Quantcast

John Vandiver

The sign outside the construction site Patch Barracks in Germany says ''US dollar financed project,'' but the $50 million investment for a new elementary school could go to waste if the U.S. military relocates from Stuttgart as planned in the coming years. <br>John Vandiver/Stars and Stripes
The sign outside the construction site Patch Barracks in Germany says ''US dollar financed project,'' but the $50 million investment for a new elementary school could go to waste if the U.S. military relocates from Stuttgart as planned in the coming years. <br>John Vandiver/Stars and Stripes

$349 million in projects continue even as military prepares to draw down in Germany

The Army Corps of Engineers says it has 80 projects underway in Germany at a cost of $349 million for the current fiscal year. But any number of those projects could eventually prove to be a multimillion-dollar waste if the Pentagon puts into action its plan to pull nearly 12,000 troops in the country.

Click photo for caption and to enlarge

 

Soldiers with the 1st Cavalry Division clear an open engagement area during a Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise in Galati, Romania in February 2020. More U.S. troops could be going to Romania as part of the plan to reduce forces in Germany, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Aug. 4, 2020.<br>Noshoba Davis/U.S. Army
Soldiers with the 1st Cavalry Division clear an open engagement area during a Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise in Galati, Romania in February 2020. More U.S. troops could be going to Romania as part of the plan to reduce forces in Germany, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Aug. 4, 2020.<br>Noshoba Davis/U.S. Army

US mulls moving troops from Germany to Romania, Baltics and Poland, Esper says

Romania could get a U.S. troop boost and so might the Baltics as part of the plan to reduce force levels in Germany, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said.

U.S. Marines conduct a foot patrol during cold-weather training at Bjerkvik, Norway, Feb. 23, 2020. Norwegian defense officials say the Marines are ending rotations in the country but will continue to send troops there to train and practice periodically. <br> Isaiah Campbell/U.S. Marine Corps
U.S. Marines conduct a foot patrol during cold-weather training at Bjerkvik, Norway, Feb. 23, 2020. Norwegian defense officials say the Marines are ending rotations in the country but will continue to send troops there to train and practice periodically. <br> Isaiah Campbell/U.S. Marine Corps

Marines to end continuous rotations to Norway

Instead of having up to 700 troops at a time in Norway on six-month rotations, the Marines will conduct periodic training and exercises with the Norwegian armed forces.

U.S. Air Force personnel in Germany can again travel to Spain and Belgium and see sights like the Grand Place, the central square of Brussels. However, Ramstein officials urged personnel to follow safety precautions and watch for updates on country coronavirus risk status through Germany's Robert Koch Institute.<br>Stars and Stripes
U.S. Air Force personnel in Germany can again travel to Spain and Belgium and see sights like the Grand Place, the central square of Brussels. However, Ramstein officials urged personnel to follow safety precautions and watch for updates on country coronavirus risk status through Germany's Robert Koch Institute.<br>Stars and Stripes

Ramstein personnel get green light for Belgium, Spain travel

Belgium and Spain are back as approved travel destinations for Air Force personnel in Germany.

U.S. and Turkish military forces conduct a joint ground patrol in northeast Syria in September 2019. U.S. European Command said in an Inspector General report released Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, that Turkey is still a transit hub for Islamic State group fighters and weapons, even though the NATO ally is doing more to stop the group than it once did.<br>Alec Dionne/U.S. Army
U.S. and Turkish military forces conduct a joint ground patrol in northeast Syria in September 2019. U.S. European Command said in an Inspector General report released Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, that Turkey is still a transit hub for Islamic State group fighters and weapons, even though the NATO ally is doing more to stop the group than it once did.<br>Alec Dionne/U.S. Army

Turkey still a major hub for ISIS militants, IG report says

U.S. European Command called Turkey a “major facilitation hub” for ISIS and said security at the country’s southern borders with Syria and Iraq continues to be a problem.

