Most people think that you join the military for a term of 2, 3, or 4 years. What people who haven’t served in the US military usually don’t know is that everyone really signs up for 8 years. What people think of as their 2, 3, or 4 year ‘hitch’ is merely the active duty part of their contract. You can begin serving that active duty part of it immediately, or you can wait up to 12 months to report. That’s in your contract as well. When you are done with that active duty commitment, what happens to the time that is left?
The military owns your ass for it, that’s what. If they want you to come back, you come back. That is exactly what is happening to 450 unlucky people this month as Biden issues orders to call up 3,000 reservists, up to 450 of whom can be people who recently thought they were done. Where are they headed, you ask?
Europe, to join the other 100,000 troops already there. Gotta be ready for Biden’s big war in Ukraine. They are going to use the catchy name from 2014- Operation Atlantic Resolve. Can’t kill thousands of people in a military adventure without a catchy name.
Biden’s boys are careful to mention that the troops aren’t going to the Ukraine. Nope, they are joining the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team. The base that the brigade is operating from is called Camp Herkus:
I’m sure that you won’t be surprised to find out that this camp is in Pabrade, Lithuania. Now Pabrade is just 3.5 miles from Lithuania’s border with Belarus. That also places them less than 400 miles west of the suburbs of Moscow, and 110 miles from the eastern end of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia. The red pin is where the Brigade is based:
When you find out that the US opened the base in August of 2021, then remember that the US started moving troops into Europe at about the same time, and you can begin to understand why the Russians finally decided to get pissed off and invade Ukraine six months later. How would Americans react if the Russians decided to place an armored brigade 100 miles from the Canadian border? Perhaps Putin isn’t the dictatorial asshole he is being painted as?
Consider that an Armored Brigade Combat Team is what used to be called a heavy armored brigade. The armored brigade combat team (ABCT) is the army’s primary armored force, and is the largest brigade combat team formation with 4,743 soldiers. An ABCT includes 87 Abrams, 152 Bradley IFVs, 18 M109s and 45 armed M113 vehicles. It is a formidable unit, and carries a lot of firepower, all of it on the northern border with Belarus.
On the western border with Belarus is Poland. What’s there, you ask? The US First Army, with the potent V Corps has its headquarters there.
As a part of the enhanced Forward Presence (eFP), four NATO multinational battalion battlegroups are stationed in Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. On the eve of the summit, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, in addition to expanding the high readiness force with 40,000. up to 300 thousand soldiers announced to increase the potential of the battle groups to the level of brigades.
Last month, Poland began moving elements of its 12th and 17th Mechanized Brigades to its eastern border with Belarus. These are the same brigades that were just upgraded to the Abrams.
With tens of thousands of NATO troops massing on the border, it makes sense that the Russians are putting tactical nukes in Belarus.
Biden is pushing for a war with Russia, and Russia will have little choice but to use nuclear weapons in the face of division sized armored forces pushing towards his capitol city. If the US does the stupid thing, there is little chance of avoiding the use of at least a few tactical nukes.
I am old enough to remember when the Democrats were opposed to nuclear war.
37 Comments
Joe Blow · July 19, 2023 at 5:53 am
I agree we are being marched into war.
I disagree on the canned sunshine. 1, the wind blows from west to east, spreading radiation all over, mother russia. 2, tit for tat. So long as Vlad stays conventional, the war mongers have to pull a false flag. Not that they won’t, just saying. I don’t think he will flip that switch, the US will try some underhanded sloppy half-assed way, like a small dirty bomb and claim it was a ruskie nuke that failed to reach criticality. Just by coincidence, it happened to contaminate the land all those biolabs were on, so now thats a no-go zone. Wouldn’t that be convenient?
… I hate the feeling of helplessness. I can’t grab my rifle and make a difference by myself (not that good a shot!), and organizing against the tyrants lands you in jail or dead. My sons will get drafted into this war and I feel so helpless. Its maddening (thats the goal).
