Poland-bound US tanks roll east in military signal to Russia

[angka]

Source: Stars and Stripes

U.S. soldiers offloaded scores of combat vehicles from ship to shore Sunday at the massive port here, pressing forward with one of the largest U.S. force movements in Europe since the end of the Cold War.

Some 2,500 pieces of gear belonging to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, including Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles, are bound for NATO’s eastern flank, making a 6,000-mile journey from Fort Carson, Col.

“Let me be very clear. This is one part of our efforts to deter Russian aggression, ensure territorial integrity of our allies and maintain a Europe that is whole, free, prosperous and at peace,” said Lt. Gen. Tim Ray, deputy commander of U.S. European Command, in remarks to reporters in Bremerhaven...

The arrival of the Fort Carson soldiers is the beginning of what is intended to be a continual, year-round presence of an armored brigade in Europe, with units conducting back-to-back nine-month rotations.

Read more: https://www.stripes.com/news/poland-bound-us-tanks-roll-east-in-military-signal-to-russia-1.447977

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[denbot]

1. May Peace prevail.

If not give hell, and lots of it!

[riversedge]

2. Well, hope Ruting gets the message.

[saidsimplesimon]

12. Not likely

rump lacks reading and comprehension skills. George Carlin is on my playlist.

[Hortensis]

6. Are you speaking of President Obama and our

top experts?

It might help you to know that Russia has always considered that its own security depends on its military control of all bordering nations--a constant existential threat to those dozens of nations. NATO has kept Russia from invading surrounding nations (much, at least) for half a century. And now Putin, and much of the Russian population, wants to restore the borders of the lost Soviet Union. Militarily, over the dead bodies of those who object.

Right now Russia is still a backwards, impoverished, underdeveloped, pissant, oversized plain with a GDP about half the size of California's, an authoritarian leadership, and an overdeveloped military. It would have nothing to offer its conquered neighbors, or the rest of the planet, but misery and further threat.

[saidsimplesimon]

13. Hortensis

Good response, thank you for the effort.

[pangaia]

14. Just to play devil's advocate, and as a little perspective,

the USA has military bases in 70 countries !

[Hekate]

16. Just for a little perspective, in how many countries have we expanded our own borders...

Which is what Putin is doing to very unwilling populations of the former Soviet Bloc.

[pangaia]

32. Yes. I know. You are, of course, obviously right about that.

But we also seem to have other ways of accomplishing the control we seek. Just to say that we are not totally innocent on the world stage.

[EX500rider]

18. Not really...

Only 11 countries actually house more than 1,000 U.S. military personnel and of overseas bases only 20 are listed as “large sites,” which means a replacement value of more than $1.74 billion. The US does have a Marine contingent in many countries as embassy guards and US troops training troops in many countries.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/ron-pauls-strange-claim-about-bases-and-troops-overseas/2012/02/08/gIQApZpqzQ_blog.html?utm_term=.e7ba0f474dc3

[cstanleytech]

19. Yes but in general when our leases are over with them and if the country they are in wont

renew them we leave we dont tend to then send our soldiers in out of uniform and claim they are local "rebels" and then annex part of a country.

[tavernier]

15. Thank you!

I have friends and relatives in Latvia and Estonia who have lived the Putin nightmare for years. They well remember what occupation under the Soviets was like, and they live in fear of its return.

[pangaia]

34. As do friends of mine in those same countries and others.

[uppityperson]

20. President Obama and his people are the "least among us"?

[uppityperson]

24. Who do, or did, support? And I disagree, Obama did well, given the opposition and the

alternatives, if even for the Iran deal.

He did a hell of a lot of good during his term, hardly "the least among us". That would go, IMO, for the party of No. Not president Obama.

[Hortensis]

38. I know you're sincere. But your post reminds me

of an explanation of how, as one expert on the far left and far right explained, they are very similar in most important respects but very different in a key few. A quick main difference by which one can tell the radical left from the right is that while the radical right hates everyone else, the left hates "itself." "Itself" being, of course, the rest of the left, their own nation, whatever they see themselves as part of--not literally themselves since intense righteousness and intolerance for the opinions of others are very strong characteristics of both the far left and the far right.

Seriously, Got it. I spoke of Russia. You ignored the imminent bloody threat that Russian aggression poses to many millions, including my three grandsons whom I hope will never see war, to instead focus on indicting our own imperfections. They're very real and there are times for that, but in this thread NATO tanks are rolling to PROTECT Poland from Russian invasion. NATO tanks are welcomed by Poland. Russian tanks are not.

