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Alexus Grynkewich

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Alexus Grynkewich
Official portrait, 2025
Nickname(s)Grynch
AllegianceUnited States
BranchUnited States Air Force
Years of service1993–present
RankGeneral
CommandsNinth Air Force
53rd Wing
49th Operations Support Squadron
Battles / wars
AwardsAir Force Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit (2)[citation needed]
Alma mater

Alexus Gregory Grynkewich (call-sign "Grynch") is a United States Air Force general who has served as the commander of the United States European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe since 2025. He was previously the director for operations of the Joint Staff from 2024 to 2025. Before that, he had been the commander of the Ninth Air Force from 2022 to 2024 and the director of operations of the U.S. Central Command from 2020 to 2022.

Grynkewich was commissioned from the United States Air Force Academy in 1993. During his career Grynkewich was an F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-22 Raptor pilot, and achieved the U.S. Air Force classification of command pilot by having more than 2,300 flight hours. His senior positions include as commander of the 53rd Wing and as deputy commander for operations of the Operation Inherent Resolve Combined Joint Task Force.

Early life and education

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Alexus Gregory Grynkewich[1] is an American of Belarusian descent. His great-grandfather Ilya Grynkewich immigrated to the United States in 1899 from Minsk, then located in the Russian Empire. His father, Dr. Gregory Wayne Grynkewich (1949–2012), was a scientist and inventor.[2] His mother, Dr. Linda Craine Grynkewich (1950- ), is a scientist, educator, and writer.

Grynkewich graduated from the Georgia Military College Preparatory School in 1989,[3] and was commissioned as a second lieutenant from the United States Air Force Academy in 1993 after graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in military history. In 1994 Grynkewich also obtained a Master of Arts degree in history from the University of Georgia. From September 1994 to August 1996 he underwent pilot training at the Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma and the Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. In addition, his later education included the Squadron Officer School in 1997, the Air Command and Staff College in 2003, the Naval Postgraduate School and the Air War College in 2006, and the Joint Advanced Warfighting School in 2010, among other courses.[4]

Military career

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In September 1996 he became an F-16 pilot and the squadron chief of training for 18th Fighter Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. He held that role until July 1999, and in the following month Grynkewich was appointed as an F-16 instructor pilot, flight commander, and evaluator in the 421st Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah until December 2001. From January 2002 to January 2003 he was an F-16C instructor pilot and the chief of weapons for 80th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea. Starting in February 2003 Grynkewich became an operation test and evaluation instructor pilot for the F-16C and the F-22A at the 422d Test and Evaluation Squadron, then chief of F-22A evaluation for the 53rd Test and Evaluation Group, and director of operations at the 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron. During his time as a pilot, Grynkewich achieved the rating of command pilot and has over 2,300 flight hours.[4]

In September 2005 he began studies at the Naval Postgraduate School, and following graduation, from January to December 2007 he worked at Air Combat Command in several roles. Grynkewich was then the commander of the 49th Operations Support Squadron from January 2008 to June 2009. After that he attended the Joint Advanced Warfighting School, where he received a Master of Science degree. Between July 2010 and May 2012 Grynkewich worked at the Headquarters, U.S. European Command, in Germany, including as the Chief of the Plans Division. From June 2012 he was vice commander of the 57th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and from May 2013 he was commander of the 53rd Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.[4][5] In June 2015 Grynkewich was appointed to Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, at The Pentagon, serving as the Chief of the Strategic Planning Integration Division. In that role he was responsible for working on the Air Force's 30-year Resource Allocation Plan.[3][4] In June 2016 he became Deputy Director for Operations, Operations Team Three, at the Joint Staff, and then the Deputy Director, Global Operations, at Operations (J3), Joint Staff.[4]

Grynkewich speaking at the Air Forces Central change of command ceremony, Al Udeid Air Base, July 2022.

