Information began circulating among soldiers
On Tuesday, during a hearing in the US Congress concerning the army budget and the approximately $2 billion shortfall in funding for military operations, Pentagon representatives did not publicly address the issue of suspending the deployment of forces to Poland. However, the information reportedly began spreading among the soldiers themselves, who passed it on to their families and friends.
The unit consists of approximately 4,000 soldiers. Components of the 2 ABCT are deployed on a rotational basis, including in Żagań, Świętoszów and Bolesławiec. A total of approximately 10,000 American soldiers are currently stationed in Poland.
A possible part of a broader reorganisation of US forces in Europe
“The Wall Street Journal”, citing conversations with American officials, reports that the decision may be part of a broader reconfiguration of the US military presence in Europe. According to reports, the Donald Trump administration is considering reducing some American forces on the continent and returning to the level of presence from before 2022.
Some brigade subunits had reportedly already begun operations in other regions of Europe, while according to media reports, some soldiers were already en route and military equipment had begun transportation.
Representatives of the 1st Cavalry Division referred journalists from the American “Army Times” service to the Pentagon. The defence ministry’s press office reportedly stated only that “there is no comment on this matter at the moment”.
Poland reassures: “This does not concern a reduction of troops in Poland”
The issue was addressed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. As he emphasised, the situation “does not concern Poland” and is connected with the previously announced reorganisation of some US forces in Europe.
The minister also stressed that Poland had received no indications of a reduction in the number of American soldiers stationed in the country.
“The rapidly developing capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces and the presence of US forces in Poland strengthen NATO’s eastern flank,” the head of the Ministry of National Defence said.
The entire situation is described similarly by Defence24.pl. We can read there, among other things, that so far two brigades have operated in our region as part of the rotation and that the brigade that was “suspended”—that is, the 2nd Armored Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division—was supposed to be commanded from Germany, while rotations of armored brigades to Poland will continue.
Gen. Gromadziński: soldiers will remain in Poland longer
The situation was also commented on by Jarosław Gromadziński, former commander of the Eurocorps and creator of the “Iron Division”. In an interview published by Onet.pl, the general explained that the reports do not mean the withdrawal of 4,000 soldiers from Poland.
As he explained, the brigade that was supposed to come to Poland for another nine-month rotation will remain in the US, while soldiers already present in Poland are expected to stay here for an additional nine months.
This means that, according to current information, the number of American forces in Poland will not decrease, although the rotation system and the schedule for the presence of individual units may change.