The senior-most U.S. and German military commanders in Europe visited the Marshall Center on Feb. 16, 2026, engaging with leadership and participants in the Strategic Competition and Russia course as the Alliance accelerates efforts for collective defense.

U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander, U.S. European Command, and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and German Army Gen. Carsten Breuer, German Chief of Defence, received an overview of the Marshall Center's mission and 2026 program plan, highlighting how its redesigned framework supports shared U.S.-German priorities and strengthens Europe's ability to lead, resource, and sustain conventional credible deterrence.

Addressing participants of the SCR course, both leaders underscored the need to enhance the defense industrial capacity to meet requirements, adding that today's security challenges - from state aggression to hybrid threats - require well-coordinated actions.

"I think what we figured out is that we are living in a complex world," Breuer said. "We are living in a world where we are facing multiple challenges. Being agile and being able to adapt ensures that we will succeed."

The plenary session provided participants direct engagement with the highest levels of Allied leadership, connecting strategic vision with the skills-based training gained at the Marshall Center to enable implementation within their home institutions.

"What I'm taking away from this session is that we've got a tremendous group of security professionals out there that are ready to meet any of these challenges," Grynkewich said.