The Army will not rotate tank brigades to South Korea starting this fall, the service acknowledged in a press launch Thursday afternoon.
As an alternative, the Army will now rotate a Stryker brigade fight group to Korea each 9 months. It would additionally keep the prevailing armored brigade fight group’s price of tanks and tools on the peninsula in an analogous method to the pre-positioned tank shares in Europe that allowed a tank brigade to quickly deploy out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, in response to Russia’s renewed invasion of Ukraine.
Eradicating the rotational armored brigade is the most recent step in a gradual drawdown of American floor firepower on the peninsula, too, though a everlasting air cavalry squadron was activated there in Might.
Earlier than it was deactivated in 2015, the 2nd Infantry Division’s 1st ABCT “Iron Brigade” was completely stationed there. Within the years since, the Army has maintained a rotational tank brigade dedication — till now.
Decreased OPTEMPO for ABCTs?
The change to Strykers can also be a tacit acknowledgement that the service’s armored brigades could also be overcommitted after the Ukraine disaster led the Army to extend its European armor dedication from one brigade fight group to 3.
At a March city corridor with relations of the third Infantry Division’s 1st ABCT, which had simply deployed to Europe lower than six months after coming back from a Korea rotation, Sergeant Main of the Army Michael Grinston acknowledged “how this math goes.”
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Power construction knowledgeable Mark Cancian of the Middle for Strategic and Worldwide Research assume tank informed Army Instances in March that except the service decreased its commitments, “the [operational tempo] can be very extreme.”
Eradicating the Korea ABCT rotation will probably ease a few of that stress on the service’s tank power, shopping for time for items to modernize their tools in between rotations.
The Army’s 11 ABCTs would have confronted a big problem trying to proceed manning the Korea rotation along with three brigades in Europe, although it’s nonetheless unclear whether or not the service shall be required to take care of its present posture in Europe.
An Army spokesperson didn’t instantly reply to a question in search of clarification on the service’s commitments after President Joe Biden introduced adjustments to Europe power posture on Wednesday.
Davis Winkie is a senior reporter overlaying the Army, specializing in accountability reporting, personnel points and navy justice. He joined Navy Instances in 2020. Davis studied historical past at Vanderbilt College and UNC-Chapel Hill, writing a grasp’s thesis about how the Chilly Conflict-era Protection Division influenced Hollywood’s WWII films.
