Vice Chief of the Army and Acting Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Christopher C. LaNeve testifies on a panel in front of the House Committee on Appropriations at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., April 16, 2026. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Aaron Troutman)
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon informed Army senior leadership “just a couple of days ago” that it would be pulling troops out of a scheduled deployment beginning in Poland, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Acting Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Chrisopther LaNeve, told lawmakers today.
Earlier this week, reports began circulating that a memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth blocked the planned deployment of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division to Eastern Europe. The decision not to send the 4,000 troops comes on the heels of the announced withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany, amidst ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and America’s European allies.
LaNeve told members of the House Armed Services Committee today that he was in conversations over the last two weeks with US European Command head Gen. Alexus Grynkewich on the situation, but ultimately the order came from the Defense Department to pull the brigade.
