{"id":47140,"date":"2021-01-28T12:32:07","date_gmt":"2021-01-28T12:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/01\/28\/secdef-says-germany-is-highly-valued-station-for-american-troops\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T14:07:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T14:07:17","slug":"secdef-says-germany-is-highly-valued-station-for-american-troops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2021\/01\/28\/secdef-says-germany-is-highly-valued-station-for-american-troops\/","title":{"rendered":"US defense secretary says Germany is \u2018highly valued\u2019 station for American troops"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BERLIN \u2014 Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Germany\u2019s Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer in his first conversation with her since taking up his new post that Germany is \u201chighly valued\u201d as a station for American soldiers, the Defense Ministry said Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, then President Donald Trump ordered the reduction of the U.S. military contingent stationed in Germany<\/a> by more than 25 percent and the Pentagon has been studying how that could be done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

German officials have hoped that order will be rescinded by the new administration, and the German Defense Ministry said that in his call with Kramp-Karrenbauer on Wednesday, Austin \u201cemphasized that Germany is highly valued as a station and that American soldiers feel very comfortable here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe U.S. continues to consider its presence in Germany as an important part of joint security,\u201d the Defense Ministry said in a readout of the call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 34,500 U.S. troops are stationed in Germany, which includes key American military facilities like the Ramstein Air Base and the headquarters for U.S. European Command<\/a> and U.S. Africa Command<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DoD spokesman John Kirby said Austin \u201cexpressed his gratitude to Germany for continuing to serve as a great host for U.S. forces, and expressed his desire for a continued dialogue on U.S. force posture in Germany.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two officials also discussed a range of other issues including NATO cooperation, and the security situations in Afghanistan and Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kirby said Austin wanted to \u201creinforce the value the United States places on the bilateral defense relationship with one of our closest NATO Allies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Trump announced his order to reduce troops in Germany in late July, then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper said some of those units could begin moving within \u201ca matter of weeks.\u201d But so far, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment<\/a>, AFRICOM and EUCOM headquarters and others are still in Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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U.S. Soldiers assigned to 4th Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment, 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), emplace an M119A3 Howitzer during Saber Junction 20 (SJ20) at Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, Aug. 15, 2020. Saber Junction 20 is a 7th Army Training Command-conducted, U.S. Army Europe- directed annual exercise designed to assess the readiness of the U.S. Army\u2019s 173rd Airborne Brigade to execute unified land operations in a joint, combined environment, and to promote interoperability with participating allies and partner nations. This year\u2019s exercise will take place primarily at 7ATC\u2019s Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels Training Areas in Bavaria. U.S military forces stationed in Europe routinely conduct these types of exercises with allied and partner nations to enhance interoperability and readiness.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lawmakers at the time questioned the wisdom of such a move and suggested it would be unlikely to survive should Trump lose the election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do believe that if there\u2019s a change in the administration, that this will not happen,\u201d Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., told Military Times on Oct. 15 during a press call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weeks later, Gallego and his colleagues passed their version of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act<\/a>, which includes a provision that no troops be removed from Germany until the Defense Department submits a detailed timeline and financial plan for the withdrawal, then carries out a waiting period of 120 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\t