US 173rd ABCT Deploying To Baltic Region

Library image of US 173rd ABCT 'Sky Soldiers' photographed in an urban environment off Hohenfels Training Area in Germany [© Bob Morrison]

President Joe Biden has ordered the US 173rd ABCT usually based in Italy to the Baltic Region to help shore up regional defences.

US DoD News, Washington DC, 22 February 2022: President Joe Biden ordered US troops already based in Europe to shore up the defences of nations bordering Ukraine.  Biden directed Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III to move forces within the US European Command’s area of operations to the Baltic Republics, Poland and Ukraine’s southeastern flank. The forces will move within a week, DOD officials said. 

The deployment follows Russia’s renewed invasion of eastern Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s mobilisation of forces all along the borders of Ukraine.  Austin has ordered an infantry battalion task force of about 800 soldiers to deploy from Italy to the Baltic region. He also approved the movement of up to eight F-35 Lightning II aircraft from Germany to operating locations on NATO’s eastern flank. Twenty AH-64 Apache attack helicopters will also deploy from Germany to the Baltic region and 12 Apache helicopters will move from Greece to Poland.  

US 1st Air Cavalry Brigade AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters currently based in Germany will deploy forwad into the Baltic Region [© Carl Schulze]

“These additional personnel are being repositioned to reassure our NATO allies, deter any potential aggression against NATO member states, and train with host-nation forces,” DOD officials said in a written statement. All forces are under the command of Air Force Gen. Tod D. Wolters, the commander of US European Command.  Officials said the moves are temporary.  

These moves are the latest in a series designed to reassure the frontline states. The United States sent 1,000 soldiers from a Stryker squadron from Germany to Romania. An 82nd Airborne Division infantry brigade combat team will be deployed to Poland from Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Company-sized Stryker units will deploy to Hungary and Bulgaria.   In addition, Austin ordered 8,500 service members to a heightened state of readiness should NATO activate its Rapid Reaction Force. 

Overall, there are about 90,000 US service members based in Europe. 