United States Naval Forces Europe United States Naval Forces Europe ( NAVFOREUR ) is the United States Navy component commander of the United States European Command and provides forces for United States African Command . Commander , U . S . Naval Forces Europe ( COMUSNAVEUR ) provides overall command , operational control , and coordination of U . S . Naval Forces in the European Command area of responsibility . As the Navy component in Europe , COMUSNAVEUR , plans , conducts , and supports naval operations in the European theater during peacetime , contingencies , in general war and as tasked by Commander , U . S . European Command . With its headquarters now at Naval Support Activity Naples , Italy , COMUSNAVEUR directs all its naval operations through Commander , United States Sixth Fleet based in Gaeta , Italy , and support activities ashore through Commander , Navy Region Europe ( CNRE ) , headquartered in Naples , Italy . , Naval Forces Europe is commanded by Admiral Bruce W . Clingan , who also serves as NATO ' s Commander , Allied Joint Force Command Naples . History . The earliest presence of U . S . Navy forces in Europe was the Mediterranean Squadron . the European Squadron following the American Civil War , the forces were combined as part of the North Atlantic Fleet in 1906 . In 1917 , United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters was established for the duration of World War I . Following the cessation of hostilities and the Allied occupation of Turkey , Rear Admiral Mark L . Bristol was sent to Istanbul as Senior Naval Officer Turkey , commanding the U . S . Naval Detachment in Turkish Waters . Bristol arrived in Istanbul on January 28 , 1919 , and raised his flag on USS Scorpion . In August 1919 Bristol also received the diplomatic appointment of U . S . High Commissioner , responsible to the State Department for diplomatic matters in Turkey . In his naval capacity Bristol was responsible to Commander , U . S . Naval Forces , European Waters . In May 1920 , , flagship of Vice Admiral Harry S . Knapp , Commander , U . S . Naval Forces , European Waters , accompanied by , evacuated a number of American naval and relief personnel from the Caucasus . " Pittsburgh " became flagship for two of the Commander - in - Chiefs , U . S . Naval Forces European Waters , Admiral Philip Andrews in 1924 - 1925 and Vice - Admiral Roger Welles in 1925 - 1926 . At some point after 1926 , Naval Forces , European Waters , went into abeyance . Later , in March 1942 , the duties of the existing Special Naval Observer London were expanded to command naval forces . Commander , Naval Forces , Europe was established to maintain Navy bases in the United Kingdom and to report intelligence and research data being provided by Allied intelligence organizations . Numerous liaison channels were opened with the British Government and with governments in exile . The command also assisted in the planning and preparation of the invasions of North Africa and France . By 1944 the headquarters had been established at 20 Grosvenor Square , in central London . The building was only vacated by the Navy when the headquarters moved to Italy in 2009 . When Admiral Harold R . Stark became COMNAVEUR in April 1942 , he was given the additional duties as Commander , United States Twelfth Fleet . The fleet , which operated in European waters , consisted of one battleship , two cruiser s , an aircraft carrier and six destroyer s . By autumn of 1945 , the chief function of the U . S . Navy in the occupied countries was completed ; enemy naval forces had been disarmed , war material had been located and accounted for , and harbors had been reopened and were in operation . As operational emphasis changed and the geographical area expanded , the command ’ s title was changed to more specifically define the Navy ’ s role . In November 1946 , COMNAVEUR became COMNELM ( Commander , U . S . Naval Forces , Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean ) and six months later , in April 1947 , the title was changed once again , this time to Commander in Chief , U . S . Naval Forces , Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean ( CINCNELM ) . A Northern European Force of five to six ships ( cruisers and destroyers ) were active from 1946 to 1956 . Admiral Robert B . Carney became CINCNELM in December 1950 . In June 1951 , he assumed additional duty as Commander - in - Chief , Allied Forces Southern Europe ( CINCSOUTH ) , and the CINCNELM Headquarters was moved from London to Naples . In June 1952 , the two commands were separated : CINCNELM Headquarters returned to London and Admiral Jerauld Wright became CINCNELM and Admiral Carney remained in Naples as CINCSOUTH . In September 1958 , Admiral James L . Holloway , Jr . , CINCNELM , was assigned additional duty as U . S . Commander Eastern Atlantic ( USCOMEASTLANT ) . Under the Commander in Chief , U . S . Atlantic Fleet , USCOMEASTLANT provided intelligence and logistic support for LANTFLT units deployed in the USCOMEASTLANT area . In February 1960 , the title of the command was changed to Commander in Chief , U . S . Naval Forces , Europe ( CINCUSNAVEUR ) and the CINCNELM title was retained for command in the Middle East from Turkey and Egypt to the middle of the Indian Ocean . Although these were separate commands , they were placed under the control of one commander . The CINCNELM command was disestablished on 1 February 1964 . During most of the intervening years , CINCUSNAVEUR has exercised direct command over four subordinate commanders : Commander , U . S . Sixth Fleet ( COMSIXTHFLT ) ; Commander , Fleet Air Mediterranean ( COMFAIRMED ) ; Commander , Middle East Force ( COMIDEASTFOR ) ( until 1983 ) ; and Commander , U . S . Naval Activities , United Kingdom ( COMNAVACT UK ) . Because of the increased sensitivity of the Persian Gulf area , COMIDEASTFOR was assigned to the administrative command of COMUSNAVCENT ( Commander , U . S . Naval Forces Central Command ) on 1 October 1983 . CINCSOUTH and CINCUSNAVEUR once again shared an Admiral when Admiral William J . Crowe , Jr . , who was CINCSOUTH , also took the title of CINCUSNAVEUR on 1 January 1983 . Admiral Crowe retained his NATO command and headquarters in Naples , Italy . Vice Admiral Ronald J . Hays , in London , became Deputy CINCUSNAVEUR and retained the title of USCOMEASTLANT . The CINCUSNAVEUR Headquarters remained in London with Admiral Crowe spending time at both locations . The responsibility of U . S . Commander Eastern Atlantic was added to that of the Commander in Chief , Allied Forces , Southern Europe and Commander in Chief , U . S . Naval Forces , Europe on 28 February 1989 during Admiral James Buchanan Busey , IV ’ s assignment as Commander in Chief . Post Cold War . In September 1996 it was agreed that CINCUSNAVEUR could support CINCLANTFLT forces without the USCOMEASTLANT designation . In 2002 , the command changed its name to Commander , U . S . Naval Forces , Europe ( COMUSNAVEUR ) . On 15 March 2004 , NATO ’ s Joint Force Command ( JFC ) Naples was activated and its predecessor command , Allied Forces Southern Europe was deactivated . COMUSNAVEUR continues to be dual - hatted as COMJFC Naples . In August 2005 COMUSNAVEUR headquarters completed its relocation to Naples , Italy from London in the United Kingdom . It is now co - located with his NATO headquarters . U . S . Naval Activities , United Kingdom was deactivated in September 2007 . USNAVEUR is now focusing more attention on Africa , specifically the Gulf of Guinea region , partially because of the increasing importance of the oil reserves there . Ships are now often deploying to aid regional African navies , of which the most important in the region is the Nigerian Navy . Connected with this effort , a new geographic combatant command , United States Africa Command , is being stood up and is scheduled for completion in September 2008 , which may mean a realignment of USN responsibilities for the West African area . As a result , NAVEUR is now sometimes referred to as US Naval Forces Europe - Africa and even NAVAF . There is currently however no approved plan to establish a separate Naval Forces Africa HQ . Two new task groups are active , Commander Task Group 60 . 4 which runs the Africa Partnership Station deployment series , and Commander Task Group 60 . 5 , the Southeast Africa Task Group . Commanders . For the Navy , flag officer tours are usually limited to two - years . This was laid out as official policy in 2006 .