Divemedic · July 19, 2023 at 7:00 am
Putin will have a grave choice. Watch as columns of M-1 Abrams roll across Belarus and can’t be stopped by conventional means, or touch off a few tactical nukes to gut the armored spearhead. I believe that he will use the nukes once it becomes evident that the ground war is lost. We know for a fact that this was Soviet and US doctrine during the Soviet era.
Joe Blow · July 19, 2023 at 9:11 am
I understand where you’re coming from. Experiences in Ukraine have made me question conventional assumptions. A few Sarmats at the depot would fuuuuuck things up, and patriots cant stop them.
wojtek · July 19, 2023 at 12:03 pm
M1s will be stopped by things much more prosaic that most people can imagine: bridges.
Anonymous · July 19, 2023 at 9:56 am
If only we had some sort of software that would go far beyond telephone trees, and allow us to contact millions of ordinary people who could democratically express their objections to being pushed into a war
The Inukshuk · July 19, 2023 at 6:42 am
You mention Kaliningrad. 99% of people have no clue was this oblast is. It could very well be the grenade pin that starts the kinetic war going global.
Joe Blow · July 19, 2023 at 9:12 am
Arch Duke who from where?
Zarba · July 19, 2023 at 7:48 am
The Russians won’t go nuclear. If the US (and a few NATO companies to make it look “allied”) attack, they will be fighting on Russian soil, and Russia will hit them with everything they have. It will be a bloodbath for all involved. I don’t buy the propaganda that we’ll just roll into Moscow like we did Baghdad. Wonder how we’ll react when our carriers start getting hit with hypersonic missiles launched from Tupelov Bears far out of range of our fighters.
When the US public suddenly finds out thousands of US soldiers and their equipment have been destroyed, they’ll not be so gung-ho to attack Ivan anymore.
The Russians didn’t surrender to Napoleon or Hitler, I don’t think they’ll break their streak by surrendering to Biden.
May God have mercy on our souls.
Skyler the Weird · July 20, 2023 at 11:24 am
We’ll lose more troops in the first few weeks of a war with Russia than we lost in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan combined. Foolishness to cover up government corruption.
Filthie · July 19, 2023 at 7:50 am
I think it’s just sabre rattling. Consider, DM:
The US is almost out of artillery ammunition – most of it was was given to the Kraine. The military is in shambles as failed social experiments drive off the talent and experienced personnel and scare off new recruits. Would you want to go into a tactical life-or-death situation under the command of a tranny or unqualified black woman?
Our allies are as close or closer to economic collapse as we are. Germany is no longer an industrialized country, Fwance is on fire and Britain’s tiny military suffers from vibrance and diversity too. America’s finances are in a horrible state and it cannot afford a war that will make the previous ones look small.
I think Americans are going to be shocked and horrified when the full extent of the state of the military becomes known. I remember when we scoffed at the old Soviet military because it was run by drunks, thugs and grifters. (General Aesop still does). That situation has now reversed: the US military is now run by grifters, lunatics and perverts. If you send this military against the new Russian army, odds are even that they will destroy it.
I think we may well finally be seeing the fall of Globohomo, the EU and NATO.
Jason · July 19, 2023 at 7:56 am
“This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we’ll be lucky to live through it.”
-Admiral Josh Painter, The Hunt for Red October
Matthew W · July 19, 2023 at 9:18 am
A lady at work here has a son that’s a tank commander that’s been scheduled to go to Poland off and on for the past year, and it may be soon………
Stealing elections have consequences.
Remember when liberals used to cry foul about “stop loss”
Big Country Expat · July 19, 2023 at 9:29 am
I got the word from an old friend, our old CHEMO from the CAV… they tried to hit him up as somewhere someone forgot he was medically retired I guess… seems the 450 IRR kids are all Bugs /Gas/Nuke kids b/c the MOS has been is serious decline over the past few years…
Make of it what you will, YMMV
However, makes me a tad nervous to hear that “all of a sudden” they need 450+/- NBC specialists?
oldvet50 · July 19, 2023 at 10:17 am
I am not surprised it’s up to 8 years now; it was a 6 year total commitment when I was in from 68-72. In ’74, I finally received my “Appreciation of Service” award signed by Nixon, although Ford had already been president for a month. So is this crap going on now the ‘wars and rumors of war’ I’ve read about in the Bible?
