United States Naval Forces Europe

bined as part of the North Atlantic Fleet in 1906. In 1917,

United States Naval Forces Operating in European
Waters was established for the duration of World War I.
Following the cessation of hostilities and the Allied occupation of Turkey, Rear Admiral Mark L. Bristol was sent
to Istanbul as Senior Naval Ocer Turkey, commanding
the U.S. Naval Detachment in Turkish Waters.[1] Bristol
arrived in Istanbul on January 28, 1919, and raised his
ag on USS Scorpion (PY-3). In August 1919 Bristol also
received the diplomatic appointment of U.S. High Commissioner, responsible to the State Department for diplomatic matters in Turkey. In his naval capacity Bristol
was responsible to Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, European Waters. In May 1920, USS Pittsburgh (CA-4), agship of Vice Admiral Harry S. Knapp, Commander, U.S.
Naval Forces, European Waters, accompanied by USS
Cole (DD-155), evacuated a number of American naval
and relief personnel from the Caucasus.[2] Pittsburgh became agship for two of the Commander-in-Chiefs, U.S.
United States Naval Forces Europe emblem
Naval Forces European Waters, Admiral Philip Andrews
United States Naval Forces Europe (NAVFOREUR) in 1924-1925 and Vice-Admiral Roger Welles in 1925is the United States Navy component commander of the 1926.
United States European Command and provides forces At some point after 1926, Naval Forces, European Wafor United States Africa Command.
ters, went into abeyance. Later, in March 1942, the duCommander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe (COMUS- ties of the existing Special Naval Observer London were
NAVEUR) provides overall command, operational con- expanded to command naval forces. Commander, Naval
trol, and coordination of U.S. Naval Forces in the Eu- Forces, Europe was established to maintain Navy bases
ropean Command area of responsibility. As the Navy in the United Kingdom and to report intelligence and recomponent in Europe, COMUSNAVEUR, plans, con- search data being provided by Allied intelligence organiducts, and supports naval operations in the European zations. Numerous liaison channels were opened with the
theater during peacetime, contingencies, in general war British Government and with governments in exile. The
and as tasked by Commander, U.S. European Command. command also assisted in the planning and preparation
With its headquarters now at Naval Support Activity of the invasions of North Africa and France. By 1944
Naples, Italy, COMUSNAVEUR directs all its naval op- the headquarters had been established at 20 Grosvenor
erations through Commander, United States Sixth Fleet Square, in central London. The building was only vaco-located in Naples, Italy, and support activities ashore cated by the Navy when the headquarters moved to Italy
through Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, and in 2009.
Southwest Asia (CNREURAFSWA), headquartered in When Admiral Harold R. Stark became COMNAVEUR
Naples, Italy. As of 2014, Naval Forces Europe is com- in April 1942, he was given the additional duties as Commanded by Admiral Mark E. Ferguson III, who also mander, United States Twelfth Fleet. The eet, which
serves as NATO's Commander, Allied Joint Force Com- operated in European waters, consisted of one battleship,
mand Naples.
two cruisers, an aircraft carrier and six destroyers.
By autumn of 1945, the chief function of the U.S. Navy
in the occupied countries was completed; enemy naval
1 History
forces had been disarmed, war material had been located
and accounted for, and harbors had been reopened and
The earliest presence of U.S. Navy forces in Europe was were in operation. As operational emphasis changed and
the Mediterranean Squadron.the European Squadron fol- the geographical area expanded, the commands title was
lowing the American Civil War, the forces were com1

2 POST COLD WAR

changed to more specically dene the Navys role. In mander in Chief.

