US Pauses Germany Troop Withdrawal Plans

The US President has tasked Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III to conduct a Global Posture Review of American forces that will see the planned troop withdrawals from Germany come to a halt.

In a speech on Thursday, Joe Biden said the aim is for the country’s military footprint to be "appropriately aligned" with their "foreign policy and national security priorities".

Last summer, then-President Donald Trump announced his administration would withdraw more than 9,000 troops from Germany.

However, President Biden has stated: "While this review is taking place, we'll be stopping any planned troop withdrawals from Germany."

The UK decided in 2013 to bring home soldiers across multiple units from Germany, leading to developments in locations, including Salisbury Plain and Catterick, as part of the Army Basing Programme.

The British Army still maintains a training presence in the central European country, with the remaining elements of UK personnel in Germany mainly located in Paderborn.

Following Biden’s announcement, the American Secretary of Defense said that after conducting a global force posture review, he will pass on his advice to the President on how to "best allocate military forces in pursuit of national interests".

Mr Austin remarked that the US will consult allies and partners as the review takes place, saying that "no-one succeeds at this business alone".

"From Afghanistan and the Middle East, across Europe, Africa and our own hemisphere, to the wide expanse of the Western Pacific, the United States stands shoulder-to-shoulder with allies old and new, partners big and small," he said.

In January, the Lords International Relations and Defence Committee urged the Government to press the Biden administration to maintain an international military presence in Afghanistan until an agreement is reached.

In the same month, the US announced that the number of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq had been reduced to 2,500 in each country.

The UK ended combat operations in Afghanistan in 2014, but still has 1,000 troops deployed on a NATO military training mission in the country.

Similarly, the British Army website states that 400 UK military personnel are deployed to Iraq in a non-combat role, providing training as part of a global coalition against the so-called Islamic State.