June J · July 19, 2023 at 10:55 am
I disagree. Whether the US can roll across Belarus unopposed is unknown. The US Military hasn’t faced a peer adversary since WW2. All of the US backed NATO tactics employed in Ukraine haven’t resulted in Russia’s defeat.
Nothing motivates Russians like a direct attack on their Motherland. You want a few million Russians clamoring to join up and go to the front to defeat the invaders, then you’re probably a US general who believes in the superiority of our troops and equipment over Russia’s and pushing for an invasion.
Why the hell when POTUS and some military leaders have said we are low on ammunition would you invade Russia? Insanity, pure insanity.
Jonesy · July 19, 2023 at 12:03 pm
I agree with you that attacking the motherland will get the Russians hyper motivated to fight. However, we’ve seen some sketchy performances from the Russians, they over extended, logistics were terrible, and now it’s a battle over contested territory instead of a full on invasion.
One problem is we don’t know what the goal would be if we did go to war with Russia….are we going to invade? Just eliminate their ability to threaten NATO allies? Regime change? I do think that if there was any risk of us invading, the nukes are going to get used. A limited exchange at least. Especially if they can’t get those motivated volunteers into the fight quickly.
And then what does China do while this is happening?
Tree Mike · July 19, 2023 at 2:57 pm
Jonesy, the Russians have exponentially expanded their war making abilities. They have a pre-existing industrial base to build shit, like we did in 1942, like we don’t have now.
At the beginning of the SMO, they had MAYBE 500,000 troops, contract, draftees, reserves all together. BECAUSE they had NO aggressive, expansionist plans. Now they have a million plus, because after they figured out that that they were faced with lying, cheating, negotiation agreement incapable, running yellow dogs, they got seriously busy.
This is all just a big game to the NWO, globohomo, assholes running our side. The Russians see this as an existential event (but treating it like a process). Our ONLY chance of hurting them is with nukes, they can kick our collective asses with conventional assets.
wojtek · July 19, 2023 at 11:59 am
Dear DM, two things:
1) First of all it is a good thing that the US is finally putting its people on the borders with russia and belarus. It is the American-controlled ukrainians who strongly contributed to starting this war, so I think it is fair that American soldiers will be right there. This is the only way for many people in the US to realize that what the Kagan-clan is doing is actually going to risk lives of their friends or neighbors.
2) As for American soldiers in Poland, the V Corps has actually about 200 people stationed in Poznan – far away from the conflict (maybe even too far away). Some of them are actually Polish soldiers employed by the US (like gen Jablonski – the new vice-commander of the V Corps), and many of the others have dual citizenship.
The US soldiers in Poland who are closest to the conflict are the logistics people at the airport in Rzeszow plus the Patriot system operators located somewhere there as well. All in all, relatively few from the 10K who are in Poland – the rest sits comfortably in old post-soviet garrisons on our western border.
So as of now I would say there is no massing of US troops on the NATO borders. And the 3K in Lithuania is not going to change that.
PS. Regarding the sizes of the units, I think you are using wikipedia numbers which are old and no longer valid. Right now ABCT is the smallest of the 3 types of BCTs.
Divemedic · July 19, 2023 at 2:08 pm
Perhaps it is language barrier. V Corps can refer to the field headquarters unit, which is that HH Battalion of only 200 people that you refer to. It also refers to the entire V Corps, which has a number of units assigned to it. Those units are:
V Corps, in Poznań (Poland)
Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, in Poznań (Poland)
2nd Cavalry Regiment, in Vilseck (Germany)
41st Field Artillery Brigade, in Grafenwöhr (Germany)
12th Combat Aviation Brigade, in Ansbach (Germany)
Atlantic Resolve rotational units:
Rotational Light Division at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base (Romania)
1x Rotational Infantry Brigade Combat Team
1x Rotational Sustainment Brigade
Rotational Armor Division in Bolesławiec (Poland)
2x Rotational Armor Brigade Combat Teams
1x Rotational Combat Aviation Brigade
1x Rotational Sustainment Brigade
NATO Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) Poland
wojtek · July 19, 2023 at 8:27 pm
Sorry, but you are relying too much on wikipedia. Which is not up to date on these things. As far as I can tell, the rotational units of the V Corps today include 4th ID and 10th MD. And none of them is currently stationed in Poland. Although units of the 4th occasionally visit from Germany for joint exercises. Besides that there is a rotational squadron from 2nd Cav, as part of the the eFP battlegroup Poland. But that is always a very temporary assignment. As for the Armored Division in Bolesławiec that wikipedia mentions, right now these are just some prepositioned stocks and logistics people. Not actual armored units. These are supposed to arrive from Germany if/when needed.