People stroll down Barcelona, Spain's famed Las Ramblas in pre-coronavirus times. Official military travel for U.S. European Command personnel to Belgium and Spain now requires official approval, but leisure travel is allowed. Policy at some commands within Europe remained unclear Tuesday. German health officials have cautioned that the Spanish regions of Catalonia, which includes Barcelona, along with Navarre and Aragon, are risk areas and travel could require a quarantine upon return to Germany.<br>Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes
People stroll down Barcelona, Spain's famed Las Ramblas in pre-coronavirus times. Official military travel for U.S. European Command personnel to Belgium and Spain now requires official approval, but leisure travel is allowed. Policy at some commands within Europe remained unclear Tuesday. German health officials have cautioned that the Spanish regions of Catalonia, which includes Barcelona, along with Navarre and Aragon, are risk areas and travel could require a quarantine upon return to Germany.<br>Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes

Military toughens rules on business travel to Belgium and Spain as coronavirus cases rise

Airmen can seek approval for leisure travel but the countries must be designated as “green,” according to coronavirus information on Ramstein Air Base’s website.

Outgoing Special Operations Command Europe commander Maj. Gen. Kirk W. Smith, center, salutes Gen. Tod D. Wolters, commander U.S. European Command, as incoming SOCEUR commander Maj. Gen. David H. Tabor watches during the change of command ceremony in Stuttgart, Germany, Aug. 3, 2020. All three are U.S. Air Force officers.<br>SOCEUR
Outgoing Special Operations Command Europe commander Maj. Gen. Kirk W. Smith, center, salutes Gen. Tod D. Wolters, commander U.S. European Command, as incoming SOCEUR commander Maj. Gen. David H. Tabor watches during the change of command ceremony in Stuttgart, Germany, Aug. 3, 2020. All three are U.S. Air Force officers.<br>SOCEUR

Special operations troops get a new boss in Stuttgart

Air Force Maj. Gen. David Tabor took command Monday of special operations forces in Europe, where he must begin planning to relocate his headquarters from Germany to a new home in Belgium.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph Rivera, a search and rescue swimmer assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island, looks out of a U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawk while conducting search and rescue relief operations following an AAV-P7/A1 assault amphibious vehicle accident off the coast of Southern California, July 30, 2020.<br>Mackenzie Binion/U.S. Marine Corps
Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph Rivera, a search and rescue swimmer assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island, looks out of a U.S. Navy MH-60 Seahawk while conducting search and rescue relief operations following an AAV-P7/A1 assault amphibious vehicle accident off the coast of Southern California, July 30, 2020.<br>Mackenzie Binion/U.S. Marine Corps

Eight missing service members presumed dead after amphibious vehicle accident off Calif. coast

The Marine Corps said Sunday that it has called off the search for seven Marines and one sailor three days after an accident off the coast of southern California.

American soldiers fire rounds downrange during an exercise on Bemowo Piskie Training Area in Orzysz, Poland. Washington and Warsaw have reached an agreement that paves the way for the U.S. to send more troops to the central European nation, the U.S. ambassador to Poland, Georgette Mosbacher, said July 31, 2020.<br>Immanuel Johnson/Stars and Stripes
American soldiers fire rounds downrange during an exercise on Bemowo Piskie Training Area in Orzysz, Poland. Washington and Warsaw have reached an agreement that paves the way for the U.S. to send more troops to the central European nation, the U.S. ambassador to Poland, Georgette Mosbacher, said July 31, 2020.<br>Immanuel Johnson/Stars and Stripes

US troops could soon be heading to Poland under new agreement

The U.S. and Poland have agreed to a defense deal that will lead to more American troops deployed in the central European nation, a top U.S. diplomat said Friday.

