US to add 500 new troops in Germany, Austin says

[Boats]

U.S. to add 500 new troops in Germany, Austin says
By: John Vandiver - Stars & Stripes News - 04-13-21
Re: https://www.stripes.com/news/europe/...-says-1.669519

STUTTGART, Germany — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday announced plans to add hundreds of U.S. troops to Germany, where the former Trump administration wanted to withdraw nearly 12,000 service members.

“We will deploy 500 additional troops to Germany," Austin told reporters in Berlin, following his meeting with German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.

Austin, who is traveling on his first trip through Europe as defense secretary, was in Berlin on Tuesday for high-level talks. He’s also scheduled to meet with troops in Stuttgart later in the day. After that, he will head to NATO headquarters in Brussels.

In February, the U.S. halted plans to move troops out of Germany while the Pentagon reviews how its forces are positioned around the world. That assessment is expected to be completed in the summer.

The plan for reducing the military mission in Germany called for relocating U.S. European Command from Stuttgart to Belgium, returning the Vilseck-based 2nd Cavalry Regiment to the U.S. and other moves that would have culminated in the largest realignment of Europe-based forces in decades.

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Personal note: NATO must feel a little insecure with all the troop movements nowadays.
With China and Germany moving troops all around on borders of late Germany might feel a little nervous and wanted some assurance the US wasn't pulling out their troops?
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Boats