General Curtis Scaparrotti

General Curtis Scaparrotti
Name	Curtis Scaparrotti
Birth date	1956-10-27
Birth place	Haddonfield, New Jersey, United States
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army
Serviceyears	1978–2019
Rank	General
Battles	Gulf War, War in Afghanistan

General Curtis Scaparrotti

Curtis Scaparrotti is a retired United States Army four-star general who served as Commander of United States European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe from 2016 to 2019. He held senior commands across United States Central Command, United States Forces Korea, and United Nations Command and participated in operations linked to the Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), and multinational exercises with NATO partners such as Operation Atlantic Resolve and Trident Juncture. Scaparrotti's career intertwined with institutions including the United States Military Academy, United States Army War College, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and allied structures like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union.

Early life and education

Scaparrotti was born in Haddonfield, New Jersey, and graduated from United States Military Academy at West Point in 1978. He completed advanced professional military education at the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the United States Army War College, and earned a Master of Arts from Georgetown University. His educational background connected him with programs at National Defense University, the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, and courses attended by officers assigned to V Corps, Eighth United States Army, and joint billets within the Pentagon.

Military career

Scaparrotti's early assignments included infantry and armored units in formations such as the 1st Cavalry Division, the 2nd Infantry Division, and the 3rd Armored Division. He commanded at company, battalion, brigade, and division levels, including leadership of the 1st Armored Division and later staff positions with United States Central Command under commanders like General Tommy Franks and operational plans associated with Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. During the Gulf War he held roles that linked to coalition partners including the United Kingdom, France, and Saudi Arabia. Subsequent deployments tied him to counterinsurgency and stability operations alongside Combined Joint Task Force headquarters, cooperating with elements from NATO Response Force, International Security Assistance Force, and coalition partners including Germany, Italy, and Turkey.

NATO and international commands

Scaparrotti served as Director for Operations (J3) on the Joint Chiefs of Staff and later as Deputy Commander of United States European Command before his appointment as Commander of United States Forces Korea, United Nations Command, and Combined Forces Command in 2013. He then became Commander of United States European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe in 2016, working directly with Secretaries of Defense such as Ashton Carter and Jim Mattis and NATO Secretaries General including Jens Stoltenberg. In these roles he coordinated multinational activities with partners like Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Denmark, and Romania, and engaged with strategic dialogues involving Russia, Ukraine, Georgia (country), and the Black Sea regional security architecture.

Leadership and strategic initiatives

As a senior commander, Scaparrotti emphasized deterrence measures including forward presence, multinational exercises such as Saber Strike, Trident Juncture, and Anakonda, and capability development through initiatives tied to the European Reassurance Initiative and the NATO Readiness Action Plan. He advocated strengthening logistics and prepositioning with organizations like U.S. Army Europe and programs connected to Defense Logistics Agency, and he addressed hybrid threats involving information operations linked to Russian Federation activities in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine following the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. Scaparrotti engaged in defense diplomacy with leaders from United Kingdom, France, Germany, Poland, Turkey, and Spain and coordinated interoperability efforts with commands such as Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum and Allied Joint Force Command Naples.

Awards and honors

Scaparrotti's decorations include distinctions from the Department of Defense and foreign governments, reflecting partnerships with allies such as Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, and South Korea. His ribbons and medals correlate with service in operations associated with Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and multinational missions recognized by organizations such as NATO and the United Nations. He received individual recognitions common to flag officers who served as combatant commanders and joint staff leaders during periods involving the Global War on Terrorism and NATO collective defense initiatives.

Retirement and post-military activities

After retiring in 2019, Scaparrotti engaged with think tanks and institutions involved in transatlantic security, often appearing at forums hosted by the Atlantic Council, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the German Marshall Fund of the United States. He has participated in dialogues with policymakers from European Commission, Bundeswehr leadership, and ministries of defense from Poland, Romania, Estonia, and South Korea, contributing to discussions on deterrence, force posture, and defense cooperation. Scaparrotti's post-service involvement also intersected with university programs at Georgetown University and conferences attended by officials from the European Union External Action Service.

Category:United States Army generals Category:1956 births Category:Living people