Divemedic · July 19, 2023 at 10:35 pm
You’re right, I didn’t list the current divisions. The fact is that there are other divisions there now, and V Corps isn’t just a 200 person deployment. Those 200 are just HQ troops. There are other people there. DOD themselves lists 10,000 troops as being in Poland right now.
I just don’t have time to research every single unit in Poland. That doesn’t change the fact that they are there.
There are about 500 military personnel operating at the Poznan base and 10,000 American military members in Poland.
The US Army itself says: “U.S. Army Garrison Poland transitioned from an Area Support Group to a full garrison on March 21, 2023.”
wojtek · July 20, 2023 at 11:29 am
The fact is that “the potent V Corps” has only a few hundred people in Poland. Of the “500 military personnel operating at the Poznan base”, over 200 are from a Polish Army’s security attachment. And the V Corps has only about 200 people there. Some of whom are also Polish Army soldiers assigned to V Corps (don’t ask me how this is possible – my understanding is that based on our laws this should not be legally possible, but …).
Of the remaining nearly 10K American soldiers, most are in AF, SF, and logistics. Not assigned to V Corps. And they are mostly stationed far away from our eastern borders. So there is no massing of battle troops ready to go. Not now and not in the near future. One of the big problems is mobility – those Abrams they are too heavy for an absolute majority of our bridges.
So we see storage facilities being constructed, but these facilities are mostly empty – no vehicles and no soldiers. There are no signs on the ground that anything is ready for an invasion. In fact our own military has nearly completely disarmed, by delivering over 300 tanks to Ukraine, hundreds of artillery pieces, IFVs, etc. Plus most of ammo in storage. It will take us 2-3 years to replace that with new equipment and to retrain soldiers. (Of course we could try to do it faster, with similar results to those that Ukrainians obtained in their recent counteroffensive. But I hope we won’t rush.)
And the American battle units are really not there. Neither is NATO. Recall that the previous initiative called for 30 ready NATO battalions. There are 4 currently and 4 more are being prepared. So we welcome the news that one ABCT will deploy to the Lithuanian border. I think we could use a dozen more BCTs to provide the eastern flank with some security. But on the Ukrainian front this war is very cleverly run with private contractors from all over Europe, using mostly Polish and Czech heavy equipment, all closely supervised by American “advisors”.
Divemedic · July 20, 2023 at 3:09 pm
No. V Corps Headquarters has 200 people. As a headquarters unit, V Corps has several divisions assigned to it, along with corps level support and artillery. That makes those divisions part of V Corps, and what makes that corps powerful.
Is your difficulty in understanding this an honest misunderstanding of English, or are you being deliberately obtuse?
wojtek · July 20, 2023 at 5:32 pm
I will repeat for you:
“The fact is that “the potent V Corps” has only a few hundred people in Poland.”
Are you skipping the last 2 words because they don’t fit your narrative, or are you trying to falsely claim that 4th and 10th have currently significant elements stationed in Poland? Or is there some other reason?
Does that help?
Divemedic · July 20, 2023 at 6:43 pm
AFAIK, the majority of US troops that are in Poland are under the operational control (OPCON) and are a part of VCorps while assigned to the V Corps AO.
For example, in March, the 4th Infantry Division, 4th Infantry Division Artillery, 4th Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, 16th Sustainment Brigade, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, and 1-14th Field Artillery Battalion were all commanded in an exercise by V Corps HQ.
