Fort Trump? Maybe.
An armored vehicle and AH-64 Apache helicopters secure an area during an exercise at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland, on June 15. (Spc. Hubert D. Delany III/Army)
Mattis, Polish leaders talk possibility of ‘Fort Trump’
By: Kyle Rempfer
The possibility of a permanent U.S. military base in Poland moved a few steps forward this week.
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis met with his Polish counterpart Mariusz Blaszczak Tuesday to discuss Poland’s offer to spend $2 billion on a permanent base for U.S. troops and their families in the country. The base was jokingly called “Fort Trump” by Poland’s president after meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump.
“We are working out the details on what the offer is, what can best contribute to alliance unity, to alliance security and to the continued strengthening of the bilateral relationship,” Mattis told the press prior to his talks with Blaszczak.
Mattis also praised the Polish government for meeting NATO’s defense spending commitments prior to heading into discussions with other Pentagon officials to discuss the potential base.
“It’s obviously something we’ll discuss with all of the allies as well,” Mattis added. “We have a very strong bilateral relationship with the Polish military, and the minister and the ministry of defense, and we’ll further discuss it when we’re in Brussels with them.”
An F-22 Raptor from the 95th Fighter Squadron, 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., participates in a multi-aircraft flyover in Warsaw, Poland during the 100th Anniversary of Polish Independence and Armed Forces Day. (Senior Airman Joshua Magbanua/Air Force)
The details of Poland’s offer are still being worked out, Mattis said. He noted that officials are looking at what can best contribute to the NATO alliance’s unity and security, not just the U.S.-Poland bilateral relationship.
Trump is so deep in Putin’s pocket he’s contemplating a military base in an Eastern European country. One that shares a boarder with Ukraine. Got it.
The entire article may be viewed at The Military Times
Category: Foreign Policy
With less than 180 F-22s in service, it may be time for DOD/USAF to buy-in on the F-22/F-35 hybrid that Japan is working with Lockheed to build. About 500 to 600 of these in USAF inventory would be good…
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a19987214/what-japans-f-22f-35-hybrid-fighter-might-look-like/
Served with many Poles at Camp Victory and at Graf; I would have loved to serve a long tour in Poland, but I’m now retired, so that’s out…
Supported a unit of Polish engineers (yeah, I know)at Bagram 2002. Awesome troops, great to work with, we just kept getting nastygrams from DISA. They really liked their internet porn, and we didn’t have an efficient filter…
Yup. Group of Polish Air Force (base top cover) was behind us in the chow line at Al-Kut, when they happened to see my name tape. All kinds of international hilarity ensued for another 9 months, as I was systematically kidnapped 3 or 4 times a week, smuggled into their compound, and force fed delicious home cooking (I made sure to struggle a little), while getting to know a few members of GROM that were embedded with the Mi-24 teams.
Not saying I had anything to do with empty Vodka bottles.
Cue lib heads exploding in 3…2….1….
As posted re the girl Polish Soldier’s post the other day; yeah, would have a bunch of re-enlistees wanting to serve under them. Lib heads going all ‘splodey….you know it. Their opinion is Trumpster just wants to build another hotel and golf course and have US Troops for security when he and his buddies want to play a few rounds with Putin. Never got to cross the old curtain back when, but did serve with some former Polish Soldiers who had escaped before the Germans and Russians rolled over them. Why not build a post/base in a country that wants and appreciates us? Lord knows we built enough in places that don’t want us there. In my day, of all the European countries I was in, it seemed the only ones that really liked Americans were the Greeks, and most of those were the older generation. IMHO the only good any troops we would have in theater would just be a speed bump if the reds got serious. YMMV
How dare the U.S. Military be stationed in bases located in countries that don’t fucking hate us. How dare they.
Well, the libs don’t want them here either.
They seem at least appreciative and reliable, we could always use a few more like that. We have far too many of the other variety.
Maybe we could make nice with Macedonia, since they didn’t want “extra occupants” in their country and put up concertina wire to keep them moving north into Germany?
I think this is a good idea, and will pay dividends down the road. Of course, it takes money away from pet projects in San Fran and NYC that will only provide votes, but no security.
I think she’s Italian…
Not with an AK variant.
Believe that’s a Beretta AR-70. Sure as hell ain’t an AK variant.
