Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley on Wednesday said America needs to send more troops to Europe in order for the U.S. military to do its job in deterring “further Russian territorial aggression,” Defense One reports.
“We, the Army, think that additional capability is probably needed, in combination with our NATO allies,” Milley told a group of defense reporters Wednesday morning.
U.S. active-duty military overseas presence is at its lowest in decades, according to the Pew Research Center, and has dipped below 200,000 for the first time in at least 60 years. Europe had more than 62,000 U.S. troops in 2016, compared to 250,000 in the 1970s.
The Obama administration initiated the European Reassurance Initiative in 2014 after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. The program boosted the U.S. military presence in Europe and was meant as a show of support to rattled NATO allies who were concerned about further expansion by Russia.
The Pentagon in September said the effort to curb Russia in Europe would be referred to as the European Deterrence Initiative, and the Senate Armed Service Committee in June approved $4.6 billion for the plan.
Milley said more is needed and suggested “a slight increase in some ground maneuver — heavy, armored forces, because they’re best used in that physical environment.”
“And bridging, some long-range artillery and some additional aviation and perhaps some additional ballistic missile defense,” he added.
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