Army planning extensive drawdown in Europe
March 22, 2012
By Gary Sheftick
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, March 21, 2012) -- As part of the Army's drawdown in Europe, plans call for deactivation of V Corps after the headquarters returns from Afghanistan next year, senior Army leaders said Wednesday.
V Corps headquarters, now located in Wiesbaden, Germany, is expected to deploy in June with most of its 700 Soldiers. Its commander, Lt. Gen. James L. Terry, will oversee coalition operations nationwide as commander of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno was asked Wednesday at a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee, defense subcommittee, if V Corps would return to the United States after its deployment to Afghanistan. He answered "the plan is to eliminate it."
V Corps has been headquartered in Germany since 1951 and its original mission there was to defend the Fulda Gap during the Cold War.
The corps' deactivation is part of an overall drawdown in Europe which includes bringing two brigade combat teams back to the United States over the next couple of years and turning scores of installations back to host nations.
Secretary of the Army John McHugh told senators at the same hearing that the Army has drawn down from a high of about 400 bases in Europe four years ago and will continue until only about 90 bases remain. He said 50 of those would be Army and 40 will be joint installations.
Odierno said the Army will go from a force that is forward-deployed to one that will rotate from the United States to hot spots. He said forces in the United States would be regionally aligned for contingencies and stocks would be pre-positioned.
With the smaller force in Europe, Odierno said the Army will compensate by conducting even more partnership engagements with NATO allies.
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