Biden signs injunction
3000 US reservists can be transferred to Europe
07/14/2023 04:28 am
US President Biden gives his military the authority to mobilize thousands of reservists to reinforce a mission on NATO’s eastern flank. The reservists are probably not supposed to reinforce the actual troops. Nevertheless, according to US media, the step indicates a high burden on the military.
In the future, the US Department of Defense can activate up to 3,000 reservists for deployment in Europe. According to an executive order signed by President Joe Biden, it is necessary to strengthen the active armed forces to carry out the “Atlantic Resolve” mission. The US Army launched the mission after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 with the declared aim of strengthening NATO allies by rotating combat-ready units to NATO’s eastern flank.
The European Command of the US Armed Forces (EUCOM) said after the President’s order that this would not change the US troop strength in Europe. It is not about additional forces, said Lieutenant General Douglas Sims in an interview with reporters. Rather, reservists could in future take on tasks that were previously performed by soldiers in an active unit. It was not clear whether this meant that the reservists could serve as a kind of relief for active soldiers in Europe. The US Department of Defense also said it was ultimately up to the Eucom commander how to use the new powers.
Lt. Gen. Sims said the move underscored US unwavering support and commitment to defending NATO’s eastern flank in the wake of Russia’s “illegal and unprovoked war against Ukraine.”
The news magazine “Politico” wrote after the announcement that the move indicated how much the US military’s training mission in Europe and the deployment of several new brigades after the Russian invasion of Ukraine demanded from the active armed forces. The Washington Post came to a similar conclusion.