November 1946, COMNAVEUR became COMNELM
(Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and
Mediterranean) and six months later, in April 1947, the
title was changed once again, this time to Commander in
2 Post Cold War
Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean (CINCNELM). A Northern European Force of
ve to six ships (cruisers and destroyers) were active from In September 1996 it was agreed that CINCUSNAVEUR
1946 to 1956.[3]
could support CINCLANTFLT forces without the USAdmiral Robert B. Carney became CINCNELM in De- COMEASTLANT designation.
cember 1950. In June 1951, he assumed additional duty
as Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe
(CINCSOUTH), and the CINCNELM Headquarters was
moved from London to Naples. In June 1952, the two
commands were separated: CINCNELM Headquarters
returned to London and Admiral Jerauld Wright became
CINCNELM and Admiral Carney remained in Naples
as CINCSOUTH. In September 1958, Admiral James L.
Holloway, Jr., CINCNELM, was assigned additional duty
as U.S. Commander Eastern Atlantic (USCOMEASTLANT). Under the Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic
Fleet, USCOMEASTLANT provided intelligence and logistic support for LANTFLT units deployed in the USCOMEASTLANT area.
In February 1960, the title of the command was changed
to Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe
(CINCUSNAVEUR) and the CINCNELM title was retained for command in the Middle East from Turkey and
Egypt to the middle of the Indian Ocean. Although these
were separate commands, they were placed under the
control of one commander. The CINCNELM command
was disestablished on 1 February 1964. During most of
the intervening years, CINCUSNAVEUR has exercised
direct command over four subordinate commanders:
Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet (COMSIXTHFLT); Commander, Fleet Air Mediterranean (COMFAIRMED);[4]
Commander, Middle East Force (COMIDEASTFOR)
(until 1983); and Commander, U.S. Naval Activities,
United Kingdom (COMNAVACT UK). Because of the
increased sensitivity of the Persian Gulf area, COMIDEASTFOR was assigned to the administrative command of COMUSNAVCENT (Commander, U.S. Naval
Forces Central Command) on 1 October 1983.
CINCSOUTH and CINCUSNAVEUR once again shared
an Admiral when Admiral William J. Crowe, Jr., who was
CINCSOUTH, also took the title of CINCUSNAVEUR
on 1 January 1983. Admiral Crowe retained his NATO
command and headquarters in Naples, Italy. Vice Admiral Ronald J. Hays, in London, became Deputy CINCUSNAVEUR and retained the title of USCOMEASTLANT.
The CINCUSNAVEUR Headquarters remained in London with Admiral Crowe spending time at both locations.
The responsibility of U.S. Commander Eastern Atlantic
was added to that of the Commander in Chief, Allied
Forces, Southern Europe and Commander in Chief, U.S.
Naval Forces, Europe on 28 February 1989 during Admiral James Buchanan Busey, IVs assignment as Com-

In 2002, the command changed its name to Commander,

U.S. Naval Forces, Europe (COMUSNAVEUR).
On 15 March 2004, NATOs Joint Force Command
(JFC) Naples was activated and its predecessor command, Allied Forces Southern Europe was deactivated.
COMUSNAVEUR continues to be dual-hatted as
COMJFC Naples. In August 2005 COMUSNAVEUR
headquarters completed its relocation to Naples, Italy
from London in the United Kingdom. By a directive
of September 20, 2005, Naval Forces Europe and Sixth
Fleet were merged. NavEur is now co-located with his
NATO headquarters. U.S. Naval Activities, United Kingdom was deactivated in September 2007.
USNAVEUR is now focusing more attention on Africa,
specically the Gulf of Guinea region, partially because
of the increasing importance of the oil reserves there.
Ships are now often deploying to aid regional African
navies, of which the most important in the region is the
Nigerian Navy. Connected with this eort, a new geographic combatant command, United States Africa Command, is being stood up and is scheduled for completion
in September 2008, which may mean a realignment of
USN responsibilities for the West African area. As a result, NAVEUR is now sometimes referred to as US Naval
Forces Europe-Africa and even NAVAF. There is currently however no approved plan to establish a separate
Naval Forces Africa HQ. Two new task groups are active, Commander Task Group 60.4 which runs the Africa
Partnership Station deployment series, and Commander
Task Group 60.5, the Southeast Africa Task Group.
The Commander, U.S. Naval Forces EuropeCommander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEURNAVAF) area of responsibility (AOR) covers approximately half of the Atlantic Ocean, from the North
Pole to Antarctica; as well as the Adriatic, Baltic,
Barents, Black, Caspian, Mediterranean and North Seas.
NAVEUR-NAVAF covers all of Russia, Europe and
nearly the entire continent of Africa. It encompasses 105
countries with a combined population of more than one
billion people and includes a landmass extending more
than 14 million square miles.[5]
The AOR covers more than 20 million square nautical miles of ocean, touches three continents and encompasses more than 67 percent of the Earths coastline, 30
percent of its landmass, and nearly 40 percent of the
worlds population.

Commanders

For the Navy, ag ocer tours are usually limited to twoyears. This was laid out as ocial policy in 2006.[6]

References

[1] Tars, Turks, and Tankers, 55.

[2] Tars, Turks, and Tankers, 57.
[3] Peter M. Swartz, Captain, USN (Retired), Colloqium on
Contemporary History, September 2003. Retrieved June
2008.
[4] Disbanded 20 September 2005, http://neds.daps.dla.mil/
Directives/notices/3111_144.pdf
[5] http://www.c6f.navy.mil/AORPAGE.html
[6] Chief of Naval Operations. Navy Military Personnel Assignment Policy, 2006, pg 6

This article contains information from a U.S. Navy

web site and is in the public domain.

External links
Ocial website
United States Navy, Ocial Commander of Naval
Forces Europe Twitter page
United States Navy, Ocial Commander of Naval
Forces Europe Facebook page

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