As published (Defense News - October 21, 2020) - Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Defense officials are looking at deploying U.S. soldiers closer to the Russian border after their departure from Germany are under consideration, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said.

In July, Esper announced the transfer of 12,000 troops, notably of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, the only brigade-size U.S. ground combat force in Europe, from U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria.

On Tuesday, he told a conference of the Atlantic Council that the regiment could maintain a presence in countries on NATO's eastern flank, adjacent to Russia, on a rotational basis.



"[Following] my recent meetings with the defense ministers from Romania and Bulgaria, and correspondence received from Baltic States, there is now the real opportunity of keeping the 2nd Cavalry Regiment forward in some of these countries on an enduring basis," Esper said.