Since as part of Atlantic Resolve, U.S.-based units deploy to Europe for nine-month rotations, it’s hard to nail down which units are there from week to week. There is a fighter wing, an Aegis ashore unit, an Infantry Division detachment, an ABCT, and a combat Aviation Brigade.
wojtek · July 20, 2023 at 8:45 pm
@Divemedic · July 20, 2023 at 6:43 pm
AFAIK no. Currently only a small portion of US forces stationed in Poland – I heard of a squadron from 2nd Cav and a battalion-sized group from one of the brigades from 4th ID (which came from Germany for a joint exercise in Drawsko), plus some logistics people who are overseeing construction of the FOB in Bolesławiec and some helos stationed in Powidz to support the Air Policing forces. The majority of American soldiers in Poland are either under the command of NATO’s Air Policing or under the new NATO corps-level command (SAGU or ISAGU?) that is tasked with sustaining Ukraine. And no, it is not the V Corps 🙂
And again, let me repeat the two key words: “in Poland”. Not in Germany, not in Europe, but in Poland. I know that for most of Americans Poland and Holland is one and the same thing. But there is a tiny difference – one borders Russia while the other doesn’t. And if you are making a claim about masses of US soldiers on the NATO’s border (“US First Army” “in Poland” 🙂 ) geography is suddenly becoming important.
So, seeing how you are trying to navigate around this crucial aspect over and over, I need to repeat after an English language expert:
“Is your difficulty in understanding this an honest misunderstanding of English, or are you being deliberately obtuse?”
Divemedic · July 21, 2023 at 7:08 am
OK. So let’s try this another way. What, if it isn’t the headquarters for a lrge number of troops, does V Corps do and why does it need a 3 star General to command 200 people?
wojtek · July 23, 2023 at 12:52 pm
@Divemedic · July 21, 2023 at 7:08 am
You are asking the wrong question in the context of your claims. V Corps was created for commanding troops all over Europe – not just in Poland. And the majority of “European” troops under its command are right now in Germany. But, for political reasons, the forward command post was created in Poland.
And yes, there are plans to create infrastructure in Poland for 2 BCTs (afair). But that will take years. And the soldiers are not there yet. Not anywhere near the numbers you are thinking about.
Anyways, this whole thing is a smoke and mirror show. It is designed to prompt Ukrainians to shed more blood and to bleed away ruskies further and further. In media they tell you about 100K US troops in Europe. I told you this is only occasionally, for large exercises that last maybe a couple of weeks. You don’t believe me, so here is your own president, reporting in June to your Congress:
“Approximately 80,000 United States Armed Forces personnel are assigned or deployed to North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries in Europe, including those deployed to reassure our allies and to deter further Russian aggression.”
Please note the words “assigned or deployed”. So in reality the number on the ground is less than 80K. When before 2022, there were circa 65K US military personnel in Europe.
The growth is small and it does not indicate a NATO offensive any time soon. Furthermore, there are very few US soldiers near the NATO borders. I bet you that the BCT planned for Lithuania will also be there mostly on paper.
Divemedic · July 24, 2023 at 12:58 pm
That is no different than the US Sixth Fleet, with its headquarters in Naples. 6th fleet headquarters only has a small number of personnel assigned to it.
For decades, the 6th fleet has cycled units in and out of the Mediterranean. Currently, the 6th fleet has 23 ships assigned to its operations in the Mediterranean, including the Ford battlegroup, which is in the Ionian sea. Those ships are not PERMANENTLY based there, but rotate in and out. The Army does something similar, with units rotating in and out on a 9 month rotational schedule, but the V Corps headquarters and some other support units being there on a permanent basis. Likewise, the US Air Force rotates units in and out.
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/europe/2022-03-15/us-forces-record-high-europe-war-ukraine-5350187.html
Anyway, this conversation has run its course. Comments closed.
Sarin · July 19, 2023 at 12:41 pm
I’ve read (don’t have it on any sort of authority) that the majority of the IRR call-ups came from the CBRN ranks (NBC for you old-hats). That has my attention. I’d be curious as to how many were Tech-Escort trained. Same for MSD and Decon trained. Each has a distinct role. If they’re Tech Escorts, that is extremely telling.
