In an effort to meet President Trump’s call to punish Germany for not meeting a 2% commitment to NATO, the Department of Defense will bring approximately 6,400 troops back to the United States and reshuffle nearly 5,600 to Belgium and Italy in what it says is a move that will reassure NATO allies of the U.S. commitment to deterring Russian aggression.
“Germany can and should pay more to its defense,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper said at a Wednesday Pentagon press briefing, flanked by Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Hyten and joined remotely by U.S. European Command Gen. Tod Wolters.
“It should certainly meet the 2% standard and, I would argue, go above and beyond that,” Esper added. “To President Trump’s credit, under his leadership, we’ve seen an increase in defense spending by NATO.”
Esper took pains to argue that the move to reduce troops in Germany from 36,000 to 24,000 was more about strategy than the president’s criticisms of the NATO ally for not contributing enough to self-defense.
“These changes will unquestionably achieve the core principles of enhancing U.S. and NATO deterrence of Russia, strengthening NATO, reassuring Allies, and improving U.S. strategic flexibility and EUCOM operational flexibility,” Esper said in his opening statement.
The defense leaders assured members of the media that reshuffling 11,900 troops in short order would strengthen European defense and has been positively viewed by the NATO alliance.
Esper said members of Congress were briefed on the move last week and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg was consulted in recent days.
“As other nations joined NATO, the eastern flank shifted to Germany and has continued to expand further into Eastern Europe, now with 30 countries in NATO,” Hyten said. “Another re-balance is essential.”
The move to draw down forces from Europe has drawn widespread criticism from both sides of the aisle in Congress and NATO allies who worry the move emboldens Russia at a time of great power competition and aggression on the eastern flank.
The military leaders said Wednesday the move responds directly to that concern by pushing remaining troops closer to the Russian border.
Wolters said one move will co-locate EUCOM to the headquarters of NATO’s Allied Command Operations in Casteau, Belgium.
Three brigade-size units and two smaller support and contracting organizations will also move to Belgium.
The 52nd Civil Engineering Squadron could move soonest from Germany to Italy. An F-16 fighter squadron, its aircraft, pilots, and mechanics will also move from Germany to Italy along with two battalions.
Those moving stateside do not have a location determined yet but will still be “maintaining a key focus on Europe,” added Wolters. Esper noted there are currently no plans to reposition troops in the Indo-Pacific region, as previously proposed.
The U.S. military base in Stuttgart, Germany, which currently hosts the headquarters of both EUCOM and U.S. Africa Command, will be most affected, Esper said.
AFRICOM’s relocation, along with its 1,400 personnel in Stuttgart, is to be determined, AFRICOM told the Washington Examiner.
“This is in alignment with NATO’s new military strategy,” Wolters asserted, noting that the realignment will give the U.S. the opportunity to reach out to new allies on the southeastern flank of NATO for rotations to multiple locations, potentially including Poland, the Baltics, and the Black Sea region of southeastern Europe.
An agreement to base 1,000 troops in Poland awaits the signing of a defense cooperation agreement by Warsaw.
“The flexibility that this affords us certainly complicates a potential enemy against us, and it dramatically improves our operational capability to more effectively deter and defend,” the EUCOM commander said.
Esper said the move will cost billions of dollars but save money with fewer family members permanently living in Germany.
The defense secretary also said the European repositioning had been in the works for months, beginning before the president’s call to draw down from U.S. bases in Germany.
“The president’s directive in June accelerated that, and I think we’re excited about where we’re going and what it will mean,” he said. “We are still retaining a little more than 24,000 troops in Germany, which is still a lot.”