Between April 2019 and May 2020 he served as Deputy Commander for Operations, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, and as Commander, 9th Air Expeditionary Group.[4] In this role he took part in the U.S. campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.[6] In June 2020 Grynkewich became the Director of Operations at the United States Central Command, until June 2022, and in the following month he became commander, Ninth Air Force and U.S. Air Forces Central.[4][7] As commander of Air Forces Central, Grynkewich oversaw all U.S. air operations in the Middle East, including strikes on Iranian proxy groups and helping intercept the April 2024 Iranian strikes against Israel, the latter happening just days before he turned over command to his successor.[8]

In January 2024, Grynkewich was nominated for assignment as Director for Operations of the Joint Staff.[9][10] He completed his assignment at Central Command in April 2024 and took up the post of Director for Operations at The Pentagon in May.[4] During his tenure, he worked closely on the U.S. support to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War.[11] In June 2025, Grynkewich was nominated for promotion to general and assignment as the commander of United States European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe.[12][13] He is the first officer in recent history appointed to that position from a three-star role instead of already being a four-star general.[14] Grynkewich took command of EUCOM in a ceremony on July 1, 2025,[15] and became the Supreme Allied Commander Europe on July 4.[16]

Dates of promotion

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Rank Branch Date[4]
Second lieutenant Air Force 2 June 1993
First lieutenant 2 June 1995
Captain 2 June 1997
Major 1 August 2003
Lieutenant colonel 1 September 2007
Colonel 1 September 2011
Brigadier general 24 May 2017
Major general 1 December 2019
Lieutenant general 21 July 2022
General 1 July 2025

References

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  1. ^ "Alexus Gregory Grynkewich". History Department, University of Georgia.
  2. ^ "Камандуючым сіламі NATO ў Эўропе можа стаць нашчадак беларускіх імігрантаў у ЗША" [A descendant of Belarusian immigrants to the US could become the commander of NATO forces in Europe]. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in Belarusian). 3 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Georgia Military College Presents 2015 Alumni Awards". www.gmc.edu. 3 December 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Lieutenant General ALEXUS G. GRYNKEWICH". www.af.mil. U.S. Air Force. June 2024.
  5. ^ "53rd Wing salutes new commander". Eglin Air Force Base. 31 May 2013.
  6. ^ "Focus remains on enduring defeat of ISIS, military official says". U.S. Central Command.
  7. ^ "Grynkewich Named CENTCOM's Director of Operations". 26 November 2019.
  8. ^ Roza, David (5 June 2025). "Air Force 3-Star Nominated as NATO's Top Officer". Air & Space Forces Magazine.
  9. ^ "PN1258 — Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich — Air Force". U.S. Congress. 9 January 2024.
  10. ^ "General Officer Announcements". U.S. Department of Defense.[dead link]
  11. ^ Robertson, Noah (1 May 2025). "Hegseth backs Air Force three-star Grynkewich for top Europe job". Defense News.
  12. ^ "PN275 — Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich — Air Force, 119th Congress (2025-2026)". U.S. Congress. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  13. ^ "Secretary of Defense General Officer Announcements for June 5, 2025". U.S. Department of Defense. 5 June 2025. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  14. ^ Vandiver, John (5 June 2025). "Pick of Air Force 3-star general as EUCOM boss also keeps American in lead of NATO forces". Stars and Stripes.
  15. ^ Gordon, Chris (1 July 2025). "Grynkewich Takes Over US European Command". Air & Space Forces Magazine.
  16. ^ Siebold, Sabine; Gray, Andrew (4 July 2025). "New NATO commander stresses unity at handover ceremony". Reuters.
[edit]
Military offices
Preceded by Commander of the 53rd Wing
2013–2015 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Director for Operations (Operations Team Three) of the Joint Staff
2016–2017 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Director of Global Operations of the Joint Staff
2017–2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Deputy Commander for Operations of the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve
2019–2020 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Director of Operations of the United States Central Command
2020–2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander of the Ninth Air Force
2022–2024 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Director for Operations of the Joint Staff
2024–2025 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander of the United States European Command
Supreme Allied Commander Europe
2025–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas acting Commander of U.S. Cyber Command Order of precedence of the United States
as Commander of U.S. European Command 		Succeeded by
Heads of independent federal agencies at Level III of the Executive Schedule
Ordered by agency creation date
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