Kursk · July 19, 2023 at 1:24 pm
How far is it from Vilnius?
Just read that Ukes are on the attack with Bradleys and Leopards and active fire.
They don’t have any combined part of the combined arms so Bradley square will grow.
Ivan does have the tank destroyer robot that locks onto any armor.
It is a small tracked vehicle with good weaponry for its size.
Like Tucker said, why are we at war with Russia.
Divemedic · July 19, 2023 at 2:15 pm
That camp is about 20 miles from Vilnius.
Tree Mike · July 19, 2023 at 2:30 pm
I think you’re under estimating the Russians and over estimating the FUSA. In order to take the battle to the Russians, we have to cashe a shit ton of materials like we did before Iraq. They will notice, and destroy it before we reach readiness. M1 Abrams don’t go far on a tank of jet fuel, so you have to chase them with fragile, ‘splody fuel trucks that don’t do well with spontaneous deconstruction.
OF COURSE that doesn’t mean we won’t try, we ARE ruled by arrogant, narcissistic, idiots. Maybe we’re bound and determined to try and force the Russians to “run out of missiles, rockets, artillery, drones, helicopters, tanks, etc.) by wiping out our men and equipment, like they’ve done to the Krainians. I guess, maybe, we’ll see. Hope not. I’m tired of stupid, senseless slaughter for the amusement and profit of the Satanic NWO corporate oligarchs.
Lord of the Fleas · July 19, 2023 at 2:48 pm
Wellp, when it comes to getting called up for this fuster-cluck, just report in wearing lipstick, mascara, and your best red pumps, and you’re deployment-free. At least according to the latest policy coming out of the WH. https://www.dossier.today/p/confidential-biden-dod-memo-reveals
(Well, it’s not really as easy as that – trannys are only non-deployable while taking hormone treatments. But still…)
Gryphon · July 19, 2023 at 2:56 pm
I think that the ‘strategy’ of the (((neocons))) may be the old “Speed Bump” plan from the ‘Cold War’ where the Soviets outnumbered NATO to the extent that all the U.S. Troops in Germany knew that they would be Overrun within a few Days, and their Destruction would be the ‘excuse’ for FUSSA to Go Nuclear. One guy I knew was a Colonel who was in charge of a Cannon Battery of One Gun – a 240-MM ‘Baby Railway Cannon’ carried between two 50-Ton Trucks. They had exactly 18 Rounds in the Ammo Truck, and their Mission was to Blow some Holes in the Fulda Gap as the Soviet Tanks rolled. He said their Unit’s internal Plan was to Fire the Mission, Abandon the Gun, and ‘Head for Dunkirk’.
Rick T · July 19, 2023 at 7:59 pm
They may have reported, but that is all. My father was a Navy Radio Tech in WWII and was recalled for Korea. He told the story of one guy in the unit had become a Realtor after WWII and he just sat at his bench saying “I don’t remember any of this”. That Guy eventually got sent to Korea but was the first one released overall because he got his Harry’s Year early.
How many of these NBC techs “forgot how to do this job” and will just sit things out?
Aesop · July 20, 2023 at 11:18 am
Some of us have family members who were woken up at O-dark-thirty every month, for years, to load up the tanks with warshots and run to the actual Iron Curtain to repel boarders from the Evil Empire.
Others stood nuclear alert halfway to the North Pole every day, for decades.
This is only earth-shattering news to Baby Duck kids under the age of 30.
Less fainting salts, please.
Russia goes home, and stops fucking with and invading its sovereign neighbors’ countries time after time, and this all dials down to 0, overnight.
We know who started this b.s., and they can stop it tomorrow, at a cost of not being world pariahs.
I just think it’s funny they specifially chose people to drag back in who were totally unvaxxed.
Hmm.
Who can probably opt out again simply by refusing to get vaxxed.
“O no, Brer Bear, don’ trow me in dat dere Briar Patch!”
This is mainly comedy relief and sabre-rattling theater, just like politics is Hollywood for ugly people.
Comments are closed.