613012020 Trump to Pull U.S. Troops Out of Germany | National News | US News Tater Trump to Pull 9,500 U.S. Troops Out of Germany, Pentagon Says After months of complaining that Germany has not done enough to contribute to Europe's defense, the White House is following through on its pledge to send U.S. forces elsewhere. By Paul D. Shinkman, Senior Writer, National Security June 30, 2020 President Donald Trump speaks to U.S. Airmen on Ramstein Air Base in Germany, in 2018. ti TIMOTHY MOORE/U.S. AIR FORCE/DVIDS hitpshwwwusnews.comnewsinational-newsiartcles/2020-06-30nrump-to-pulus-roops-outot-gormany 19‘sn0r2020 Trump o Pul U.S. Troops Out of Germany | Natal News |US News PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP on Tuesday approved a Pentagon plan to remove 9,500 troops from Germany and deploy them elsewhere, declining to provide more specifics on a massively consequential troop movement that has enraged leaders in Congress. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, presented the plan to Trump on Monday. The brie®ag followed through on a repeated threat frorn the president to withdraw Cold War-era U.S. military power from a country with whose government he has f led in recent years. Cartoons on President Donald Trump AAAKE AMERICA VENTILITE AGAIN / Wo (9 THAT THe LONE DERANGER/ The proposed move has raised alarm among congressional leaders who oversee military affairs. Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said the withdrawal would serve as a sign of "a weakened U.S. commitment to NATO" adding it “will encourage further Russian aggression and opportunism,” according to a letter he sent to Trump. hitpshwwwusnews.comnewsinational-newsiartcles/2020-06-30nrump-to-pulus-roops-outot-gormany 29sss02000 Trump © Pu US. Toop Ox of Germany| Notioo! News US News Troops in Germany not only serve as a deterrent to Russian aggression, but they also support a critical hub for global U.S. military operations. Germany is home to among America's largest air bases and serves as a key jumping-off point for flights to and from war zones in the Middle East, as well as a medical hub to treat those evacuated from conflict areas east of the Atlantic. [READ: Donald Trump Tells NATO Allies to Pay Up] Rep. Adam Smith, chairman of that committee, told reporters Tuesday morning after attending a briefing at the White House that Trump administration officials at that time had not explained why they wanted to withdraw resources from one of America's closest allies and what they planned to do with those troops. "| think it's appropriate for the moment to say, ‘Yeah, hold up. Until we know where you're going and what you're doing on this, we don't think it's a good idea," the Washington Democrat said Smith said officials at the White House briefing — originally to discuss reports Russia had employed a bounty program to pay Taliban militants to kill Americans in Afghanistan - indicated the forces would remain somewhere else in Europe, perhaps Poland. Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman downplayed those concerns Tuesday, saying in a statement that "the proposal that was approved not only meets the president's directive, it will also enhance Russian deterrence, strengthen NATO, reassure allies, hitpshwwwusnews.comnewsinational-newsiartcles/2020-06-30nrump-to-pulus-roops-outot-gormany a89072000 Trump t Pull U.S. Toop Oxt of Germany| Natona News JUS News improve U.S. strategic flexibility and U.S. European Command's operational flexibility, and take care of our service members and their families.” He did not offer specifics as to how the plan would achieve those aims. Hoffman said officials would brief the defense committees in Congress in the coming weeks. Esper and Milley are due before the House Armed Service.* Committee on July 9 in response to a previous request for testimony. Roughly 34,500 active duty U.S. troops are currently stationed in Germany. The planned reduction announced Tuesday would lower that to 20,000. [READ: Trump Attacks France, Germany While Praising Turkey at NATO Summit] Trump indicated over the summer he may redeploy some of those forces to Poland - a country whose leader the president has courted in recent months. Trump has drawn particular attention to Poland's compliance with a 2014 agreement among NATO countries that each spends 2 percent of its own budget on its own defense by 2024. Germany has increased its spending in recent years but is still below the 2 percent mark. Retired Navy Adm. James Stavridis, who previously served as the top military officer for NATO, said in an op-ed last week that pulling troops out of Germany would serve as a gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The Russian leader will use this sudden withdrawal to posture at home (‘the U.S. is afraid of getting into a war with Russia), within Europe (‘the U.S. really isn't committed to hitpshwwwusnews.comnewsinational-newsiartcles/2020-06-30nrump-to-pulus-roops-outot-gormany 49613012020 Trump to Pull U.S. Troops Out of Germany | National News | US News BRANDFUSE ‘ad content by MommyThing 35 Celebrities Who Now Support Trump Teena Coronavirus Bulletin Stay informed daily on the latest news and Email address advice on COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. YOU MAY ALSO LIKE The 10 Worst Pre: lents BRANDFUSE ad content by tradingbivd At 89, Clint Eastwood Now Sadly Lives In This Modest House [2 Cartoons on President Donald Trump Photos: Obama Behind the Scenes hitpshwwwusnews.comnewsinational-newsiartcles/2020-06-30nrump-to-pulus-roops-outot-gormany 69613012020 Trump to Pull U.S. Troops Out of Germany | National News | US News Photos: Who Supports Joe Biden? ‘Trump Cancels Rally in Alabama As Virus Spreads ABig Day for School Choi Photos: States Pause Reopening Consumer Confidence Rises in June hitpshwwwusnews.comnewsinational-newsiartcles/2020-06-30nrump-to-pulus-roops-outot-gormany 7613012020 Trump to Pull U.S. Troops Out of Germany | National News | US News Dems See Russia’s Hand Bounty Program Study: New Swine Flu Has Pandemic Potential Load More hitpshwwwusnews.comnewsinational-newsiartcles/2020-06-30nrump-to-pulus-roops-outot-gormany 89sss02000 Trump t Pull U.S. Toop Oxt of Germany| Natona News JUS News your defense’), and internationally in the Middle East and elsewhere (‘see how fickle the Americans are toward their supposed allies?’,’ Stavridis wrote in Bloomberg, “All of this is really not about Germany per se. It is about the commitment of the U.S. to its alliance structure in general and to Europe in particular.” “There are plenty of good reasons to keep our troops in Germany Se can't think of a single one that makes sense tc pull them out," he wrote. Paul D. Shinkman, Senior Writer, National Security Paul Shinkman is a national security correspondent. He joined U.S. News & World Report in 2012... READ MORE » Tags: Germany, world news, military, military bases, military strategy, Department of Defense, foreign policy, NATO When Should You Claim Social Security? Age 47 See How Claiming Earlier or Later Affects Your Annual income @ Benefit® $110,000 Gender @ @ Male Female AGE 62 $---- ‘Anticipating Living Into @ @ 70s C905 67 $---- Marital Status @ 70 $e Single Methodoloey Take The Next Step Geta clear view of how much you may need for retirement, how you're tracking towards that goal, and how Social Security fits into your overall plan. Visit Our Planning & Guidance Center hitpshwwwusnews.comnewsinational-newsiartcles/2020-06-30nrump-to-pulus-roops-outot-gormany 59613012020 Trump to Pull U.S. Troops Out of Germany | National News | US News PHOTOS AMERICA 2020 EVENTS x About Our M Contact Press se Newsletters Jobs SiteMap Store Copyright 2020 © U.S, News & World Report LP. Terms & Conditions/Privat alifornia Privacy Notice nia Do Not Sell My Persor information Request hitpshwwwusnews.comnewsinational-newsiartcles/2020-06-30nrump-to-pulus-roops-outot-gormany 99