Reedo base was purpose built to host NATO allies at a cost of around €21 million and opened to fanfare mid-month last month, but as of present, it seems likely that U.S. personnel will still be marking Thanksgiving and Christmas at the current, temporary facilities at Taara barracks, Lõuna Postimees wrote.

The main reason given is a lack of amenities currently available at the facility, the daily added.

However, their presence remains a given, U.S. Embassy spokesperson Mike Snyder told ERR News.

He said: "The U.S. and Estonia have a long history of working together on defense, stretching back even before Estonia's membership in NATO 20 years ago." 

"At the Madrid NATO Summit, President Biden announced the U.S. would enhance its rotational presence in the Baltic states, and our troops have been proudly training and living side-by-side with their Estonian colleagues since that time." 

"U.S. service members have enjoyed the hospitality of the Estonian 2nd Infantry Brigade and the people of Võru and we hope to continue those positive relations into the future," Snyder added.

Maj. Joseph Bush, U.S. Army V Corps Forward Spokesperson, told ERR News: "As the U.S. Army's only forward Corps, V Corps leaders work closely with allies and partners to determine where best to align forces by rigorous evaluation of the operational environment and analysis of regional threats. Camp Reedo is an important part of our plan to align forces in region."

He confirmed that U.S. personnel will be moving into the camp once it is completed.

"The construction of medical, administrative, and workspace facilities at Camp Reedo are still underway and we are working closely with the Estonian government to finalize the details of the agreement that will allow our soldiers to move into their new home as soon as possible. We look forward to continuing to work hand-in-hand with our Estonian allies and appreciate their tireless efforts as Camp Reedo nears completion," Maj. Bush continued.

Work on military facilities in South Estonia, including the expansion of the Nursipalu training area, has been ongoing in the changed security situation and to bring things up to par with their northern Estonian equivalent, including the Tapa military base.

The Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) 1st Brigade covers the north, where the lead NATO land forces nation is the U.K., while the 2nd EDF Brigade and the U.S. generally fulfill that role in the southern half of the country.

The new base at Reedo opened in mid-September. It can accommodate up to 1,000 Estonian and allied military personnel.

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