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Pentagon Orders 5,000 U.S. Troops Out of Germany Over Next 6 to 12 Months

The move signals a sharper U.S.–Europe rift over the Iran war.

A truck of the U.S. Army transports unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) at the xTech Edge Strike: Ground robotics technology evaluation of the U.S. Army at the Grafenwoehr training grounds on March 13, 2026 near Grafenwoehr, Germany.
Soldiers stand next to a razor wire at a media day during the U.S. Army Combined Resolve exercise at the U.S. Army's southern Germany training facilities in Hohenfels, Germany, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth
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Overview

  • The Pentagon said Friday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered about 5,000 troops to leave Germany, with the drawdown set to finish in six to twelve months.
  • The plan pulls a U.S. Army brigade combat team from Germany and cancels a planned long‑range fires battalion deployment, while leaving more than 30,000 American troops in the country.
  • Officials framed the step as a force‑posture decision after a European review, though it follows days of tensions after Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Iran had “humiliated” the United States in wartime talks.
  • President Donald Trump also floated reducing U.S. forces in Italy and Spain, reflecting frustration over what he calls insufficient European support for the Iran campaign and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
  • German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Europe must take more responsibility for its security, as analysts and some U.S. lawmakers warned the cuts could strain NATO logistics hubs such as Ramstein and weaken allied deterrence.