The U.S. Army is reconsidering the size of its troops in Europe in relation to a drawdown plan, a military official said on Tuesday, Xinhua reported.
The Army commander in Europe Gen. Carter Ham told a press conference at the Pentagon, that he is recommending the Defense Department to leave more troops in Europe than planned, as a way to stay engaged and boost partnership with allies.
He said U.S. troops in Europe did not engage enough with allies as much as he hoped since they had spent most of their time in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Pentagon has approved a plan to reduce the number of the U.S. troops in Europe from the current 42,000 to 32,000 by 2012, based on a suggestion by former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to transform the military into a leaner, more cost-effective force.
According to the plan, the Army presence in Europe would decline to 28,000 from 62,000, the Navy to 25,000 from 35,000 and the Air Force to 8,000 from 15,000.
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