WASHINGTON — Maj. Gen. Christopher Cavoli, the commander of the 25th Infantry Division, will take command of U.S. Army Europe, according to information provided by a Defense Department official.
The Congressional Record on Dec. 14 shows Cavoli’s third-star promotion was voted out of committee.
Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges is retiring this week after serving as the U.S. Army Europe commander since November 2014.
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Prior to serving as 25th ID commander, Cavoli headed up 7th Army Training Command, in Grafenwohr, Germany, according to his biography on the 25th ID website.
And he previously commanded the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment and the 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division.
Cavoli also served as the deputy commander of Regional Command West in Herat, Afghanistan, and as deputy commanding general for operations at the 82nd Airborne Division.
Hodges’ retirement was originally scheduled to take place in September but was postponed as the Army searched for his replacement.
A report from a German publication in July first named Hodges’ successor as Maj. Gen. Ryan Gonsalves, who recently commanded the 4th ID out of Fort Carson, Colorado. The report was picked up by Stars and Stripes.
Gonsalves is under review following an internal Army finding that he failed to treat a congressional staffer with “dignity and respect,” according to an Army statement published in Stars and Stripes in a November report.
Cavoli will take the lead as the U.S. Army in Europe enters what is designated as the “year of integration,” Hodges told Defense News during a Dec. 10 interview.
Hodges said he would encourage his successor to “put even more energy into being joint. I think that is an area where I was not as successful or effective as I should have been or wished I had been.”
He added that integration with NATO is also key. “It’s been a priority for me. Enhancing the alliance has been one of our three enduring priorities since 15 November of 2014 when I took command. But I don’t feel [I] got as far as we need to in that.”
Jen Judson is an award-winning journalist covering land warfare for Defense News. She has also worked for Politico and Inside Defense. She holds a Master of Science degree in journalism from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kenyon College.
