Scaparrotti lobbies for permanent armored brigade in Europe
Just three years ago, we talked about the last US tanks leaving Germany for the first time since they rolled over the bridges into Germany in 1945. Yesterday, General Curtis Scaparrotti, this administration’s nominee to be NATO commander, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the US needed a permanent armored brigade to properly meet our commitments to our allies in Europe in the face of a Russian threat, according to Reuters.
Scaparrotti told lawmakers a resurgent Russia was displaying “increasingly aggressive behavior that challenges the international norms, often in violation of international law.”
Asked about U.S. forces in Europe, he said a permanent U.S. armored brigade would be better at deterring Russia than the current rotational presence.
The United States began reducing its presence in the region several years ago due to big cuts in defense spending, replacing permanent units with rotations of troops that traveled to Europe for training.
Army forces will rotating into Eastern Europe for nine months at a time leaving the equipment for the unit that rotates behind them. That’s supposed to save money somehow. An armored brigade would be little more than a speed bump for the Russians – but it’s the best idea that we can afford at the moment.
Category: Army News
Common sense indicates that three or four armored divisions might actually deter the Russians, especially given the abysmal state of our NATO allies’ forces. A single brigade? Comrade Vlad will continue doing his thing without a single fuck to give.
A couple of Armored Corps with nuke assets worked pretty good for 45 years….
Plus the advantage we had of training on the same land that would be the battlefield.
During Desert Storm it was the US Soldiers in the green BDUs that the Iraqis most feared. You “almost senior” folks will understand that.
Oh the good old days.
The NATO allies’ forces are in the shape they’re in because we’re the mercenaries they hire to protect them. Maybe they need to put on their big boy and girl panties and decide if they really want to be sovereign nations or not.
Europe is currently being invaded but it’s not by Russia.
Word. And why we continue to focus on the Russians, the Chinese, the Norks, and everyone else except the real threat is beyond me.
The beer is better in Europe…
They’re all ‘real threats’. We concentrate on one to the exclusion of all others, some or all of them hand us our heads, and we deserve it for having tunnel vision.
Remember back in the day when our Doctrine was to be able to fight and win in Europe AND Asia?
Nobody else does either…
Perhaps the new doctrine is to be able to lose in Europe AND Asia?
When Russia finally invades, they will call it a “liberation”.
Depending on how long they wait, this may be in fact correct.
Has Anyone considered that an administration like our current one will only commit forces to the “defense of Europe” after a major social change occurs (Red flag, Green flag, or Black flag), not the current situation.
Now what was the “Plan” for the armored brigade in the Fulda Gap again? Oh yeah, scrap pile and surrender. This is what happens when Senior Military Commanders have no Historical knowledge, experience, or training. I wonder why they could be important?
but they are becoming experts on climate change !!!!!!
Not sure what you mean by this- the plan for the Seventh Army and it’s NATO allies was to kick ass.
The 11th ACR was one of the most powerful fighting forces in the world- with almost the combat power of an Armored Division concentrated in one Regiment. The Blackhorse was fully prepared, as was it’s sister regiment (the 2nd ACR).
These two ACRs were the forward elements of two Army Corps, V and VII, both of which were fully manned with two divisions and all sorts of functional brigades.
Behind that we had III Corps with 3 divisions and XVIII Corps with another three ready to roll within 24 hours notice.
This isn’t even counting the Air Force and Allied assets in Europe.
Our equipment was and is better, our training is and was better, and our troops are and were better.
In other words, the plan was not to become a scrap pile and surrender. Our equipment was and is better, our training is and was better, and our troops are and were better.
I think he’s talking about the plan for the brigade that Scaparrotti wants. A single brigade can only do so much.
Yep. The ACRs were basically pocket Divisions that could AND would hold the line until the CORPs got into the fight. No surrender on this side…
Allons!
it’s amazing how how congress gives Obummer over a trillion dollars to spend this year.. but not one penny goes to the military at a time with all these crisis WTF……
is wrong with RYAN and MCCONNELL. !!!!!!
they didn’t have any issue at all cutting my retirement ether a few years back
what’s next for these clowns ?????
We can’t relocate an armored brigade to Europe until they complete their SHARP training!
What is wrong with you folks?
Gheeezz…
I’m putting you in for an ARCOM!!!
Let’s see: substitute an arrogant ass named Putin for Stalin, put USSR in place of Russia, an we’re right back at the start of the Cold War. He’s already cozied up to Cuba and Castro, just like Nikita Krushchev. What’s next? Missile bases in Cuba?
Maybe it’s time to show the little kiddies in school now what it’s like to live in or near a target city like I did.
Deja vu all over again.