President Biden Calls Up Reserves for Eastern Flank Rotations

On 13 July 2023,President Joseph R. Biden called up Selected Reserves and certain Individual Ready Reserves in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.Said Director of Strategic Communications for the National Security Council Rear Admiral John Kirby,US Navy retired,in a briefing for reporters at The White House:This basically is a realization of the fact that the President knows that the security environment in Europe has changed.We've got to make sure that we've got the proper force posture to support an Eastern Flank presence for the long-haul.*Since Putin's full scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022,the US has added 20,000 additional troops to Europe,bringing the total to over 100,000.So the President's move is aimed at sustaining that momentum over time.Said President Biden in a Breifing Room notice of Presidential Actions:By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America,including sections 121 and 12304 of title 10,United States Code,I hereby determine that it is necessary to augment the Active Armed Forces of the United States for the effective conduct of Operation Atlantic Resolve in and around the United States European Command's araea of responsibility.*The President went on to stipulate that his execuitve order for the deployment of Reserves may not exceed 3,000 total members at any time,of whom not more than 450 may be members of the Individual Ready Reserves.The President signed his order Joseph R. Biden Jr.,The White House,July 13,2023.*It will be recalled that Operation Atlantic Resolve resulted from Russia's hybrid invasion of Ukraine in 2014,including the illegal annexation of Crimea,Ukraine and the establishment of renegade provinces in the Donbas Region of Ukraine.Operation Atlantic Resolve was intended to reassure our NATO Allies of our intent to help them defend Europe and deter Russian aggression against NATO.According to Lt.Gen. Douglas A. Sims II,US Army,Joint Staff director of operations,Operation Atlantic Resolve has been upgraded to a contingency operation.This new designation benefits troops amd families with increase in authorities,entitlements and access to the reserve component forces and personnel.So the reservists will receive the pay and support of Active Duty personnel.Added Lt.Gen. Sims:This reaffirms the unwavering support and commitment to defend NATO's Eastern Flank in the wake of Russia's illegal and unprovoked war on Ukraine.*Part of the reasoning behind the call-up is the shortfalls in military recruitment across all six Active Duty Armed Services,especially the US Army,that has been experienced recently.The Army is offering a 50,000 dollar bonus for a six-year commitment.

Amid Ukraine war, Poland becomes critical U.S. ally by Alan Dowd - The American Legion

Amid Ukraine war, Poland becomes critical U.S. ally: After Warsaw’s repeated warnings of Russian aggression, the two nations cement defense ties.

Operation Atlantic Resolve:Substantial Land Forces Augmenting European Defence

A hefty amount of land warfare capability is currently being rotated into Europe,according to U.S. Army Europe and Africa.It is the Ninth Atlantic Resolve rotation of Soldiers and equipment,this time from the US Army 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team,4th Infantry Division,out of Fort Carson,Colorado.The equipment began arriving in March 2022 at ports in Denmark,Greece and the Netherlands.Soldiers began arriving this month.The deployment consists of about 4,000 Soldiers;90 M-1 Abrams tanks;15 Paladin 155mm self-propelled howitzers;150 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles;500 tracked vehicles and 600 wheeled vehicles;plus other equipment.* Atlantic Resolve began in April 2014 in response to Russia's first invasion of Ukraine,in which it annexed Crimea and instigated conflict in the Donbas Region of Eastern Ukraine.The four types of Atlantic Resolve rotations are:armored;aviation;sustainment task force;and division headquarters,currently staffed by 3rd Infantry Division in Poznan,Poland.These units,which maintain a constant presence on the European continent,conduct bilateral,joint and multinational training and security cooperation activities across more than 12 nations,our Allies and Partners in Europe.* The purpose of Atlantic Resolve is to deploy combat-ready forces into Europe as evidence of the United States' strong and unremitting commitment to NATO and Europe by building readiness,increasing interoperabilty and enhancing the bonds between Ally and Partner militaries.It is funded by the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI).At any given time,around 7,000 Soldiers are regionally allocated to Atlantic Resolve.

How advanced are Russian preparations for an incursion into Ukraine?