The joint operations center at U.S. Africa Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. AFRICOM launched a search for a new home for its headquarters, it said on July 30, 2020.<br>U.S. Africa Command
The joint operations center at U.S. Africa Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. AFRICOM launched a search for a new home for its headquarters, it said on July 30, 2020.<br>U.S. Africa Command

AFRICOM begins search for new headquarters home

U.S. Africa Command has launched a search for a new headquarters home that could send the Germany-based unit somewhere else in Europe or to the United States.

A Stryker armored vehicle from 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, moves to a forward position during an exercise in Hohenfels, Germany, in November 2019. Vilseck-based 2 CR is one of the units picked to leave Germany as part of the Pentagon's plan to cut troops in the country.<br>Ethan Valetski/U.S. Army
A Stryker armored vehicle from 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, moves to a forward position during an exercise in Hohenfels, Germany, in November 2019. Vilseck-based 2 CR is one of the units picked to leave Germany as part of the Pentagon's plan to cut troops in the country.<br>Ethan Valetski/U.S. Army

What will it take to move 12,000 troops from Germany? Closures, time and lots of money

Removing 12,000 troops from Germany will likely mean several base closures and cost billions of dollars for an operation that could begin in weeks but take years to complete.

A U.S. Africa Command unit on a surveillance mission off the coast of Libya helped rescue 131 migrants on July 21, 2020, after picking up their distress signal at sea, the military said this week.<br>U.S. Africa Command
A U.S. Africa Command unit on a surveillance mission off the coast of Libya helped rescue 131 migrants on July 21, 2020, after picking up their distress signal at sea, the military said this week.<br>U.S. Africa Command

AFRICOM unit helps to rescue migrants from sinking raft in Mediterranean Sea

A U.S. Africa Command unit on a surveillance mission off the coast of Libya helped rescue 131 migrants after picking up their distress signal at sea, the military said this week.

The tax office in the Kusel-Landstuhl area of Germany has ramped up efforts to collect taxes from some members of the U.S. military community.<br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes
The tax office in the Kusel-Landstuhl area of Germany has ramped up efforts to collect taxes from some members of the U.S. military community.<br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes

‘Harassed’ by German tax offices, more US military families face financial threats

German towns that house U.S. troops have expanded efforts to impose income tax penalties on some military personnel, say affected families and an attorney warning that an assignment in Germany carries growing financial risk.

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to Aviano Air Base's 31st Fighter Wing prepares to receive fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to RAF Mildenhall's 100th Air Refueling Wing, over the Black Sea, July 22, 2020.<br>Benjamin Cooper/U.S. Air Force
A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to Aviano Air Base's 31st Fighter Wing prepares to receive fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to RAF Mildenhall's 100th Air Refueling Wing, over the Black Sea, July 22, 2020.<br>Benjamin Cooper/U.S. Air Force

Air Force in Europe demonstrates its power in Black Sea joint drill

U.S. Air Forces in Europe led a large-scale show of force in the Black Sea that brought F-16s together with a Navy warship, drones and special operations aircraft to simulate the destruction of “well-defended targets.”

U.S. soldiers with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment march near Vilseck, Germany.<br>Pablo N. Piedra/U.S. Army
U.S. soldiers with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment march near Vilseck, Germany.<br>Pablo N. Piedra/U.S. Army

Plan to pull troops from Germany will take years, top Republican says

A Pentagon plan to reduce forces in Germany and send some to other parts of Europe has the backing of a top Republican senator, but he cautioned that the initiative will take years to put into action.

U.S. Africa Command said July 22, 2020, that it killed seven Islamic State group fighters in Somalia this week in retaliation for an attack not far from where American personnel were operating. U.S. AFRICOM<br>U.S. AFRICOM
U.S. Africa Command said July 22, 2020, that it killed seven Islamic State group fighters in Somalia this week in retaliation for an attack not far from where American personnel were operating. U.S. AFRICOM<br>U.S. AFRICOM

US airstrike kills seven ISIS fighters in Somalia

A U.S. airstrike in northern Somalia has killed seven fighters from the Islamic State group after they attacked an area where American troops were advising and assisting partner forces, U.S. Africa Command said Wednesday.

