US military forces to stay in Estonia
United States military forces will remain stationed in the Baltic states and Poland until at least 2016, as long as the tense security situation between Russia and NATO countries persists.
The US Forces were originally planned to stay until the end of 2014, but the "persistent presence" mission of overlapping units on rotation is going to continue, Lieutenant-General Frederick Ben Hodges, Commanding General of US. Army Europe, told reporters in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, according to Reuters.
"We have planned rotations out through next year. Units are designated that will continue to do this," Hodges said. "There are going to be US Army forces here in Lithuania, as well as Estonia and Latvia and Poland for as long as is required to deter Russian aggression and to assure our allies," he added.
About 600 soldiers from the US Army’s 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division deployed to Poland and the Baltic states in October to help reassure the European allies of the United States who feel threatened by Russian military moves in Ukraine and in NATO airspace.
In Estonia, the US forces are currently stationed at the garrison in Tapa.
