United 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/wars	Gulf War War in Afghanistan
Awards	Army Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit (3) Bronze Star Medal (2)

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]

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.

Awards and decorations

	Combat Infantryman Badge
	Ranger tab
	Master Parachutist Badge
	Pathfinder Badge
	Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
	Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge
	Army Staff Identification Badge
	10th Mountain Division Combat Service Identification Badge
	French Parachutist Badge
	Spanish Parachutist Badge in black
	32nd Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia
	5 Overseas Service Bars

	Army Distinguished Service Medal
	Defense Superior Service Medal
	Legion of Merit with two bronze oak leaf clusters
	Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
	Defense Meritorious Service Medal
	Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
	Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
	Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
	Army Achievement Medal
	Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
	Meritorious Unit Commendation
	National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star
	Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
	Southwest Asia Service Medal with two service stars
	Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three service stars
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
	Humanitarian Service Medal
	Army Service Ribbon
	Army Overseas Service Ribbon with bronze award numeral 6
	NATO Medal for the former Yugoslavia
	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. Cavoli additionally holds a degree from Yale University.[6]

References

1. 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. 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. ""The Paradox of War" Alumni Companion Program, June 1 – July 13, 2014: Webinar Presenter". Alumni Association of Princeton University. 2014. 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.