Die Rückkehr der US-Truppen nach Europa: Die genaueren Pläne

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Die US-Streitkräfte hatten schon länger angekündigt, dass sie angesichts der veränderten Haltung der NATO zu Russland wieder mehr Truppen nach Europa verlegen wollen – unter anderem soll jeweils eine Kampfbrigade rotierend durch die osteuropäischen Mitgliedsländer des Bündnisses geschickt werden. Am (heutigen) Freitag gab die U.S. Army Europe die genaueren Pläne für die Einheiten und ihre vorübergehende Stationierung bekannt.

Die Truppen werden vorwiegend an der Ostflanke des Bündnisses unterwegs sein; dabei ist eine Verzahnung mit der Enhanced Forward Presence der NATO beabsichtigt, für die die Bundeswehr den Kern eines Bataillons in Litauen stellt. Deutschland spielt darüber hinaus eine weitere wichtige Rolle: Als Ankunftsort in Europa und für die Einlagerung von schwerem Gerät. Zur Dokumentation aus der Mitteilung der U.S. Army Europe:

The 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division (3/4 ABCT), from
Fort Carson, Colorado, will arrive in Europe in January. Their arrival will
mark the beginning of the heel-to-toe rotation of U.S.-based armored
brigades to Europe; in other words, the continuous presence of an armored
brigade combat team and back-to-back rotations of U.S. troops and equipment.

The full set of 3/4 ABCT equipment will arrive at the port in Bremerhaven,
Germany, in January and then move by rail, commercial line haul and military
convoy to Poland where the brigade will consolidate before distributing
units across seven countries from Estonia to Bulgaria beginning in February.
Over the course of their nine-month rotation, 3/4 ABCT will routinely move
units across the region to participate in training events and exercises.

The armored brigade will initially consolidate in western Poland, centered
on the training areas at Drawsko Pomorskie and Zagan. Following this
initial consolidation, the brigade will establish itself at various
operating locations through the region. The brigade headquarters; brigade
engineering and support battalions; 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery
Regiment; and 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, will operate from
existing Polish military installations in Zagan, Swietoszow, Skwierzyna, and
Boleslawiec.

From the consolidation sites in Poland, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment,
will move to the Baltic nations and remain positioned there until NATO’s
Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) battle groups are in place and then will
rotate throughout Europe to participate in exercises as requested. 1st
Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, will support Operation Atlantic Resolve
activities primarily in Bulgaria and Romania. 1st Battalion, 66th Armor
Regiment, will move to the Grafenwöhr Training Area, Germany, where it will
conduct training and maintenance to build and sustain readiness.

As part of the expansion of the rotational U.S. presence, the Army will
continue to invest in the training and mission command capabilities at Novo
Selo Training Area, Bulgaria, and Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania, to
support a persistent and continuous armored presence in the Black Sea
region.

In addition to the rotational armored brigade, the Army will provide a
rotational combat aviation brigade to the European theater to support
Operation Atlantic Resolve and other joint and multinational efforts. By the
end of March, the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade from Fort Drum, New York,
will arrive in Europe for a nine-month rotation. The brigade will be
headquartered in Illesheim, Germany, and will forward deploy aircraft in
Latvia, Romania, and Poland to enhance the Alliance’s ability to deter
aggression.

Armored and aviation brigade rotations are scheduled into the foreseeable
future, though specific units have not yet been identified. Their presence
enhances the deterrence capabilities available to the U.S. Army Europe and
U.S. European Command commanders to respond to potential crises and assist
in the defense of our Allies and partners in the European community.

To oversee these rotational forces, the 4th Infantry Division (4 ID)
Headquarters, which has been the regionally aligned division headquarters
for Europe since 2015, will continue to be the tactical headquarters for all
U.S. land forces conducting activities in support of Operation Atlantic
Resolve. Based in Baumholder, Germany, the 4 ID Mission Command Element is
the forward deployed headquarters element that provides U.S. Army Europe a
division-level command and control capability.

“The 4th Infantry Division Mission Command Element is integral to Army
Europe’s ability to conduct Operation Atlantic Resolve missions,” Hodges
said. “They’re a small element – less than 100 Soldiers – but they make a
huge impact in the theater by controlling so many moving parts.”

It is important to note the expansion of rotational forces is separate and
distinct from NATO’s eFP battle groups. Both will contribute to the
Alliance’s deterrence and defense capabilities, but the rotational armored
and aviation forces will remain under U.S. command. The rotational forces
will focus on strengthening capabilities and sustaining readiness through
bilateral and multinational training and exercises. The United States, as
the framework nation for the Poland-based NATO eFP unit, will deploy 2nd
Squadron of 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment (2/2 CR) based in Vilseck, Germany,
to Orzysz, Poland, in April 2017.

Starting in September 2016, the Army began assembling additional Army
Prepositioned Stocks (APS) for storage in Europe. The additional APS set
will consist of equipment and ammunition required to support armored
division-sized force. These capabilities reduce deployment timelines,
improve our deterrence capabilities and provide additional combat power to
U.S. European Command for use in contingency operations. The equipment can
also be drawn for use in training and exercises. While some of this APS
equipment was previously used by rotating brigade combat teams in Europe,
the majority of additional APS equipment is being sourced from across the
Army. Equipment will be stored at facilities in Eygelshoven, Netherlands;
Zutendaal, Belgium; and Miesau and Dülmen, Germany.

Nachtrag: Dazu passt auch die größte Munitionslieferung seit 20 Jahren für die US-Streitkräfte, die in Nordenham per Schiff angeliefert wurde:


(Direktlink: https://youtu.be/odEXsmAO6HE)

(Archivbild: Soldiers with the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team, Idaho National Guard, drive their M1A2 Abrams tank across an improved ribbon bridge set up by the 125th Multi Role Bridge Company, South Carolina National Guard, on the Olt River near Voila, Romania, August 1, during Exercise Saber Guardian 16. – U.S. Army photo by 1SG Kevin Hartman, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)