The Trump administration is moving to reduce the number of US troops in Europe by canceling planned deployments and pulling back some personnel already assigned to the continent. The changes, ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, are aimed at trimming force levels after repeated criticism from President Donald Trump about Europe’s level of support.
One of the biggest changes affects the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division, which had been set to rotate through Poland and other countries, including the Baltic states and Romania. According to two defense officials, Hegseth signed a memo that stopped the deployment, and some soldiers from the brigade who were already in Europe will now have to return to the United States.
What was canceled
The same memo also scrapped a future deployment to Germany of a battalion specialized in firing long-range rockets and missiles. That unit, the 3rd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, had been expected to arrive later and eventually be stationed in Germany in the years ahead, based on prepared Defense Department talking points reviewed by CNN.
The memo went further by directing that a command in Europe tied to those long-range strike capabilities be removed from the continent. Together, the moves point to a broader effort to scale back US force presence while avoiding a faster, more disruptive withdrawal of units already stationed overseas.
Why the Pentagon is doing it
Defense Department talking points connect the decision to frustration with Europe, especially Germany. The material says European nations “have not stepped up when America needed them” and calls recent German rhetoric “inappropriate and unhelpful.”
“The President is rightly reacting to these counterproductive remarks,” the talking points say. They also argue that the move will “help restore readiness” and make clear that Germany and other allies must take primary responsibility for Europe’s defense.
The shift follows Trump’s criticism of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who had said the US was being “humiliated” by Iran. Trump has also repeatedly criticized NATO countries for not taking part in the Iran war, adding to tensions over burden sharing within the alliance.
How the drawdown may work
The cancellation of scheduled rotations appears to be one way to lower troop numbers without immediately uprooting large numbers of permanent personnel and their families from Germany. Officials said that could reduce logistical complications while still bringing overall levels down.
The brigade combat team whose deployment was canceled includes roughly 4,700 soldiers, according to one defense official. The long-range rocket and missile battalion includes more than 500 soldiers, the same official said.
That approach matters because the US has a large military footprint in Germany that is not easy to unwind quickly. As of 2025, Germany hosted roughly 38,000 US troops, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, and about 80,000 US troops were stationed across Europe.
Congress reacts with concern
The decision has already drawn criticism on Capitol Hill. The Republican chairmen of the House and Senate Armed Services committees said they were “very concerned” about the planned reduction in troops in Germany.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the cancellation of the Poland deployment “came as a surprise.” She added that, “As far as I know, we weren’t notified about it,” and called the move “very short sighted.”
Shaheen said the decision sends “the wrong message — wrong message to Vladimir Putin, wrong message to China, wrong message to Iran.”
The broader security backdrop
US military officials continue to warn that Russia remains a serious threat to the United States and its allies in Europe. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, commander of US European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, told lawmakers that Russia “is an enduring regional challenger, capable of threatening the US homeland.”
He also said Russia still has the ability to threaten US interests through its nuclear stockpile, asymmetric capabilities, and conventional forces on land, in the air, and at sea. That assessment gives the troop cuts added weight, because it shows the drawdown is happening even as military leaders publicly describe the security environment in Europe as unsettled.
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