The destroyer USS Porter transits through the Bosporus in Turkey on July 19, 2020. The Porter is participating in Sea Breeze 20, an annual exercise in the Black Sea co-hosted by Ukraine and the United States.<br>Yoruk Isik
The destroyer USS Porter transits through the Bosporus in Turkey on July 19, 2020. The Porter is participating in Sea Breeze 20, an annual exercise in the Black Sea co-hosted by Ukraine and the United States.<br>Yoruk Isik

US, Ukraine launch Black Sea drills while Moscow puts its fleet on alert

The Navy destroyer USS Porter and submarine hunting aircraft joined a large-scale exercise that kicked off Monday in the Black Sea, where Russia recently ordered snap combat readiness drills involving thousands of troops.

Rheinland-Pfalz Minister President Malu Dreyer speaks with 86th Airlift Wing commander Brig. Gen. Mark August in Kottweiler-Schwanden, Germany, in February 2020. Dreyer is one of four German state heads that sent a letter to U.S. lawmakers, urging them to oppose troop cuts in the country.<br>Taylor D. Slater/U.S. Air Force
Rheinland-Pfalz Minister President Malu Dreyer speaks with 86th Airlift Wing commander Brig. Gen. Mark August in Kottweiler-Schwanden, Germany, in February 2020. Dreyer is one of four German state heads that sent a letter to U.S. lawmakers, urging them to oppose troop cuts in the country.<br>Taylor D. Slater/U.S. Air Force

German leaders appeal to US Congress to block troop cuts

The appeal, reported by Reuters and German news agencies, called U.S. troops in Germany “the backbone of U.S. presence in Europe and NATO’s ability to act.”

A medic at the clinic in Wiesbaden, Germany swabs a patient for coronavirus testing, June 12, 2020. Public health officials are expanding testing for the virus and screening personnel as they arrive in Europe. Quarantines will be mandatory for new arrivals from high-risk areas regardless of test results, following a spike in the number of infections, military officials said.<br>Marcy Sanchez/DOD
A medic at the clinic in Wiesbaden, Germany swabs a patient for coronavirus testing, June 12, 2020. Public health officials are expanding testing for the virus and screening personnel as they arrive in Europe. Quarantines will be mandatory for new arrivals from high-risk areas regardless of test results, following a spike in the number of infections, military officials said.<br>Marcy Sanchez/DOD

Military in Europe mandates virus quarantine for troops arriving from US, with no exceptions

Troops coming to Europe from the U.S. have to quarantine for 14 days and can no longer test out of it, military officials said Friday as they moved to contain a “significant spike” in coronavirus infections among incoming forces.

Adm. James G. Foggo III shakes hands with Capt. Daniel Prochazka, the executive officer of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, on the flight deck in the Mediterranean Sea Dec. 9, 2019. Foggo relinquished command July 17, 2020, of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa.<br>Kaysee Lohmann/U.S. Navy
Adm. James G. Foggo III shakes hands with Capt. Daniel Prochazka, the executive officer of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, on the flight deck in the Mediterranean Sea Dec. 9, 2019. Foggo relinquished command July 17, 2020, of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa.<br>Kaysee Lohmann/U.S. Navy

With eye on China and Russia, Foggo relinquishes Navy command with call for new Europe strategy

NATO needs a new maritime strategy to deal with the resurgence of Russia’s submarine force and China’s emergence as a military factor in Europe, the outgoing U.S. naval commander on the Continent said.

