defense
US Army can activate up to 3000 reservists for Europe
US President Joe Biden at the NATO summit in Vilnius. photo
© Susan Walsh/AP/dpa
With an order, US President Joe Biden is strengthening the “Atlantic Resolve” mission. However, this does not change the current US troop strength in Europe – it is specifically about a different distribution of tasks.
The US Department of Defense can in future up to 3000 reservists for deployment in Activate Europe. According to an executive order signed by President Joe Biden, it is necessary to strengthen the active armed forces to carry out the “Atlantic Resolve” mission.
The US Army launched the mission after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 with the declared aim of strengthening NATO allies by rotating combat-ready units to NATO’s eastern flank.
US troop strength in Europe remains the same
The European Command of the US Armed Forces (EUCOM) said after the President’s order that this would not change the US troop strength in Europe. It is not about additional forces, said Lieutenant General Douglas Sims in an interview with reporters.
Rather, reservists could in future take on tasks that were previously performed by soldiers in an active unit. It was not clear whether this meant that the reservists could serve as a kind of relief for active soldiers in Europe. The US Department of Defense also said it was ultimately up to the Eucom commander how to use the new powers.
Support in the Ukrainian defensive war
Lt. Gen. Sims said the move underscored US unwavering support and commitment to defending NATO’s eastern flank in the wake of Russia’s “illegal and unprovoked war against Ukraine.”
The news magazine “Politico” wrote after the announcement that the move indicated how much the US military’s training mission in Europe and the deployment of several new brigades after the Russian invasion of Ukraine demanded from the active armed forces. The Washington Post came to a similar conclusion.