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Enhanced Forward Presence

Monday, September 25, 2017

What is it?

NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) mission is an allied, forward deployed defense and deterrence posture in Eastern Europe. The intent of this mission is to protect and reassure NATO’s Eastern member states of their security.

NATO has created four multinational battlegroups located in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, to be manned by forces on a rotational basis. These battlegroups –led by the framework nations of the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and the United States respectively– are robust, multinational, and combat-ready, demonstrating the strength of the transatlantic bond.

What is the Army doing?

The U.S. Army has taken the lead for the U.S.-led Battle Group Poland and will be located near the city of Orzysz, Poland. The Battle Group has around 1,270 personnel from the U.S., Romania and the United Kingdom, and was stood up in April of this year. The majority of the assigned personnel are from U.S. Army Europe’s 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment.

What continued efforts are planned for the future?

The Battle Group will remain in place in Orzysz, Poland, as a part of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence mission. In the fall of 2017, the first rotation of forces will occur when 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Romanian, and U.K. forces assigned to the Battle Group rotate out and are replaced by new units from those nations. Additionally, Croatia will assign new Soldiers to the Battle Group, bringing additional capabilities with them.

The U.S. will continue to lead the Battle Group along with the Canadian-led Battle Group Latvia, the German-led Battle Group Lithuania, and the United Kingdom-led Battle Group Estonia.

Why is this important to the Army?

The Enhanced Forward Presence provides a stronger military presence in the Black Sea Region in order to deter any future Russian incursions into Crimea and Ukraine. The U.S. Army-led Battle Group Poland is a part of NATO’s important mission to deter future aggression in the region and participate in the collective defense of the nation’s allies.

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