US Prefers NATO Rotational Forces to Permanent Stationing in Europe
19:06 07.04.2016(updated 19:20 07.04.2016)
US Army Chief of Staff said that the plan to forward deploy rotational units of US and NATO forces in eastern Europe is preferable to having them permanently stationed.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The plan to forward deploy rotational units of US and NATO forces in eastern Europe is preferable to having them permanently stationed, US Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told the Senate Armed Services on Thursday.
"I personally think the advantages of rotation outweigh the disadvantages," Milley stated.
He noted that that under the US-NATO plan, "the effect of a permanent armored brigade… will be achieved, and the disadvantages of [being] forward stationed, the cost, etc. are not going to be incurred."
Under the US European Reassurance Initiative (ERI), established to deter Russia and reassure NATO allies, the United States will deploy an armored brigade to NATO's eastern front on a rotational basis. By 2017, the United States will have a full divisional set of equipment prepositioned in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.
When asked why the US decided against permanent basing in eastern Europe, Gen. Milley pointed out that "political negotiations with foreign governments" was among the factors informing the decision.
"[T]he effect of permanency is being achieved without the cost of permanency" by deploying units "heel to toe… so there is never a gap" in forward presence, Milley explained.
In its 2017 budget, the US Department of Defense has requested $3.4 billion for the ERI to fund the movement of one armored brigade to Europe, bolstering the existing cavalry regiment and 173rd Airborne Brigade.
© Sputnik
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