With NATO’s recent anniversary celebration behind it, the Alliance can look forward to another milestone at the end of next year. December 2025 will mark 75 years since the creation of the position of Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, or SACEUR. The first man to hold the job—General Dwight D. Eisenhower—brought the prestige of his World War II service to the position, as well as his trademark pragmatism. Eisenhower helped establish NATO’s military structures and outlined how the alliance would defend itself in practice. Those past plans may provide important guideposts for NATO as it looks ahead.
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