U.S. To Place Tanks And Armored Vehicles In Europe
[su_right_ad]In 2015, the United States will put 150 tanks and armored vehicles in Europe for the use of American forces.
Some of the tanks and vehicles – enough to equip an armored brigade – could be placed in Poland, Romania or the Baltic states, Lieutenant-General Ben Hodges, commander of the U.S. Army in Europe, said in a telephone interview with Reuters from Wiesbaden, Germany.
Hodges said a proposal to have a U.S. brigade rotate to Europe was first made two years ago, before the crisis over Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region.
That meant a U.S. armored unit was already in the pipeline to come to Europe earlier this year, when it was needed as part of U.S. measures to reassure eastern European allies in response to the Ukraine crisis, he said…
The United States has sharply cut its forces in Europe since the Cold War. It now has about 30,000 troops there plus a similar number of Air Force, Navy and Marine personnel, Hodges said.
Despite budgetary pressures in the United States, Hodges said he hoped U.S. soldiers and bases in Europe would remain at their current levels for now.[su_csky_ad]
tiredoftea December 31st, 2014 at 12:12 am
“The United States has sharply cut its forces in Europe since the Cold War. It now has about 30,000 troops there plus a similar number of Air Force, Navy and Marine personnel, Hodges said.”, so 120,000 military in Europe for what, exactly? We don’t need to defend Europe from itself or an imaginary threat from Russia. European countries, including Britain, can defend themselves with the U.S. in a backup role.
We can stop being the world’s policeman and the world’s most belligerent country and use this wasted money here for infrastructure repair, investment in schools and many other more important things.
mea_mark December 31st, 2014 at 9:19 am
It’s not a bad idea to have some hardware in place, just in case though. Russia could quickly destabilize and become a country with rogue military leaders. If Russia does collapse, I would be very happy if we had some of the hardware in place. Those tanks and things don’t get over there very quickly.
fahvel December 31st, 2014 at 12:52 pm
neither russia or china are any kind of military threat – thjese nations are confronting the moneyed in the usa and there’s the rub.
mea_mark December 31st, 2014 at 1:37 pm
That is why we only need one brigade worth of hardware. The only real threat is small and likely to come from some rogue general in Russia. This is something really practical and not something designed to feed the MIC or defend the plutocrats in America.
tiredoftea December 31st, 2014 at 2:25 pm
As if we have none there now!
fahvel December 31st, 2014 at 12:51 pm
you sound so sensible fatigued one – such simple logic will not prevail with what Eisenhower said should be avoided though – bonne chance!
tiredoftea December 31st, 2014 at 2:26 pm
Yeah, no one remembers that speech that coined the term “military industrial complex”. It is here with a vengeance!
rg9rts December 31st, 2014 at 9:10 am
Cheaper to move them there than bring them back from Afghanistan
fahvel December 31st, 2014 at 12:49 pm
not really – the loss will be immense.
eyelashviper December 31st, 2014 at 11:42 am
Better there than in podunk towns across the US..
fahvel December 31st, 2014 at 12:49 pm
keep the crap ev!
eyelashviper December 31st, 2014 at 5:10 pm
How about this, a win win for all:
http://believeinplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/December-Series-1-Swords-into-Plowshares.jpg
fahvel December 31st, 2014 at 12:48 pm
we don’t need your f’n stuff on a soil that has been already bathed in blood for 1000+ years. It’s bad enough that McDonalds and coke are here – Yankee, go home!
fancypants December 31st, 2014 at 9:28 pm
it seems to be a coincidence ?
http://www.alan.com/2014/12/31/report-white-house-using-kissinger-to-reach-out-to-putin/