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2d ago

U.S. Halts Brigade Rotation in Europe, Sending 101st Unit Home Without Replacement

The Pentagon casts the move as a resource shift that leaves U.S. strength in Europe above pre‑2022 levels.

A NATO official played down the significance of the announcement
Image
Soldiers assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and the Romanian 2nd Infantry Division held a joint award ceremony on March 8, 2023, in Buzau, Romania. (US Army photo by Staff Sgt. Malcolm Cohens-Ashley, 2nd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs.)
Soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division will not be replaced when their unit returns home.

Overview

  • U.S. Army Europe and Africa said the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne, will redeploy to Kentucky with no unit rotating in to replace it, ending a Europe-wide brigade rotation.
  • Romania reports its U.S. contingent will drop from roughly 1,700 to about 1,000, with departures affecting Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base on the Black Sea.
  • Officials describe the change as a force‑posture adjustment tied to Indo‑Pacific priorities and increased European burden‑sharing, not a reduced commitment to NATO or Article 5.
  • A NATO official downplayed risk, noting U.S. forces in Europe remain higher than before 2022, as some analysts and allies worry about deterrence following recent drone and airspace incidents.
  • Sen. Roger Wicker and Rep. Mike Rogers said they strongly oppose the decision and criticized limited consultation, while Poland and Lithuania said they were not informed of any cuts on their territory.