Unsafe Interaction:US Navy Criticises Russian Intercept

On 5 November 2018,a Russian fighter jet conducted an intercept of a US Navy SIGINT plane,drawing a critical response from the Navy.According to a news release from US Naval Forces Europe and Africa/US 6th Fleet,a Russian Su-27,NATO code name "Flanker,"intercepted a US Navy EP-3 Aries over international waters of the Black Sea:
The interaction was determined to be unsafe due to the Su-27 conducting a high speed pass directly in front of the mission aircraft,which put our pilots and crew at risk.The intercepting Su-27 made another pass,closing with the EP-3 and applying its afterburner while conducting a banking turn away.The crew of the EP-3 reported turbulence during the first interaction,and vibrations from the second.The duration of the intercepts was approximately 25 minutes.*
In conclusion,the Navy stated:
Unsafe actions increase the risk of miscalculation and potential for midair collisions.
The US aircraft was operating in accordance with international law and did not provoke this Russian activity.*
The EP-3 Aries is a Lockheed Martin turboprop aircraft based on the EP-3 Orion maritime surveillance aircraft.It was perhaps collecting SIGINT from Russian military activity in or near Crimea,Ukraine,which has been intensifying for the past five years.The classified missions of the EP-3 Aries are mainly conducted in high threat environments where long-range standoff capability is desirable.
The EP-3 Aries is the Navy's only land-based SIGINT platform.*
Lockheed Martin (LMT)

US Army Europe:Russia's Current Posture and NATO's Response

On 9 December,Lieutenant General Ben Hodges,commander,US Army Europe,briefed reporters at the Pentagon on the current situation in Eastern Europe.The Russian snap exercises,there's never an observer there,said LTGEN Hodges.We kind of find out about them when they're happening.And so that kind of capability that they have,where you could show up at a training area in Kaliningrad or Belarus,or both at the same time,you could see that's a threat or concern that we have because of the lack of transparency.The Russians can operate on their interior lines and quickly shift forces around,so all the exercises conducted by the US and its NATO allies place a heavy emphasis on speed:the speed to recognise a potential crisis;speed to act politically;and speed of assembly and movement of troops to the point of crisis by road and rail.Speed and proper execution of operation also would depend on interoperability among all the US allies,so that's the focus of training and exercise.*
Russia hasn't allowed independent monitoring of the Minsk agreement to determine their compliance with it.Since September,there have been several cease fire violations and Ukrainians have been killed.Russia has pulled back a lot of heavy equipment from the border area,but the infrastructure remains in place and Russia could quickly ramp up if they wanted to.
In Crimea,Russia has 25,000 soldiers,a credible air defence and its Black Sea fleet which is capable of blocking US and ally access to the Black Sea where Romania,Bulgaria,Turkey and Georgia are located.
Moving westward,Russia has a significant naval and ground force in Kaliningrad,a wedge of land between Lithuania and Poland.That force could effectively cut off access to the Baltic area.Russian officials have talked about Denmark,Sweden and Romania in terms of being nuclear targets-an irresponsible use of words-so you can see why our European allies are nervous.
NATO allies are working on speed of response.The US is contributing a rotational brigade out of Fort Stewart,Georgia to the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force.About 1300 vehicles such as tanks and howitzers are set up in Romania,Bulgaria and Lithuania-the European Activity Sets-to increase speed of response.By September 2016,the US expects to add sites in Poland,Estonia and Latvia;and in Hungary by 2017.*
In Western Ukraine,about 400 US troops are training and equipping Ukrainian soldiers as part of Joint Multinational Training Group Ukraine,which also includes British,Lithuanian and Canadian trainers,LTGEN Hodges noted.*
The second phase of this US Fearless Guardian Mission to train and equip Ukrainian forces began in late November.The effort will help Ukraine better monitor and secure its border;operate more safely and effectively;and preserve and enforce its territorial integrity,said Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis,US Navy.Up to five battalions of Ministry of Defence personnel and one battalion of Special Operations Forces are being trained in this phase.The US had previously trained Ukrainian national guard forces.
About 300 US soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade are doing the training.Ministry of Defence Training is at the International Peacekeeping Centre at Yavoniv;and Special Operations Forces training is at Khmelnitsky,CAPT Davis added.