“Atlantic Resolve” mission: US military can activate up to 3,000 reservists for European operations

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It is necessary to strengthen active forces to carry out the “Atlantic Resolve” mission, according to an order signed by President Joe Biden on Thursday (local time). The U.S. military launched the mission after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 with the stated goal of strengthening NATO allies by rotating combat-ready units to NATO’s eastern flank.

The European Command of the US Armed Forces (EUCOM) said after the president’s order that this would not change the strength of US troops in Europe. It’s not about additional troops, Lieutenant General Douglas Sims said in an interview with reporters. Instead, reservists could in the future take over tasks previously performed by military personnel in an active unit. It was not clear whether this meant that the reservists could serve as a kind of replacement for active military personnel in Europe. The US Department of Defense also said it was ultimately at the discretion of the Eucom commander how to use the new powers.

Lieutenant General Sims said the move underlined the US’s continued support and commitment to the defense of NATO’s eastern flank following Russia’s “illegal and unprovoked war against Ukraine”.

The news magazine “Politico” wrote after the announcement that the move indicated how much the US Army’s training mission in Europe and the deployment of several new brigades after the Russian invasion of Ukraine demanded of the active forces. The Washington Post came to a similar conclusion.

(SDA)

Source: Blick