A verified image of an improvised explosive device found in Tripoli that U.S. Africa Command says was introduced into Libya by the Wagner Group, a Russian-backed private military contractor.<br>U.S. Africa Command
A verified image of an improvised explosive device found in Tripoli that U.S. Africa Command says was introduced into Libya by the Wagner Group, a Russian-backed private military contractor.<br>U.S. Africa Command

Russian-supported mercenaries planting land mines, booby traps in Libya, AFRICOM says

AFRICOM says it has “verified photographic evidence” showing mercenaries connected to the Russian state-sponsored Wagner Group placing booby traps and mines in the outskirts of Tripoli and other areas.

Then-Acting Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy has lunch at a dining facility with soldiers from multiple units deployed to Powidz Air Base, Poland, in September 2017. McCarthy said during a July 15, 2020, call with reporters that details of a Pentagon plan to pull nearly 10,000 troops out of Germany will be disclosed in the coming weeks.<br>U.S. Army
Then-Acting Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy has lunch at a dining facility with soldiers from multiple units deployed to Powidz Air Base, Poland, in September 2017. McCarthy said during a July 15, 2020, call with reporters that details of a Pentagon plan to pull nearly 10,000 troops out of Germany will be disclosed in the coming weeks.<br>U.S. Army

More information ‘in the coming weeks’ on proposed Germany troop cuts, Army secretary says

Details on a Pentagon plan to cut nearly 10,000 troops from Germany will be disclosed soon, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said during a call with reporters.

Helicopters from the 101st Airborne Division Combat Aviation Brigade, from Fort Campbell, Ky., began arriving in La Rochelle, France on July 7, 2020, for the sixth rotation of Atlantic Resolve.<br>Benjamin Northcutt/U.S. Army
Helicopters from the 101st Airborne Division Combat Aviation Brigade, from Fort Campbell, Ky., began arriving in La Rochelle, France on July 7, 2020, for the sixth rotation of Atlantic Resolve.<br>Benjamin Northcutt/U.S. Army

US Army uses French port as new launch point for Europe mission

Dozens of U.S. Army helicopters began flights Monday from La Rochelle, a port in western France used during the Cold War that is now playing a key role in deploying soldiers to NATO’s eastern flank.

A U.S. Army tank maneuvers a trail at Drawsko-Pomorskie Training Area, Poland, in April 2020. Soldiers from 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, out of Fort Hood, Texas, are headed for Poland to participate in a Defender-Europe 20 exercise.<br>Brian K. Ragin Jr./U.S. Army
A U.S. Army tank maneuvers a trail at Drawsko-Pomorskie Training Area, Poland, in April 2020. Soldiers from 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, out of Fort Hood, Texas, are headed for Poland to participate in a Defender-Europe 20 exercise.<br>Brian K. Ragin Jr./U.S. Army

Fort Hood cavalry unit deploying to Europe for Defender drills

A Texas-based unit will deploy on short notice for drills in Germany and Poland, marking the final phase of the Army’s Defender-Europe 20 exercises, the service said Friday.

Spc. Thomas Ashworth, medical technician, uses a nasal swab to test a patient for coronavirus at the COVID-19 clinic at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, March 20, 2020. Stuttgart has seen a slight uptick in coronavirus cases due to people coming from the United States.<br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes
Spc. Thomas Ashworth, medical technician, uses a nasal swab to test a patient for coronavirus at the COVID-19 clinic at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, March 20, 2020. Stuttgart has seen a slight uptick in coronavirus cases due to people coming from the United States.<br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes

US arrivals bump coronavirus cases at some Europe bases higher

Summer is peak travel time for the military as troops and DOD civilians move to new assignments, and arrivals from the U.S. have accounted for some coronavirus cases on overseas bases.

Airmen assigned to the 301st Fighter Wing, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, prepare to launch F-16C Fighting Falcons at Campia Turzii, Romania, in May 2019.The Air Force has requested more than $130 million for renovations at the base, which could become a NATO hub in the Black Sea region.<br>Andrew Layton/U.S. Air Force
Airmen assigned to the 301st Fighter Wing, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, prepare to launch F-16C Fighting Falcons at Campia Turzii, Romania, in May 2019.The Air Force has requested more than $130 million for renovations at the base, which could become a NATO hub in the Black Sea region.<br>Andrew Layton/U.S. Air Force

Air Force wants to turn Soviet-era base in Romania into NATO Black Sea hub

The defense spending bill for 2021 includes $130.5 million to renovate Campia Turzii Air Base in what would be the biggest overseas military construction project under the Pentagon’s European Deterrence Initiative.

