United States Naval Forces Europe

United States Naval Forces Europe emblem

United States Naval Forces Europe (NAVFOREUR)is the United States Navy component commander of theUnited States European Command and provides forcesfor United States Africa Command.Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe (COMUS-NAVEUR) provides overall command, operational con-trol, and coordination of U.S. Naval Forces in the Eu-ropean Command area of responsibility. As the Navycomponent in Europe, COMUSNAVEUR, plans, con-ducts, and supports naval operations in the Europeantheater during peacetime, contingencies, in general warand as tasked by Commander, U.S. European Command.With its headquarters now at Naval Support ActivityNaples, Italy, COMUSNAVEUR directs all its naval op-erations through Commander, United States Sixth Fleetco-located in Naples, Italy, and support activities ashorethrough Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, andSouthwest Asia (CNREURAFSWA), headquartered inNaples, Italy. As of 2014, Naval Forces Europe is com-manded by Admiral Mark E. Ferguson III, who alsoserves as NATO's Commander, Allied Joint Force Com-mand Naples.

1 History

The earliest presence of U.S. Navy forces in Europe wasthe Mediterranean Squadron.the European Squadron fol-lowing the American Civil War, the forces were com-

bined as part of theNorthAtlantic Fleet in 1906. In 1917,United States Naval Forces Operating in EuropeanWaters was established for the duration of World War I.Following the cessation of hostilities and the Allied occu-pation of Turkey, Rear Admiral Mark L. Bristol was sentto Istanbul as Senior Naval Officer Turkey, commandingthe U.S. Naval Detachment in Turkish Waters.[1] Bristolarrived in Istanbul on January 28, 1919, and raised hisflag on USS Scorpion (PY-3). In August 1919 Bristol alsoreceived the diplomatic appointment of U.S. High Com-missioner, responsible to the State Department for diplo-matic matters in Turkey. In his naval capacity Bristolwas responsible to Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Euro-pean Waters. In May 1920, USS Pittsburgh (CA-4), flag-ship of Vice Admiral Harry S. Knapp, Commander, U.S.Naval Forces, European Waters, accompanied by USSCole (DD-155), evacuated a number of American navaland relief personnel from the Caucasus.[2] Pittsburgh be-came flagship for two of the Commander-in-Chiefs, U.S.Naval Forces European Waters, Admiral Philip Andrewsin 1924-1925 and Vice-Admiral Roger Welles in 1925-1926.At some point after 1926, Naval Forces, European Wa-ters, went into abeyance. Later, in March 1942, the du-ties of the existing Special Naval Observer London wereexpanded to command naval forces. Commander, NavalForces, Europe was established to maintain Navy basesin the United Kingdom and to report intelligence and re-search data being provided by Allied intelligence organi-zations. Numerous liaison channels were opened with theBritish Government and with governments in exile. Thecommand also assisted in the planning and preparationof the invasions of North Africa and France. By 1944the headquarters had been established at 20 GrosvenorSquare, in central London. The building was only va-cated by the Navy when the headquarters moved to Italyin 2009.When Admiral Harold R. Stark became COMNAVEURin April 1942, he was given the additional duties as Com-mander, United States Twelfth Fleet. The fleet, whichoperated in European waters, consisted of one battleship,two cruisers, an aircraft carrier and six destroyers.By autumn of 1945, the chief function of the U.S. Navyin the occupied countries was completed; enemy navalforces had been disarmed, war material had been locatedand accounted for, and harbors had been reopened andwere in operation. As operational emphasis changed andthe geographical area expanded, the command’s title was

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2 2 POST COLD WAR

changed to more specifically define the Navy’s role. InNovember 1946, COMNAVEUR became COMNELM(Commander,U.S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic andMediterranean) and six months later, in April 1947, thetitle was changed once again, this time to Commander inChief, U.S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediter-ranean (CINCNELM). A Northern European Force offive to six ships (cruisers and destroyers) were active from1946 to 1956.[3]

