Pentagon abruptly cuts US combat forces in Poland, officials say
The Pentagon decided not to replace a brigade of combat forces.
The Pentagon has abruptly scrapped plans to deploy a brigade of 4,200 U.S. troops, which make up one of the Army’s frontline tank formations, to Poland, according to five U.S. officials. The move would cut the American combat power in Poland by nearly half.
The Army’s 1st Cavalry Division, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Hood, Texas had been slated to replace another armored unit from the same division that deployed to Poland last year.
The move came as a surprise both inside the unit and among defense officials and lawmakers. Preparations for the deployment were already well underway with the brigade having shipped much of its equipment and advance personnel into Europe, a routine step in large-scale military movements that sends troops and gear ahead of the main force.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters she was concerned. "It is not at all clear" why the decision was made, Shaheen said, adding she does not believe Congress was briefed.
"One of the advantages of having those operating bases in Poland is that, if we have to deploy, we've got a base from which to do that," Shaheen said. "And that's not only faster, but it's cheaper."
The decision follows a separate Pentagon announcement two weeks ago that over the next 6 to 12 months roughly 5,000 U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Germany, with President Donald Trump saying those cuts will go “a lot further.”
At the time, a senior defense official said that force reduction would bring U.S. combat troop levels in Europe to what they were prior to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
It’s unclear whether canceling the brigade’s rotation is tied to that drawdown in Germany or reflects a separate effort to further reduce the U.S. military footprint in Europe. During rotations to Poland, units may also have personnel across Europe, including Germany and Lithuania.
Polish defense minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, said on social media that the deployment cancellation “does not concern Poland” and that it “relates to the previously announced change” to the U.S. troops presence in Europe.
A separate Polish official said that the move came as “a surprise.” The Pentagon declined to comment.
Moreover, the reduction of forces in Poland comes as the Army is facing a shortfall of $4-$6 billion. ABC News was the first to report that commanders were making significant cuts to training.
The brigade had been expected to depart soon before soldiers were abruptly told to halt preparations. Just two weeks earlier, the unit had held a deployment send-off ceremony.
The brigade is among the Army’s premier heavy combat formations, with its arsenal including 87 M1 Abrams tanks, 152 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 18 Howitzer artillery systems, and dozens of other armored vehicles – equipment which has historically been seen as key to defending Europe.
“Make no mistake – our adversaries are paying attention,” Maj. Gen. Tom Feltey, 1st Cavalry Division commander, said at the deployment ceremony. “When an armored brigade combat team deploys forward, it sends a clear and unmistakable signal. The [brigade] is the embodiment of American ground combat power.”
The Pentagon bolstered NATO’s frontline presence in Poland after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine included deploying units on up to year-long rotational tours, with armored brigade combat teams serving as the core of those rotations and much of their time devoted to training alongside allied forces in the region. Some 10,000 U.S. troops are currently in Poland.
A senior NATO official said the reduction of rotational forces, units that deploy for set periods rather than those permanently stationed in Europe, would not affect the alliance’s deterrence posture toward Russia.
“NATO will continue to maintain a strong presence on its eastern flank, in particular the Canadian and German troops there,” the official said.
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