Gates considers delaying drawdown in Europe

Soldiers of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment prepare their 300 Strykers for an Iraq deployment at the Army training area in Grafenwoehr, southern Germany, earlier this year. The Army is considering a plan that would delay a drawdown in Europe, even increasing the size of the Grafenwoehr base.



Gates considers delaying drawdown in Europe
By Jim Tice - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Nov 21, 2007 19:56:12 EST

A proposal strongly endorsed by Army leaders that would keep four brigade combat teams in Europe, rather than two, continues to be analyzed by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and his staff.

“The secretary has not made any final decisions with respect to the issue of brigades,” said Bryan Whitman, Pentagon spokesman.

Speaking at a Nov. 21 press briefing, Whitman denied that Gates has approved a plan to halt the drawdown of Army forces in Europe, as reported in New York Times the same day.

The plan was proposed by Gen. Bantz Craddock, commander of U.S. European Command, and Gen. David McKiernan, commander of U.S. Army Europe.

Craddock, who also is senior commander of NATO forces, officially requested the freeze this past summer when he and his staff determined that a tactical force of 40,000 soldiers and four brigade combat teams should be maintained in Germany and Italy.

Under a plan launched three years ago, and subsequently supported by the Base Closure and Realignment Commission recommendations of 2005, USAREUR is on a glide path to reach an end state of 28,000 soldiers in two to three years. When the drawdown began, there were 62,000 soldiers in theater.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/11/army_europe_071121w/