In a significant shift of military strategy, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has called off two planned military deployments to Europe and initiated the withdrawal of some personnel already stationed there. This decision follows President Donald Trump’s vocal critique of European allies’ support, according to two defense officials familiar with the matter.
The cancellation includes the 2nd Armoured Brigade Combat Team from the 1st Cavalry Division, which was scheduled for a rotational deployment through Poland, the Baltic states, and Romania. This move, outlined in a memo signed by Hegseth, affects personnel already present in Europe, who must now return to the United States.
In addition to the brigade, the memo terminated a future deployment to Germany of a battalion adept in launching long-range rockets and missiles. The directive also calls for the removal of a command unit that oversees these capabilities from Europe, as reported by the defense officials.
This strategic decision appears to address the logistical complexities involved with a swift withdrawal of permanently stationed troops in Germany, particularly those with families settled there, while still aiming to reduce overall troop numbers in Europe.
The halted deployment affects approximately 4,700 soldiers from the brigade combat team and over 500 soldiers from the long-range rocket and missile battalion, highlighting the scale of this realignment effort.
There are roughly 4700 soldiers in the brigade combat team whose deployment to Europe has been cancelled, and over 500 soldiers in the long-range rocket and missile battalion, one of the defence officials said.
As of 2025 there were roughly 38,000 US troops in Germany, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, and 80,000 troops in Europe overall.
