House Armed Services Committee members criticized Pentagon officials Wednesday over the Trump administration’s plans to reallocate about 12,000 troops from Germany to other assignments, saying they weren’t satisfied with the reasons given for the decision.
President Donald Trump announced the plan to remove the troops in June following Germany’s announcement that it would renege on a pledge to increase military spending to 2% of gross domestic product by 2024.
Committee chairman Adam Smith, a Democrat from Washington, denounced Acting Defense Undersecretary for Policy James Anderson for not providing information on the origination of the idea.
“The level of detail that we're getting here is just not acceptable,” Smith said.
Shortly after the plan was announced, National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien wrote in The Wall Street Journal the purpose was strategic, being more “forward and expeditionary,” in order to counter China and Russia.
Republicans also criticized the plan, which would cut the U.S. military presence in Germany by about a third.
"From a lay person's point of view, it looks like we've reduced our troop presence in Europe at a time that Russia is actually becoming more of a threat,” said Rep. Bradley Byrne, a Republican from Alabama. "It looks like we're pulling back and I think that bothers a lot of us.”
Among the troops being moved is the U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart. A new location has not been selected but the Pentagon said options include elsewhere in Europe and the United States.
Defense One said the House members a in a briefing indicated to them that the only reason the Pentagon was moving the Africa Command was to increase the number of troops to be removed from Germany.
Anderson said he couldn’t provide the cost benefits to the move.
"I don't have those details, but I'm confident that we will find operational efficiencies,” Anderson said.
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