Army Establishes First Permanent Garrison on NATO’s Eastern Flank

 

by Kyle Anzalone | Mar 21, 2023

The U.S. Army officially opened its first permanent military garrison on NATO’s eastern flank in a ceremony on Tuesday. 

The North Atlantic alliance views its eastern flank as eight nations that stretch from the Baltic to Black Seas. All counties were formerly members of the USSR or Warsaw Pact. The Army’s V Corps will now have a lasting presence at Camp Kosciuszko in Poland. 

The V Corps Commanding General, Lt. Gen. John Kolasheski, explained the garrison is an example of the U.S. deepening its military commitments in Eastern Europe. “The relationship of the U.S. and Poland serves as an example of the deepening ties throughout the alliance.” He said, “today’s activation ceremony is a tangible reminder of the growth in our relationship.”

As the Soviet Union crumbled, Western leaders made assurances not to expand NATO into former USSR states or establish bases in Eastern Europe. However, after the George H.W. Bush administration made those guarantees to Moscow, all other American presidents have violated the pledge and pushed NATO’s military installations closer to Russia’s borders. 

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak described the garrison as “historic.” “We have been striving for this for years – for this word ‘permanent’ – and it has now become fact.” He continued, “this is a historic moment, a sign that the United States is committed to Poland and NATO, and that we are united in the face of Russian aggression.” 

Currently, the Pentagon has two officers stationed at Camp Kosciuszko and 200 additional troops at the base on a rotational basis. As Washington typically keeps about 10,000 troops in Poland, Artur Kacprzyk, an analyst at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, noted the significance of the new garrison “is primarily symbolic.”

Poland has been a key hub for the Western states organizing weapons to send to Ukraine. While Camp Kosciuszko is not located near the border with Ukraine, an American diplomat explained the garrison is there to confront Russia. Mark Brzezinski, the US Ambassador to Poland, said the garrison shows “the United States is committed to Poland and the NATO alliance, and that we are united in the face of Russian aggression.”

https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/army-establishes-first-permanent-garrison-on-natos-eastern-flank/

About Kyle Anzalone

Kyle Anzalone is news editor of the Libertarian Institute, opinion editor of Antiwar.com and co-host of Conflicts of Interest with Will Porter and Connor Freeman.