OK, back in my swim lane.
The flag colors on her shoulder confirm.
Looks like an airborne insignia on the beret. I might actually jump from a perfectly good airplane if I got to follow that out.
Just as cold beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy, this struck visage is proof that Uncle AW1Ed loves us and wants us to be happy. This lovely Princess Warrior posted in spite of us getting all puppy tracked over several hemispheres, time zones, and zip codes on his FGS thread. If he was really mad this would have been a picture of SanFranNan, MaxiePad, or DiFi. Let’s raise a prost and give a big ol’ Hell Yeah in Thanks and in his Honor….Yowzir, Youzir, Yowzir! ps… Betcha IDCSARC is lurking close by.
If you don’t play nice I have a Chelsea Clinton in a swimsuit pic.
I have to view it over my shoulder with a shaving mirror.
I promise to MAKE them play nice, even if cthultapatooie shows up….No wait..doesn’t that constitute making terroristic threats. Never mind, not chancing it, we’ll play nice. (crosses fingers behind back and smirks as he spies the eyeball bleach and welding goggles)
Stop posting pictures of fat ugly old women.
If that’s supposed to be collusion with Russia, they’re doing it wrong…
Back in my first go-round of College, early eighties, I was on the Fencing team. Our coach was originally from Poland, having defected and obtained citizenship. Tough, crafty fencer. She would go back to Poland to visit kin, and screw with the border guards, coming and going. First, she would address them in Russian, implying that they were Russian (big time insult) or collaborators with Russia ( even bigger insult.) If they balked, she waved her US passport, dared them to try, and gave them even more crap in several languages. The Poles took on the Wermacht and the Red Army, and held them off for weeks, in what should have been a walkover. They just wouldn’t quit until they had nothing left but spit. Many of them fought to the death rather than quit. ( the Russians promptly massacred any surrendered officers, cadets, and any other potential resistance. Remember Katyn Forest.) You may recall it was Poland’s Jews that rose up in the Warsaw ghetto, fighting the Waffen SS to a standstill for -months-, starting with nothing but a handful of junk guns. Their counted coup is staggering. The SS eventually had to demolish the ghetto block by block. Some still escaped and fought on elsewhere. Today, Poland seems to be trying to single-handedly hold the line against both Russia and some prior barbaric problem children. At the rate the are building their forces, they may soon be the biggest effective force in Europe. Their stuff actually -works-, the are making sharp purchases, and they train hard. I have a sneaking hunch they are -exceeding- their 2% NATO goal, quietly and covertly. A review of their history is instructive. I think they have taken some of the lessons of the Warsaw Ghetto and of Israel to heart, and decided “never again” will they be doormat to outsiders. One might also remember the role a Polish Cardinal, later promoted, played in putting heart in the Solidarity movement, and the subsequent undoing of the Soviet Union when Poland and other former “satellite” states gave the Reds the finger. I guarantee you… Read more »
^THIS^….You damn Skippy 11B. They haven’t forgotten, and won’t forget. Unlike our school systems that run from teaching history, the Poles pound it in the young ones heads. We owe a lot to the Poles for our independence from Britain. How many Polish Officers and people were on G. Washington’s staff, or served in the Continental Army. Among others Count Pulaski, who died before Savannah. The example of the Polish people, and especially the Warsaw Jews, is what I’m speaking of in re the invading Central American Peoples. I don’t mind helping folks that will help themselves. I do mind having to help people that just want to “help themselves.” I’m of the opinion that any of us would do whatever we could to over throw an oppressive government.
Nicolaus Copernicus grins.
I am 50% Polish and 50% Irish as my grandparents came here in the early 1900s. My aunt and uncle went to Poland to search for any surviving relatives and were unable to find any. No one in my grandparents home town knew anything of our family. I would like to see this Fort Trump become a reality.
My LAR company was relieved by a Polish Motor Rifle Company; we shared the same patch of real estate on Dogwood during the turnover, as soon as they saw my name tape they all tried to speak Polish to me which was a miserable failure. I did get to maintain coalition cooperation by eating with them – although my platoon commander did caution me against partaking in the vodka ration; I accepted only in the interest of not offending my hosts. I say if the Poles want us in Poland and willing to help bear the cost, do it. That would be a tour I would have dreamed of when I was in.