WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is tapping an Air Force fighter pilot with extensive experience as a senior commander in the Middle East to be the next head of U.S. European Command.

Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, currently the director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, would also take over as the supreme allied commander, Europe, if his nomination is confirmed by the Senate. NATO's North Atlantic Council in a statement Thursday said it approved Grynkewich's nomination as SACEUR.

The U.S. military's presence in Europe is under scrutiny, as the Trump administration eyes cuts in the force even as the region continues to grapple with Russia's war on Ukraine and the wider effects of the Israel-Hamas war.

U.S. warships have been persistently patrolling the Mediterranean Sea to

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