The United States response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will include troops stationed at Georgia’s Fort Stewart, according to the Pentagon.
President Joe Biden announced during a Thursday press conference that 7,000 troops will be moved to Germany in response to the attack. A Pentagon press officer confirmed to States Newsroom that the majority of the troops deploying will be from Fort Stewart’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.
Biden said the troops will help defend NATO territory, not fight in Ukraine.
“Our forces are not and will not be engaged in a conflict with Russia in Ukraine. Our forces are not going to Europe to fight in Ukraine, but to defend our NATO allies and reassure those allies in the east. As I’ve made crystal clear, the United States will defend every inch of NATO territory with the full force of American power.”
Details on the timing of the deployment have not yet been made public.
According to 11Alive, members of the Georgia Air National Guard’s 165th Airlift Wing in Savannah deployed to Europe Feb. 16 on a mission that includes supplying logistical support and military aid.
Fort Stewart is located in Hinesville, southwest of Savannah, and is the largest Army installation east of the Mississippi River, according to the USO, is home to about 21,000 service members, 29,500 of their family members and employs 3,500 civilians.
According to Military Times, the troops of the combat team will be joined by supporting fires and transportation units, and once they arrive, there will be 14,000 U.S. troops mobilized in Europe in response to the attacks on Ukraine, in addition to 80,000 already based there.
Armored Brigade Combat Teams include three infantry battalions, an armed reconnaissance cavalry squadron, a field artillery battalion, a brigade engineer battalion and a logistics support battalion. It is unlikely they will bring heavy armored vehicles to Europe, the Military Times reports. As of November, the Army had 12 active and 5 National Reserve Armored Brigade Combat Teams.
The 3rd Infantry Division was activated in 1917 during World War I, where it earned the nickname “Rock of the Marne” for holding a defensive position along the Marne River in France against German forces.
The division has since deployed to conflict zones around the world, including Europe in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. According to the USO, the 3rd Infantry Division is the most decorated infantry division in the Army with 56 Medal of Honor recipients among its ranks.
This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with Georgia Recorder.
