Chairmen of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees Release Statement on U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Germany

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Representative Mike Rogers, R-Ala., Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement:

"We are very concerned by the decision to withdraw a U.S. brigade from Germany. Germany has stepped up in response to President Trump's call for greater burden sharing, significantly increasing defense spending and providing seamless access, basing, and overflight for U.S. forces in support of Operation Epic Fury.

The reality remains even as allies move toward spending 5% of GDP on defense, translating that investment into the military capability needed to assume primary responsibility for conventional deterrence will take time. Prematurely reducing America's forward presence in Europe before those capabilities are fully realized risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin.

Rather than withdrawing forces from the continent altogether, it is in the US interest to maintain a strong deterrent in Europe by moving these 5,000 US forces to the east. Those allies there have made substantial investments to host U.S. troops, reducing costs for the U.S. taxpayer while strengthening NATO's front line to help deter a far more costly conflict from ever beginning.

Finally, any significant change to U.S. force posture in Europe warrants a deliberate review process and close coordination with Congress and our allies. We expect the Department to engage with its oversight committees in the days and weeks ahead on this decision and its implications for U.S. deterrence and transatlantic security."