A 1,200-foot-long cable bridge stretches over a valley at Bad Wildbad, making it one of the Black Forest town's biggest attractions.<br>John Vandiver/Stars and Stripes
A 1,200-foot-long cable bridge stretches over a valley at Bad Wildbad, making it one of the Black Forest town's biggest attractions.<br>John Vandiver/Stars and Stripes

Bad Wildbad has more to offer than public nude bathing

The Black Forest town of Bad Wildbad is well known as a wellness getaway, and it’s where I experienced firsthand the German tradition of getting naked with strangers.

U.S. soldiers assigned to 1-10th Special Forces Group maneuver through a shooting range during a weapons training exercise at the Panzer Range Complex, in Boeblingen, Germany, in November 2016. The Army said on July 7, 2020, that it will pay $1.6 million to construct barrier walls at two open-air sites at the suburban Stuttgart firing range.<br>Jason Johnston/U.S. Army
U.S. soldiers assigned to 1-10th Special Forces Group maneuver through a shooting range during a weapons training exercise at the Panzer Range Complex, in Boeblingen, Germany, in November 2016. The Army said on July 7, 2020, that it will pay $1.6 million to construct barrier walls at two open-air sites at the suburban Stuttgart firing range.<br>Jason Johnston/U.S. Army

Army to pay $1.6 million to quiet noise complaints at Stuttgart area range

The U.S. Army says it will pick up most of the tab for a noise reduction project in the Stuttgart area aimed at quelling local anger over gunfire at ranges used by special operations units.

A U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade from Fort Hood Texas conducts a training flight in 2018 at Katterbach Army Airfield, Germany. The U.S. plans to sell Black Hawks to Lithuania, to bolster NATO capabilities in one of its most exposed regions.<br>Charles Rosemond/U.S. Army
A U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade from Fort Hood Texas conducts a training flight in 2018 at Katterbach Army Airfield, Germany. The U.S. plans to sell Black Hawks to Lithuania, to bolster NATO capabilities in one of its most exposed regions.<br>Charles Rosemond/U.S. Army

Lithuania to buy US helicopters to bolster NATO capabilities in Baltics

A $380 million deal would include six Black Hawks and related gear and weaponry, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said.

Passengers arrive at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in 2015. U.S. military personnel bound for assignments in Europe are not expected to be affected by an EU travel ban on Americans that took effect Wednesday, July 1, 2020, military officials said.<br>Michael Stuart/U.S. Air Force
Passengers arrive at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in 2015. U.S. military personnel bound for assignments in Europe are not expected to be affected by an EU travel ban on Americans that took effect Wednesday, July 1, 2020, military officials said.<br>Michael Stuart/U.S. Air Force

Troops, long-term residents exempt from EU coronavirus travel ban on Americans

Status of Forces and bilateral agreements with countries mean “we don’t anticipate any direct impacts on U.S. personnel,” U.S. European Command said.

The 2nd Cavalry Regiment rolls through Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany, after completing the Dragoon Ride, a 13-day long convoy that stretched across Eastern Europe, April 1, 2015. It is the only brigade-sized ground unit left in Germany and potentially could be part of President Donald Trump's plan to cut 9,500 troops in the country.<br>Stars and Stripes
The 2nd Cavalry Regiment rolls through Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany, after completing the Dragoon Ride, a 13-day long convoy that stretched across Eastern Europe, April 1, 2015. It is the only brigade-sized ground unit left in Germany and potentially could be part of President Donald Trump's plan to cut 9,500 troops in the country.<br>Stars and Stripes

ANALYSIS

Combat? Logistics? No easy answers on what troops to cut in Germany

Reducing the number of troops in Germany will likely bring added security risks and costs for U.S. taxpayers, former military officials and security analysts say.

