The Department of War has canceled the deployment of a U.S. Army armored brigade to Poland, marking another major step in President Donald Trump’s broader effort to scale back America’s military footprint in Europe and push NATO allies to shoulder more of their own defense burden.
The canceled deployment involved the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division, a force of more than 4,000 troops known as the “Black Jack” brigade, which had already begun preparations for a nine-month rotation to Poland and other NATO eastern-flank nations, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday night.
The move comes just weeks after the Pentagon announced plans to remove 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, with Trump later signaling that the cuts would go much deeper.
“We’re going to cut way down, and we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000,” Trump told reporters earlier this month.
Trump has long argued that wealthy European allies have relied too heavily on American taxpayers for their defense while failing to meet NATO spending commitments.
His administration’s National Defense Strategy emphasizes that European nations should take “primary responsibility” for conventional defense on the continent while the U.S. shifts greater attention to homeland security and the Indo-Pacific.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly accelerated the drawdown timeline, surprising some military officials who expected a slower, more deliberate restructuring process, the Journal reported.
Some brigade equipment and personnel reportedly were already en route when the deployment was halted.
The brigade recently held a deployment ceremony at Fort Hood, Texas, where Maj. Gen. Thomas Felty said armored deployments send a “clear and unmistakable signal” to adversaries.
Despite concerns among some NATO officials, Polish leaders quickly sought to reassure the public that the cancellation did not signal weakening U.S.-Poland ties.
Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said the decision “does not concern Poland” and instead reflects broader force adjustments elsewhere in Europe, Stars and Stripes reported.
“The rapidly developing capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces and the presence of U.S. forces in Poland strengthen NATO’s eastern flank,” he wrote on X.
Poland has become one of Washington’s closest European allies and has aggressively increased defense spending in response to Russian aggression following Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Trump recently praised Poland and suggested he might consider relocating some American troops there from Germany.
“Poland would like that. We have excellent relations with Poland. I have excellent relations with President [Karol Nawrocki]. Remember, I endorsed him, and he won – even though he was trailing badly, he still won. He’s a great fighter, a terrific guy, I like him a lot, so it’s possible … I might do it,” Trump said last week.
The latest moves would bring U.S. troop levels in Europe roughly back to pre-Ukraine war levels.
The Pentagon has already reversed Biden-era plans to station long-range missile units in Germany and last year ended a rotational combat brigade mission in Romania.
The administration has also hinted that additional troop reductions could eventually affect Spain and Italy.
By Charlie McCarthy | Thursday, 14 May 2026 08:22 AM EDT
