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Monday, February 01, 2016

Reinforce United States Army Europe

The Army Force Commission reported to Congress, including a recommendation that the Army deploy a heavy brigade combat team to Europe. That's a start.

Do read it all, but this was of most interest to me:

The commission is recommending the Army should forward station an Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) in Europe as Russia continues to antagonize Eastern Europe.

The ABCT would also be closer to other volatile contingencies where it could deploy more quickly than if it were stationed in the United States, [retired Gen. Carter] Ham explained.

The Army already has a Stryker brigade in Germany and an airborne brigade in Italy.

I'm long on record as thinking we should have 5 brigades in Europe (and no, I do not have a PhD. The Dignified Rant has a Master's Degree--in history. At one time they corrected that error, but it crept back in).

It is long past time to pretend we have a quiet front in Europe.

The article on the recommendations doesn't mention where it should go. I suggest southern Poland.

Plus some prepositioned brigade sets.

And I'd pay good money to rebuild an honest-to-God heavy Cold War era armored cavalry regiment to have its squadrons screen the Baltic states borders with Russia and Belarus.