Retired Lieutenant General Eric Wendt has been nominated by the administration of Donald Trump as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to the Republic of Albania.
The United States Department of State released a report to the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee outlining the reasons behind Wendt’s nomination.
Profile
Wendt currently serves as a Professor of Practice, teaching Command and Leadership at the Naval Postgraduate School. During his active-duty career, he was stationed in Europe and served as Commander of the Special Operations Headquarters of NATO.
In this role, he commanded all Special Operations Forces assigned to NATO, including Albanian units, and worked closely with defense and military leaders in Albania. He also previously served for one year in Afghanistan as a Regional Deputy Commander, overseeing troops that included Albanian personnel.
Over a career spanning more than 34 years of active service, Wendt held several senior command positions and led organizations consisting of thousands of military, civilian, and interagency personnel. He also worked for the U.S. State Department for two years as a key member of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, where he led an eight-nation coalition as U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, reporting directly to the Secretary of State.
His extensive leadership experience, proven ability to manage complex multinational and interagency organizations, and regional expertise across Europe make Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Wendt highly qualified to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Albania.
Wendt holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He speaks Arabic and Korean and has received numerous honors, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, and the State Department’s Distinguished Honor Award.