[pangaia]

36. May I make the exception of St Petersburg, one of the world's great cultural centers.

[Hortensis]

39. Of course. And of other areas of Russia also.

But Russia's leadership and aggressive conservatives seek to expand its corrupt authoritarian control over other peoples, who also have their own special cultures.

[pangaia]

40. I agree with your perceptions, 100%

it's just that I LOVE St Pete.


Mariinsky Theaters, St Petersburg Philharmonia, Russian Museum, Hermitage, Alexandrinsky , Bolshoi, Alexandrinsky, Mikhaylovsky Theatre... and on and on.. It is like no other city on earth as far as culture is concerned.

Of course, some here will probably wack me for being "Pro-Ruussian."

[tavernier]

58. I won't wack you. St. P. is fascinating,

especially in the winter when the steam rises from the river and the heavy frost encrusts the bare tree branches and sparkles in the early sunlight.

I just never found the people to be particularly warm or happy. Considering the hardships and the insanity the citizens have suffered over hundreds of years, it is hard to imagine them walking around with a permanent smiley face. I just find it hard to figure out why they end up buying the same crap from the same liars over and over.

But then again...

[pangaia]

60. Oh the Neva in winter... !!!!

I was first there in Jan, 1985, still the USSR.. -25 F .. snow everywhere... Russian Christmas....--it was just stunningly gorgeous.. One night I shared 7 bottles of vodka in the then Europskaya Hotel with 5 Russian musicians and another American. We FINISHED all of it!!

Random thoughts-----

Strange, the last 2 times I was there were also in winter. Dec 2015 and Dec 21016.. went to the Mariisnky Concert Hall, and opera house, and other places.


" I just find it hard to figure out why they end up buying the same crap from the same liars over and over. "

Well, many for the same reasons so many Americans do.

My contacts, friends, acquaintances, are mostly classical musicians, a few dancers, etc...so that is perhaps a 'poor sampling.' They are, of course, highly educated, world traveled, etc. For example, the issue of Valery Gergiev is.,.. heh heh, always interesting if he comes up in discussion.

But, my experience has also been very positive with just the 'people on the street."

The politics of it all really are not so simple, as I am sure you can imagine.
Some of them ask why WE take the same crap over and over. :&gt )

I also have Russian friends in Finland and The Netherlands, and the UK.

Perhaps the hardship the Russians have suffered for so long is part of the reason for the exceptionally high quality of their art...


Last August I went sailing (first time for me) in the Lofoten Islands for 8 days on a 12m boat with 5 Russians, (4 ex-pats, and one from St Pete), and the Japanese wife of the captain. I always am able to learn more, get a little deeper inside the "Russian experience," if you will when with Russians I know.it was a wonderful week.....I will tell you, I generally love them dearly. even we agree/disagree on some things... or rather.. should I say we perceive things the same of differently depending which part of the elephant we are touching .

Oh, I barely said all I could say....

Cheers,

[stonecutter357]

9. This is terrible for putin and his puppet.

[m-lekktor]

22. Get with the program , Got It! USA USA USA !!

[Brother Buzz]

30. Speaking of the "The least among us"....

Are you suggesting we turn our back on NATO because "The least among us" are not paying their fair share?

[IronLionZion]

35. Trump knows what to do

Trump will be very friendly to Russia and Putin. Just you watch and see.

[mainer]

4. Any comment from Trump, yet?

Or will he just order them to retreat once he's in office?

[Hum]

7. Probably Tweeting an Apology to Vladdy Right Now

And he will with draw the troops after taking office. PLUS: He'll "atone" for hurting his boyfriends' feelings by inviting Russian forces in to replace them

[russellblogan]

5. Chess move - Obama?

Obama moves forces forward - retaliation to hack. Also to test DJT "posture" to Russia.

Putin must respond or look weak at home!!

[stonecutter357]

8. putin is week and full of shit just like don the con.

[Hekate]

44. Actually, Putin is strong and full of polonium. He has a lifetime's experience taking out enemies...

....and a lifetime's experience in authoritarian governance. He's not a communist; he's KGB through and through. Underestimate him at your peril. Trump is a drooling idiot next to Putin.

[notdarkyet]

53. Is this the time of our choosing?

I think there is lots going on we don't know. Scary, which is a word I have heard said a lot lately even from intelligence people in the news. If we charge rump with treason before he gets sworn in we don't have to take the rest of them. All suspected traitors or complicit. Bunch of people went to prison over watergate. Bush and Cheney would have if Obama hadn't pardoned them right away.

[left-of-center2012]

10. trump will bring them home n/t

[Roland99]

11. My daughter will be stationed in Baumholder in 2018 (from Ft Bragg currently)

Trump makes me very, very nervous!

