US demonstrates readiness to reinforce NATO battlegroup in Poland

The United States has shown its ability to rapidly deploy reinforcements to the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group in Poland, expanding its capabilities from a battalion to a brigade-level element. This advancement aligns with NATO’s new Force Model, designed to strengthen the Alliance’s unified response, and is in line with the 2022 NATO Summit’s decisions.

At the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, all Allies committed to the deployment of additional robust, combat-ready forces on NATO’s eastern flank. The goal is to scale up from the existing battlegroups to brigade-size units, when and where necessary. This commitment is backed by credible, rapidly available reinforcements, prepositioned equipment, and an enhanced command and control system.
NATO hand-over take-over ceremony during the Griffin Shock exercise in Bemowo Piskie training area. Multinational Corps Northeast Commander, German Army Lt. Gen Jürgen-Joachim von Sandrart, and Multinational Division-Northeast Commander, Polish Army Maj. Gen. Zenon Brzuszko, signed the Transfer of Authority protocol.

The milestone was marked with a hand-over take-over ceremony during the Griffin Shock exercise in Bemowo Piskie training area, on Saturday, May 13, 2023. The Multinational Corps Northeast Commander, German Army Lt. Gen Jürgen-Joachim von Sandrart, and the Multinational Division-Northeast Commander, Polish Army Maj. Gen. Zenon Brzuszko, signed the Transfer of Authority protocol. This ceremony demonstrated the readiness of the United States, the framework nation for Poland, to swiftly upgrade the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group.

Maj. Gen. Brzuszko emphasized the significance of exercises like Griffin Shock. “Exercises, such as Griffin Shock is an opportunity to conduct high-end and realistic live training, test and validate current and future interoperability and capabilities as well as refined tactics, techniques and procedures. Through such trainings we can demonstrate commitment to our collective contribution to regional stability and security,” he said.

The exercise saw participation from over 3,000 soldiers from five NATO countries – Croatia, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States.

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