New rotation of US soldiers arrives in Tapa on Sunday
American soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division of the United States army that arrived in Estonia in the beginning of October have been in Tapa already for three months, and a new rotation will arrive at the end of this week.
The press representative of the Defense Forces headquarters, Roland Murofi, says the advance group arrives Thursday, and the other elements will reach Estonia on Sunday, according to Postimees.
The new elements of the 1st Cavalry Division are currently in Germany, and will be in Estonia for three months. New troops will use the same equipment - including M1 Abrahms battle tanks and Striker personnel carriers - that arrived to Tapa three months ago.
The Americans have been training with the Estonian Scouts Battalion and the 1st Infantry Brigade. The 1st Cavalry Division, from Fort Hood, Texas, rotated in to replace the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team.
The 173rd, which arrived in April 2014 was the first group of US soldiers to arrive for interoperability training with Estonian forces. The 173rd was stationed at Ämari air base.
The decision to bring American troops into Estonia was taken last year, in light of the Ukraine crisis.
According to the US Defense Department, officials said that the US "is demonstrating its continued commitment to collective security through a series of actions designed to reassure NATO allies and partners of America's dedication to enduring peace and stability in the region, in light of the Russian intervention in Ukraine."
Editor: L. Viirand, S. Abel, S. Tambur