26 March 2025
Key Republicans in Congress issued a rare rebuke on 19 March of President Donald Trump’s ongoing military reform efforts, voicing concerns about rumoured changes to force posture overseas and department leadership reorganisation.
The joint statement from House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., followed an NBC News report that Trump is considering cancelling plans to expand US Forces Japan and vacate the US military post of NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). While there has been no formal announcement any changes giving up the post of SACEUR would be a significant break in US military strategy.
The Republican congressional leaders warned moves withdrawing US leadership from NATO and the Pacific region “risk undermining American deterrence around the globe and detracting from our negotiating positions with America’s adversaries”.
The post of SACEUR was first held by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1950 and is the second-highest military position within NATO, held exclusively by American military officials over the last seven decades. In contrast, the civilian head of NATO—the NATO Secretary General, a post currently held by former Netherlands prime minister, Mark Rutte—has always been a European national.
The SACEUR plans and directs all NATO military operations, and this American four-star general is also the Commander of US European Command, one of the eleven US unified combatant commands, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. However, the SACEUR is physically located in Mons, Belgium, at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). US Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli currently serves in the role.
Wicker and Rogers noted that they broadly support “President Trump’s efforts to ensure our allies and partners increase their contributions to strengthen our alliance structure” but also emphasized the need to continue American leadership abroad. Both committees are expected to hold posture hearings over the next few months on military budget and strategy plans for Europe, the Pacific and other major military areas of operation.
Retired Admiral James Stavridis, who served as SACEUR from 2009 to 2013, warned that such a move would dramatically weaken US influence within the alliance. "We would lose an enormous amount of influence within NATO, and this would be seen, correctly, as probably the first step toward leaving the alliance altogether," Stavridis said.
The potential shift follows repeated calls by US President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for NATO member states to assume greater responsibility for Europe's defence. Trump has long demanded that NATO member states increase their military spending. He previously called for the alliance to raise its benchmark from 2% to 5% of GDP.