US Troops Train in Eastern Europe as Officials Eye New Cold War

Officials: Troops Need to Adapt to New Environment

After a protracted Cold War, the US had to revise a lot of its military concepts for open-ended occupations in desert countries like Iraq. Now, with officials eagerly ratcheting up tensions with Russia, officials are looking at a new round of training in Eastern Europe to get back to that Cold War mindset.

US forces are moving into Eastern Europe in growing numbers, as officials try to get them experience in coordinating with the assorted eastern NATO member nations, and scrambling to redo the camouflage, replacing the sand-themed colors with more traditional Cold War green.

Russia, for its part, is increasing its own military exercises in the same area, on the Russian side of the border, but as Russia never outright redesigned their military and training away from fighting on their own soil, they have less to do.

The prospect of a war in Eastern Europe, however, has everyone on high alert, and the fact that both sides see one another’s military exercises as potential cover for a sneak attack seems to be lost on those planning the exercises, as they keep positioning them provocatively close to the frontier.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.