President Donald Trump speaks to troops at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in December 2018. A bipartisan group of senators introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, to block Trump's plan to cut the number of U.S.troops in Germany.<br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes
President Donald Trump speaks to troops at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in December 2018. A bipartisan group of senators introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, to block Trump's plan to cut the number of U.S.troops in Germany.<br>Brian Ferguson/Stars and Stripes

Senators move to block Trump’s proposal to pull thousands of troops out of Germany

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced an amendment to next year’s national defense bill that would prevent President Donald Trump from withdrawing large numbers of troops from Germany.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt conducts a photo exercise with the Santa Maria-class frigate SPS Santa Maria, June 25, 2020. The Roosevelt, along with the submarine USS Indiana and two P-8A Poseidon airplanes, are participating in Dynamic Mongoose 2020, a maritime exercise that began June 29, 2020, in the north Atlantic.<br>Austin G. Collins/U.S. Navy
The guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt conducts a photo exercise with the Santa Maria-class frigate SPS Santa Maria, June 25, 2020. The Roosevelt, along with the submarine USS Indiana and two P-8A Poseidon airplanes, are participating in Dynamic Mongoose 2020, a maritime exercise that began June 29, 2020, in the north Atlantic.<br>Austin G. Collins/U.S. Navy

Allied subs, warships launch large underwater warfare drills off Iceland

Six allied states are testing underwater warfare skills and the ability of crews to evade detection in NATO’s Dynamic Mongoose exercise, the alliance said.

From left, the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, the French frigate FS Guepratte, the French amphibious assault ship FS Mistral and the Italian amphibious transport dock ship ITS San Giorgio sail in formation as part of a maritime training exercise, June 24, 2020.<br>Lenny Weston/U.S. Navy
From left, the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, the French frigate FS Guepratte, the French amphibious assault ship FS Mistral and the Italian amphibious transport dock ship ITS San Giorgio sail in formation as part of a maritime training exercise, June 24, 2020.<br>Lenny Weston/U.S. Navy

Russia turning eastern Mediterranean into a militarized hot spot, Navy’s Foggo says

The U.S. Navy’s top admiral in Europe warns that Moscow could cement its dominance in the region if it’s allowed to gain a foothold in Libya.

Soldiers with the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade march at Katterbach Army Airfield in Ansbach, Germany, in July 2019. President Trump says some troops currently in Germany could be moved to Poland.<br>Charles Rosemond/U.S. Army
Soldiers with the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade march at Katterbach Army Airfield in Ansbach, Germany, in July 2019. President Trump says some troops currently in Germany could be moved to Poland.<br>Charles Rosemond/U.S. Army

Trump says some US troops in Germany could move to Poland

President Donald Trump intends to cut 9,500 troops from Germany, which would reduce the number of service members in the country by nearly one-third.

Officer housing on Panzer Kaserne in Stuttgart, Germany. Army-owned and -leased housing in Stuttgart and Italy ranked 23rd and 24th, respectively, out of 26 sites examined in a quality survey conducted in the U.S. and overseas, a report released June 22, 2020 says.<br>U.S. Army
Officer housing on Panzer Kaserne in Stuttgart, Germany. Army-owned and -leased housing in Stuttgart and Italy ranked 23rd and 24th, respectively, out of 26 sites examined in a quality survey conducted in the U.S. and overseas, a report released June 22, 2020 says.<br>U.S. Army

Army housing in Germany and Italy gets failing marks in latest quality survey

Housing at two Army posts in Germany and Italy is “very poor” and in need of significant improvements, the results of a survey of Army families in the U.S. and overseas show.