U.S. to Reduce Troop Presence in Romania, Ending Brigade Rotations, Ministry Says

U.S. soldiers maneuver a Multiple Launch Rocket System during exercise Saber Guardian at the Cincu Training Area in Romania on June 16, 2025. The U.S. is reducing its troop numbers in Romania, the country’s defense ministry said in a statement Oct. 29. Photo: Randis Monroe/U.S. Army

The United States is scaling back its military footprint in Romania as part of a broader Pentagon plan to reduce force levels in Europe, Romania’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

The move will end the rotation of a U.S. Army brigade to the Black Sea ally—a presence established after Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine to bolster NATO’s eastern flank. The 101st Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade, now nearing the end of a nine-month tour, will not be backfilled, officials said.

Romania called the change an expected result of «new priorities» set by the U.S. administration earlier this year. The ministry said roughly 1,000 U.S. troops will remain in country, down from several thousand deployed across sites that include Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base.

U.S. soldiers attending air assault school prepare for troops to rappel from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania, May 19, 2025. The U.S. is reducing the number of its troops deployed to the Black Sea country, Romania’s defense ministry said in a statement Oct. 29. Photo: Nathan Arellano Tlaczani/U.S. Army

U.S. Army Europe and Africa stressed the decision is not a withdrawal or a weakening of Washington’s commitment to NATO’s Article 5. Instead, it reflects «increased European capability and responsibility» as allies boost defense spending and assume greater conventional defense roles.

The adjustment follows internal Pentagon debate over Romanian rotations and comes amid a wider force posture review that could affect U.S. deployments elsewhere in Europe. American officials say the recalibration allows the U.S. to maintain a robust theater presence while aligning forces to support homeland defense and deterrence priorities, including in the Indo-Pacific.