In the future, the US Department of Defense can activate up to 3,000 reservists for deployment in Europe. According to an executive order signed by President Joe Biden, it is necessary to strengthen the active armed forces to carry out the “Atlantic Resolve” mission.
The US Army launched the mission after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 with the declared aim of strengthening NATO allies by rotating combat-ready units to NATO’s eastern flank.
Possible tasks
The European Command of the US Armed Forces (EUCOM) said after the President’s order that this would not change the US troop strength in Europe. It is not about additional forces, said Lieutenant General Douglas Sims in an interview with reporters. Rather, reservists could in future take on tasks that were previously performed by soldiers in an active unit.
The communications director of the US government’s National Security Council, John Kirby, clarified that the reservists were primarily intended for activities in administration, logistics and supplies. “The kind of jobs that you need to support and maintain a large troop presence over a long period of time,” Kirby told Fox News. The US currently has more than 80,000 troops in Europe.
Lt. Gen. Sims said the executive order underscored US unwavering support and commitment to defending NATO’s eastern flank in the wake of Russia’s “illegal and unprovoked war against Ukraine.”
The news magazine “Politico” wrote after the announcement that the move indicated how much the US military’s training mission in Europe and the deployment of several new brigades after the Russian invasion of Ukraine demanded from the active armed forces. The Washington Post came to a similar conclusion.
