On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, US trade publications Military Times and Stars and Stripes were the first to report, citing anonymous US Department of Defense officials, that the US Department of the Army had halted the scheduled nine-month rotation of more than 4,000 soldiers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team “Black Jack Brigade” of the 1st Cavalry Division “First Team,” based at Fort Hood, Texas, as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve. Poland’s Ministry of National Defence immediately responded to the reports, denying the information.
Photo: Spc. Casandra Ancheta, U. Army National Guard
According to the reports, the plan to deploy the soldiers was halted even though most of the unit’s military equipment is already in Europe. Pentagon spokesperson Cmdr. Javan Rasnake declined to comment on the reports, saying there was currently nothing to announce on the matter. According to press reports, word of the canceled deployment had already begun spreading among Black Jack Brigade soldiers early Tuesday morning, with troops reportedly informing their families.
Poland’s Ministry of National Defence responded to the reports yesterday evening. Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on social media:
“This matter does not concern Poland ‒ it is related to the previously announced change in the presence of some US armed forces in Europe. The rapidly developing capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces and the presence of US forces in Poland strengthen NATO’s eastern flank.”
He was echoed by Cezary Tomczyk, Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defence:
“This is not true. This statement concerns Germany. It does not concern Poland. Poland is consistently seeking to increase the presence of US troops.”
It should be noted that on May 1, the Department of Defense announced that President Donald Trump’s administration had decided to withdraw around 5,000 troops from the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany. The president himself later indicated that the number would be much higher. On May 9, Donald Trump did not rule out transferring troops withdrawn from Germany to Poland.
Earlier, in October 2025, the US began reducing its military presence in Romania.
Ta sprawa nie dotyczy Polski – wiąże się z zapowiadaną wcześniej zmianą obecności części sił zbrojnych USA w Europie. Szybko rozwijające się zdolności Sił Zbrojnych RP i obecność sił USA w Polsce wzmacniają wschodnią flankę NATO. https://t.co/6nxWoEozZX
— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) May 13, 2026
To nieprawda. Ten komunikat dotyczy Niemiec. Nie dotyczy Polski. Polską sukcesywnie zabiega o zwiększenie obecności wojsk amerykańskich. https://t.co/LhIubmFo7N
— Cezary Tomczyk (@CTomczyk) May 13, 2026