By Zachary Cohen
WASHINGTON — (CNN) Four thousand US soldiers have arrived in Germany as part of permanent troop rotations to Europe that the Pentagon said are meant to send a clear message to one country in particular: Russia.
“Russia as you know with their incursion into Ukraine, that’s something that has a lot of our allies and partners concerned,” Pentagon Spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters on Monday. “Being able to demonstrate tangibly our commitment to their defense is an important element of our overall collective defense in Europe.”
Deployed from Fort Carson, Colorado, the 3rd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division arrived in the city of Bremerhaven on Sunday, along with 2,400 pieces of military equipment that included tanks, armored fighting vehicles, artillery, trucks and containers.
The equipment will be moved to Poland, where it will be dispersed across seven locations in Eastern Europe for training and exercises with European allies.
The Armored Brigade Combat Team will serve as part of a rotation of American military assets in the region and is part of an effort to demonstrate America’s “rock solid” commitment to its European allies in the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intervention in Ukraine, according to US European Command Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Tim Ray.
Deploying the troops and military hardware is the latest in a series of moves by the US to ramp up its land, sea and air presence in Europe.
“Let me be very clear: This is one part of our efforts to deter Russian aggression, ensure the territorial integrity of our allies, and maintain a Europe that is whole, free, prosperous and at peace,” Ray said. “We are invested … from infrastructure upgrades across the continent to airfields and ranges. We’re also prepositioning supplies and equipment, and exercising with our Allies and partners.”
In addition, the US plans to increase the “scope and complexity” of its training exercises in the region, focusing on cooperation with allied forces, missile defense and crisis response operations.
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