The United States permanent representative to NATO (commonly referred to as the U.S. ambassador to NATO) is the official representative of the United States mission to NATO.
The representative has the rank of full ambassador and is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
The official title of the representative is United States permanent representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with the rank and status of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary.
The first representative was appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953.