Drawdown in Europe: What Does It Mean.

摘要

In an age of austerity requiring hard fiscal decisions, the current geopolitical framework supports the new U.S. defense focus on Asia and the Middle East while rebalancing forces in a safer more secure Europe. The rebalance of forces in Europe still provides a strong commitment to NATO through reversibility, a better response to current security needs emanating from European challenges and threats, and committing a Brigade Combat Team to the NATO Response Force. While this promotes partnership building and interoperability, it focuses almost solely at the tactical level of brigade and below. In order to improve partnership building and interoperability, the United States should conduct command post exercises with our European Allies at the division and corps level, allow Allies to provide units and staff to our regional aligned brigades, increase personnel exchange programs, offer key developmental billets from brigadier general to major in European based U.S. commands and units, and collaborate with our European Allies on security cooperation activities.