# Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee

The Deputy Chairman of the NATO Military Committee (DCMC) is the deputy head of the NATO Military Committee.
The current Deputy Chairman of the NATO Military Committee is U.S. Army Lieutenant General Andrew Rohling. He is the 24th Deputy Chairman and took office on February 12, 2024.

## Role

The DCMC assists the Chairman, advises the Deputy Secretary General and serves as the principal agent for coordination of nuclear, biological, and chemical matters for the Military Committee. Finally, in the Chair's absence, the Deputy Chairman directs the daily operations and business of the Military Committee, NATO's highest military authority.
The Deputy Chairman, always a US general or flag officer, provides a particular and ideal vantage point to serve the Alliance's Transatlantic bond. Having unique and relevant access to U.S. nuclear information coupled with an intimate relationship with NATO's other member states offers distinctive opportunities to provide best military advice, especially pertaining to nuclear matters. While being a U.S. officer, the individual serves in an international capacity to represent the interests of the Alliance.

## History

A Chairman position was initially established without a Deputy, but as the command structure evolved and the demands on the Chairman increased, the need for a Deputy became obvious.
The Deputy's origins come from within the structure of the International Military Staff (IMS) as the 1963 Military Committee reforms provided the Director of the IMS a vice-director who held "special responsibilities for nuclear matters." This office was always an American to link the United States and NATO in nuclear strategy. Two dynamics served as the catalyst to establish the Deputy Chairman position on the Military Committee as it reflects today: 1. When the Chairman was away from Brussels, using a Military Representative within the Military Committee as a substitute proved unviable due to the conflict of simultaneously representing the interests of the Military Committee at large and one's own national interests and 2. the Military Committee did not want to create additional high-ranking officer positions to resolve the first issue. As a solution, the Military Committee elected to eliminate the Vice Director of the IMS position and simultaneously establish a new post of Deputy Chairman of the Military Committee. The Deputy position would still maintain the special responsibility for nuclear matters and remain a U.S. officer as established for the Vice-Director position. The NAC approved the proposal on January 6, 1967, to formally establish the position of Deputy Chairman of the Military Committee.

## List

Since the establishment of the Deputy Chairman position in 1967, there have been 9 from the Air Force, 5 from the Army, 4 from the Navy, and 2 from the Marine Corps. The deputy chairmen have been:
| No. | Deputy Chairman of the NATO Military Committee | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Ref. |
| 1 | Milton, T. R.Lieutenant General T. R. Milton (1915–2010) | March 1969 | August 1971 | 2 years, 5 months | United States Air Force | |
| 2 | Rowny, EdwardLieutenant General Edward Rowny (1917–2017) | August 1971 | March 1973 | 1 year, 7 months | United States Army | . |
| 3 | Minter, C. S.Vice Admiral Charles S. Minter (1915–2008) | March 1973 | August 1974 | 1 year, 5 months | United States Navy | . |
| 4 | Schaefer, RichardLieutenant General Richard F. Schaefer (born 1919) | August 1974 | June 1975 | 10 months | United States Air Force | |
| 5 | Colladay, MartinLieutenant General Martin G. Colladay (1925–2003) | June 1975 | August 1977 | 2 years, 2 months | United States Air Force | |
| 6 | Cantlay, GeorgeLieutenant General George G. Cantlay (1938–1999) | August 1977 | August 1979 | 2 years | United States Army | |
| 7 | Faurer, LincolnLieutenant General Lincoln D. Faurer (1928–2014) | August 1979 | March 1981 | 1 year, 7 months | United States Air Force | . |
| 8 | Melner, S.Lieutenant General Sinclair L. Melner | June 1981 | June 1984 | 3 years, 3 months | United States Army | . |
| 9 | Williams, P.Lieutenant General Paul S. Williams Jr. | June 1984 | May 1986 | 1 year, 11 months | United States Army | . |
| 10 | Howe, J.Vice Admiral Jonathan T. Howe | June 1986 | June 1987 | 1 year | United States Navy | . |
| 11 | Beckel, RobertLieutenant General Robert D. Beckel (born 1937) | June 1987 | January 1990 | 2 years, 7 months | United States Air Force | |
| 12 | Otstott, CharlesLieutenant General Charles P. Otstott (born 1937) | February 1990 | June 1992 | 2 years, 5 months | United States Army | . |
| 13 | Ray, N. W.Vice Admiral Norman W. Ray | June 1992 | November 1995 | 3 years, 5 months | United States Navy | . |
| 14 | Kehoe, NicholasLieutenant General Nicholas Kehoe (born 1943) | November 1995 | September 1998 | 2 years, 10 months | United States Air Force | . |
| 15 | Byron, MichaelLieutenant General Michael J. Byron (born 1941) | September 1998 | April 2001 | 2 years, 7 months | United States Marine Corps | |
| 16 | Fages, MalcolmVice Admiral Malcolm I. Fages | May 2001 | April 2004 | 3 years | United States Navy | |
| 17 | Baptiste, ThomasLieutenant General Thomas L. Baptiste | April 2004 | April 2007 | 3 years | United States Air Force | |
| 18 | Eikenberry, KarlLieutenant General Karl W. Eikenberry (born 1951) | April 2007 | May 2009 | 2 years, 1 month | United States Army | . |
| 19 | Gaskin, WalterLieutenant General Walter E. Gaskin | May 2009 | August 2013 | 4 years, 3 months | United States Marine Corps | . |
| 20 | Schissler, MarkLieutenant General Mark O. Schissler | August 2013 | November 2016 | 3 years, 3 months | United States Air Force | |
| 21 | Shepro, StevenLieutenant General Steven M. Shepro | November 4, 2016 | September 18, 2019 | 2 years, 10 months | United States Air Force | |
| 22 | Kindsvater, ScottLieutenant General Scott Kindsvater | September 18, 2019 | October 1, 2021 | 2 years | United States Air Force | |
| 23 | Landrum, LanceLieutenant General Lance Landrum (born c. 1970) | October 11, 2021 | September 21, 2023 | 1 year, 11 months | United States Air Force | |
| 24 | Rohling, AndrewLieutenant General Andrew Rohling (born c. 1967) | February 12, 2024 | Incumbent | 1 year | United States Army | |