The US Army Europe and Africa Command (USAREUR-AF) has announced the planned relocation of US military personnel and equipment from the Jasionka airport near Rzeszów to other locations in Poland. The airport was the most crucial supply hub since the start of the Russian aggression in Ukraine.
As highlighted in a statement published on the command’s website, the relocation is “part of a broader strategy to optimise US military operations, improving support to allies and partners while increasing efficiency”.
The statement also notes that the decision “reflects months of assessments and planning” that were conducted in coordination with Polish hosts and other NATO allies.
“United States Army Europe and Africa announces the planned repositioning of U.S. military equipment and personnel from Jasionka, Poland, to other sites in the country. This transition is part of a broader strategy to optimise U.S. military operations, improving the level of support to Allies and partners while also enhancing efficiencies,” the statement says.
It also wrote that “Poland and its allies will maintain a strong protective infrastructure around this critically important facility”.
“Poland is a great host. In the past few years, we have moved to more permanent facilities in the country,” said Gen. Christopher Donahue, commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa.
“After three years at Jasionka, this is an opportunity to right-size our footprint and save American taxpayers tens of millions of dollars per year,” the commander added.
“We are deeply grateful to the city and people of Jasionka for warmly welcoming American personnel and high-level visitors over the past three years. Your support has exemplified the close ties between our nations and enhanced the strength of our U.S.-Poland partnership. As we adapt to evolving needs, this transition allows us to sustain our close cooperation while using resources more efficiently,” said U.S. Embassy Poland Chargé d’Affaires Daniel Lawton.
President Andrzej Duda, during a visit to Estonia, sought to reassure allies and the public that recent movements of US military personnel and equipment from Jasionka Airport in southeastern Poland do not signify a withdrawal of American forces from the country.
His statement was echoed by Poland’s Ministry of Defence, which clarified that the US troops were merely being redeployed to other locations within Poland as part of routine operational adjustments.
At present, approximately 84,000 US troops are stationed across Europe. This includes around 10,000 in Poland, 37,000 in Germany, and 13,000 in Italy. However, the re-election of President Donald Trump has reignited concerns about the long-term American military presence on the continent, particularly in light of his previously expressed scepticism towards certain NATO commitments.
American troops have been stationed across Europe since the end of the Second World War, with their numbers ebbing and flowing in response to global tensions and strategic needs. At the height of the Cold War in the late 1950s, US military personnel on the continent numbered around 475,000, playing a pivotal role in NATO’s defence posture against the Soviet Union and the broader Warsaw Pact alliance.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the United States bolstered its presence by deploying an additional 20,000 troops. Since then, the size of the US force in Europe has varied in line with operational requirements, rotational schedules and joint military exercises. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the contingent has, at times, reached as many as 105,000 personnel during this period.
The US also maintains control over several nuclear arsenals based in Europe. Approximately 100 B61 gravity bombs are stored in facilities across Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany and Turkey. These weapons remain under strict American control and cannot be deployed without authorisation from Washington.
In addition, the US operates more than 40 military bases on European soil, the majority of which are located in Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. These installations house permanent forces that regularly participate in exercises alongside NATO allies. Complementing these are rotational deployments, such as NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) on the Alliance’s eastern flank. Established in 2017, the eFP sees multinational battlegroups—including US troops—stationed in Poland and the Baltic states, reinforcing NATO’s commitment to collective defence.
Source: PAP
Photo: X @InsiderGeo
Tomasz Modrzejewski