Admiral Robert B. Carney became CINCNELM in De-cember 1950. In June 1951, he assumed additional dutyas Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe(CINCSOUTH), and the CINCNELMHeadquarters wasmoved from London to Naples. In June 1952, the twocommands were separated: CINCNELM Headquartersreturned to London and Admiral Jerauld Wright becameCINCNELM and Admiral Carney remained in Naplesas CINCSOUTH. In September 1958, Admiral James L.Holloway, Jr., CINCNELM, was assigned additional dutyasU.S. Commander Eastern Atlantic (USCOMEAST-LANT). Under the Commander in Chief, U.S. AtlanticFleet, USCOMEASTLANT provided intelligence and lo-gistic support for LANTFLT units deployed in the US-COMEASTLANT area.In February 1960, the title of the command was changedto Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe(CINCUSNAVEUR) and the CINCNELM title was re-tained for command in the Middle East from Turkey andEgypt to the middle of the Indian Ocean. Although thesewere separate commands, they were placed under thecontrol of one commander. The CINCNELM commandwas disestablished on 1 February 1964. During most ofthe intervening years, CINCUSNAVEUR has exerciseddirect command over four subordinate commanders:Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet (COMSIXTHFLT); Com-mander, Fleet Air Mediterranean (COMFAIRMED);[4]Commander, Middle East Force (COMIDEASTFOR)(until 1983); and Commander, U.S. Naval Activities,United Kingdom (COMNAVACT UK). Because of theincreased sensitivity of the Persian Gulf area, CO-MIDEASTFOR was assigned to the administrative com-mand of COMUSNAVCENT (Commander, U.S. NavalForces Central Command) on 1 October 1983.CINCSOUTH andCINCUSNAVEUR once again sharedanAdmiral whenAdmiralWilliam J. Crowe, Jr., whowasCINCSOUTH, also took the title of CINCUSNAVEURon 1 January 1983. Admiral Crowe retained his NATOcommand and headquarters in Naples, Italy. Vice Admi-ral Ronald J. Hays, in London, became Deputy CINCUS-NAVEUR and retained the title of USCOMEASTLANT.The CINCUSNAVEUR Headquarters remained in Lon-don with Admiral Crowe spending time at both locations.The responsibility of U.S. Commander Eastern Atlanticwas added to that of the Commander in Chief, AlliedForces, Southern Europe and Commander in Chief, U.S.Naval Forces, Europe on 28 February 1989 during Ad-miral James Buchanan Busey, IV’s assignment as Com-

mander in Chief.

2 Post Cold War

In September 1996 it was agreed that CINCUSNAVEURcould support CINCLANTFLT forces without the US-COMEASTLANT designation.In 2002, the command changed its name to Commander,U.S. Naval Forces, Europe (COMUSNAVEUR).On 15 March 2004, NATO’s Joint Force Command(JFC) Naples was activated and its predecessor com-mand, Allied Forces Southern Europe was deactivated.COMUSNAVEUR continues to be dual-hatted asCOMJFC Naples. In August 2005 COMUSNAVEURheadquarters completed its relocation to Naples, Italyfrom London in the United Kingdom. By a directiveof September 20, 2005, Naval Forces Europe and SixthFleet were merged. NavEur is now co-located with hisNATO headquarters. U.S. Naval Activities, United King-dom was deactivated in September 2007.USNAVEUR is now focusing more attention on Africa,specifically the Gulf of Guinea region, partially becauseof the increasing importance of the oil reserves there.Ships are now often deploying to aid regional Africannavies, of which the most important in the region is theNigerian Navy. Connected with this effort, a new geo-graphic combatant command, United States Africa Com-mand, is being stood up and is scheduled for completionin September 2008, which may mean a realignment ofUSN responsibilities for the West African area. As a re-sult, NAVEUR is now sometimes referred to as US NavalForces Europe-Africa and even NAVAF. There is cur-rently however no approved plan to establish a separateNaval Forces Africa HQ. Two new task groups are ac-tive, Commander Task Group 60.4 which runs the AfricaPartnership Station deployment series, and CommanderTask Group 60.5, the Southeast Africa Task Group.The Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) area of responsibility (AOR) covers approx-imately half of the Atlantic Ocean, from the NorthPole to Antarctica; as well as the Adriatic, Baltic,Barents, Black, Caspian, Mediterranean and North Seas.NAVEUR-NAVAF covers all of Russia, Europe andnearly the entire continent of Africa. It encompasses 105countries with a combined population of more than onebillion people and includes a landmass extending morethan 14 million square miles.[5]

The AOR covers more than 20 million square nauti-cal miles of ocean, touches three continents and encom-passes more than 67 percent of the Earth’s coastline, 30percent of its landmass, and nearly 40 percent of theworld’s population.

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3 Commanders

For the Navy, flag officer tours are usually limited to two-years. This was laid out as official policy in 2006.[6]

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

[2] Tars, Turks, and Tankers, 57.

[3] Peter M. Swartz, Captain, USN (Retired), Colloqium onContemporary History, September 2003. Retrieved June2008.

[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 As-signment Policy, 2006, pg 6

• This article contains information from a U.S. Navyweb site and is in the public domain.

5 External links• Official website

• United States Navy, Official Commander of NavalForces Europe Twitter page

• United States Navy, Official Commander of NavalForces Europe Facebook page

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