John Vandiver

John covers U.S. military activities across Europe and Africa. Based in Stuttgart, Germany, he previously worked for newspapers in New Jersey, North Carolina and Maryland. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware.

@john_vandiver

vandiver.john@stripes.com

Paratroopers assigned to the Army's 82nd Airborne Division receive combat patches at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, Feb. 28, 2024. Soldiers deployed to select countries in the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command areas of responsibility between Oct. 7, 2023, and June 24, 2025, are now authorized to wear the patch.

Army combat patch OK’d for soldiers sent to certain countries after Hamas attack on Israel

Combat patches are now authorized for U.S. soldiers who deployed to a select group of countries in the Middle East and Africa over roughly the past two years, the Army said.

U.S. soldiers fire their M1A2 Abrams tank in a defensive lane during the U.S. Army Europe and Africa International Tank Challenge at Grafenwoehr Training Area on Feb. 13, 2025. Gen. Christopher Donahue, head of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, says the service's command-and-control system in Europe offers a model that should be followed in other places.

Army in Europe’s real-time command system offers global blueprint, commander says

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, from left, incoming leader of U.S. European Command Gen. Alexus Grynkewich and outgoing commander Gen. Christopher Cavoli at the change of command ceremony July 1, 2025, in Stuttgart, Germany.

‘Take good care of this treasure,’ Cavoli tells successor as EUCOM chief, top leader of NATO forces

A Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile is launched during a 2021 test at White Sands Missile Range, N.M..

2 minutes ‘to succeed or fail’: 44 US soldiers stayed at Al Udeid to intercept Iran’s missile barrage

Army Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Pope of the 2nd Multi-Domain Task Force hand-launches a homemade, 3D-printed fixed-wing drone at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, April 11, 2025. The task force and the 56th Artillery Command are being combined, Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, said June 25, 2025.

Army merging key units in move to reshape ground warfare

The U.S. Army is merging two of its newest strategic units in Europe into one headquarters as part of a broader transformation that could serve as a template for the whole service, a four-star commander said.

Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, talks to troops at Hohenfels Training Area in Germany on June 11, 2025. Donahue said June 25 during an event hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army in Washington that he expects troop levels in Europe to hold steady.

‘I don’t think there’s going to be a change,’ general says of US military presence in Europe

The top U.S. Army commander in Europe said he expects troop levels to hold steady on the Continent, even as the Pentagon aims to shift more assets to the Asia-Pacific region.

In this screenshot, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte listens to President Donald Trump on June 25, 2025. Rutte and Trump made short remarks before the day's meetings at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, got underway.

Trump says Iran strikes set nuclear program back ‘decades,’ praises NATO spending push

President Donald Trump hailed NATO’s push to increase defense spending at the start of a high-level summit, where he also pushed back against reports that U.S. bombing strikes on Iran’s nuclear program had failed to deliver a knockout blow.

In a screenshot from social media, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker speaks at the NATO Public Forum in The Hague, Netherlands, June 24, 2025, at the beginning of the alliance's two-day summit.

US affirms NATO ties as European leaders move toward military spending increase

The top U.S. official at NATO affirmed that there will be no hasty military withdrawal from Europe.

NATO allies agree defense spending must go up. Now they must determine what counts.

NATO leaders are poised to meet President Donald Trump’s demand for big increases in defense spending that will enable Europe to take on more responsibility for its defense.

Antipersonnel land mine pact to lose another signatory as Finland votes to pull out

The decision puts Finland in the company of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, all of which have either withdrawn or are in the process of pulling out of the pact in a move aimed at deterring Russian aggression.

Stacks of money are counted by a machine.

Over 1,300 US personnel to receive combined $450,000 for Guam cell provider’s illegal charges

A cellphone service provider on Guam will pay out $500,000 over unlawful charges it made on the bills of redeploying U.S. service members, the Justice Department said.

A rendering of the new commissary that is being built on Panzer Kaserne in Boeblingen, part of U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart in Germany. The new commissary will have more than 37,000 square feet of sales area and have an elevated parking garage next to it.

New $47 million commissary on Panzer Kaserne breaks ground, will replace 4 existing Stuttgart stores

Work crews broke ground on a long-delayed commissary project at the U.S. Army’s garrison in Stuttgart to replace existing stores at Patch Barracks, Panzer Kaserne, Kelley Barracks and Robinson Barracks.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz poses with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump answers yes to question on German minds for months: Are US troops staying?

President Donald Trump said he wants to keep American forces in Germany, where questions have been raised for months about the future of the tens of thousands of service members stationed at numerous U.S. bases the country hosts.

An airman looks out the window of an aircraft.

Pick of Air Force 3-star general as EUCOM boss also keeps American in lead of NATO forces

Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, who now serves on the Joint Staff, also was nominated to become NATO’s next supreme allied commander in Europe.

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