[progressoid]

23. Damn.

[tavernier]

28. I bet she will love Germany

and the Eastern European countries are beautiful as well. So much for her to see and explore on her off time!

[Roland99]

56. She is definitely looking forward to leaving Fayetteville!

At first she thought she'd be at Ramstein but now it's Baumholder. And someone from her unit is heading there a few months prior so at least she'll know someone right off the bat. But, yeah, she's already talking train trips to Paris. heh.

Was going to plan a trip to Germany, Poland, Austria with my brother-in-law this year but that wasn't able to happen so perhaps next year and a trip to see my daughter!

[tavernier]

57. Paris is a cheap train trip away

not to mention the post card regions of Germany, Bavaria being quite close to where your daughter will be stationed. I think Germany is on my travel plan for next year as well... maybe I'll see you there!


Thank your daughter for her service. I had two air force kids, both stationed in the U.K. some years back. I missed my daughter especially during that time, but she loved it and traveled all over the place.

[Roland99]

59. Thanks...and will do!

[annabanana]

25. I gues it's kind of a "whose side are you on" moment

for der trumpf

[Jake Stern]

52. Nah. Trump will ink some sort of non-aggression pact with RasPutin

Then he'll go on TV to assure us that RasPutin has nothing but honorable intentions, therefore we can bring the troops home. Oh and those elections where ethnic Russians vote to join the Motherland are totally fair and aboveboard. *wink*

[tavernier]

27. Nothing on CNN, MSNBC. Interesting.

Oh wait, they've probably been told not to talk about it until Trump announces it in his 2 a.m. Tweet.

[ffr]

31. It's not pro-tRump, so no coverage. Simple. He pays the bills.

[Rex]

29. Time for Cold War II. We still have TRILLIONS to waste!

And we better get to wasting them fast, the common class is starting to catch on after 50 years of non-stop war!

[Hekate]

45. What is your recommended response to Russian aggression on the ground and in the cybersphere?

Putin is moving aggressively on nations with whom we have treaties, and he's actively trying to undermine and destabilize Western democracies, including ours.

Is this trivial to you? Should this be ignored? What is your recommendation? We are soon stuck with a fool for a CiC, but if we were not, then what?

[Rex]

46. Not build thousands of more nukes that will be totally useless?

You can be fooled into thinking Putin and Trump are not going to take their countries to the cleaners, not me.

[AgadorSparticus]

54. That is why they are moving troops. Not nukes.

Nuclear proliferation is yet to be seen. As of right now, it is just talk. We shall see...

I doubt anyone thinks that trump and putin are decent human beings.

[kimbutgar]

33. Will thump be ok with Putin's troops firing on ours?

[FairWinds]

37. Angka, thanks for posting this . .

how much coverage is it getting from the MSM?

checking . . . checking . .

Looks like yet another news blackout to me.

The American people really need to know what is being
done in their name.

[tavernier]

41. None that I've seen.

I refuse to watch fox, but nothing on the others.

[Quackers]

43. Operation Atlantic Resolve

https://www.defense.gov/News/Special-Reports/0514_Atlantic-Resolve

[inanna]

49. Thank you. n/t

[BadGimp]

47. feels like an alternate reality

[inanna]

48. Another source

January 9, 201711:06am

US tank brigade arrives in Europe to counter Russian aggression

THE United States has landed an armoured brigade in Germany in the largest reinforcement of Europe since the Cold War — even as President-elect Trump continues to defend Putin.

The US Army’s 3rd Armoured Brigade Combat Team, part of the 4th Infantry Division, began to arrive at the port of Bremerhaven at the weekend. Some 2800 Tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery and support vehicles — along with 3500 troops — have been rolling off the transport ships ever since.

<snip>

It’s the largest move so far in a troop redeployment announced in the middle of last year, intended to counter threats and intimidation from Moscow towards eastern European nations such as Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria and Sweden since it annexed Crimea in 2014.

The move brings the total number of US troops in Europe to almost 70,000. Britain has also in recent months sent a tank unit and 800 troops to Estonia. Further NATO forces, including a US helicopter regiment, are expected to deploy in coming months.

http://www.news.com.au/world/us-tank-brigade-arrives-in-europe-to-counter-russian-aggression/news-story/a4c72a6f945cee2291e235126648d2d7

[paleotn]

50. The Iron Brigade lives on....

Hat's off to the troops. They carry a time honored name.

[Jake Stern]

51. The table is now open to wagers

How long until the Trump DOD rotates them back home? I'm starting the betting at 6 months. Any takers?

[KG]

55. simple waste.