Great news Deputy PM @KosiniakKamysz. The 🇺🇸🇵🇱 relationship is more than ever, as strategic as it gets! It's time to change the 🇺🇸rotational troop deployment system to permanent. For two decades we essentially operated "rotationally" in Afghanistan and Iraq (which did not end well). In the case of Poland (and several others in the region) you cannot find a more like-minded-willing partner, with a strong desire to go to the next level in capabilities. We need an 🇮🇱IDF, or 🇰🇷ROK “near-peer” kind of capability among our Allies on the Eastern Flank, and Poland is the center for getting that done. While America may "reduce" forces in other places in Europe, I would argue, there is the strongest case for increasing 🇺🇸capabilities in Poland, and region. The Polish Armed Forces #PAF are making themselves into a smaller "mirror image" (almost) of the @USArmy and #USAF @usairforce. Poland fully embraces 🇺🇸doctrine and more than half of its $150B in defense modernization is for US kit (HIMARS, Patriot, Abrams, Apaches, F16s, F35s, C-130s, Javelins, and more). Poland was spending 2% GDP, almost from the day it joined NATO in 1999, and led the pack on 3%, then 3.5% and now 5% GDP defense spending. Since 2016, Poland is on a path to triple its force size (maybe more) to 300,000+ Thousands of Poles have been trained in American courses - many are senior PAF leaders. Moreover, tens of thousands of Poles have deployed and operated side by side Americans. Since 1990, (9 years before entering NATO), and still with Russians occupying Poland, 🇵🇱 begins conducting operations alongside US forces, rescuing CIA assets in Iraq (1990) deploying support ships to Desert Storm (1991), deploying to Haiti with us (1994), and Poland is with America on Balkan Ops/including capturing Serbian War Criminals (1995+) After joining NATO, Poland supports American Ops, every time we ask and in spades. Poland is one of only three Allies side by side with America on day-1 combat Ops in OIF 2003 (only Australia and the UK show up with Poland to support America that day). Think about that, Poland is only 4 years into NATO, and sticks its neck out, at every turn. At America’s request, Poland leads the 33-nation multinational division in Iraq, and an entire Province in Afghanistan. Poland is “The Model Ally.” Poland's defense modernization undertaking is serious, and monumental - the rest of NATO should follow Poland's lead. Poland will not, however, be able to rapidly achieve USA-doctrinal Joint All Domain Operations #JADO capabilities without daily side-by-side integration and training with 🇺🇸forces permanently assigned to Poland. Poland is willing to massively offset the host nation support costs for American troops. In my view, these costs should be funded via a NATO, or EU common fund as this defends all of Europe. Poland is holding the line for Western Europe, and is financially stretched, only just recently reaching the $1Tn GDP economy level (compared to their neighbor Germany, to which Poland is their shield, with a GDP of $5T). Indeed, it’s time to assign permanent 🇺🇸 forces to Poland/NATO’s EasternFlank. A massive ColdWar “redo” is not required. What’s needed is the (1) entire Europe-focused, Vth Corps HQ (only a portion is in Poland today); (2) a heavy Division, with Abrams equipped brigades; (3) F35 Squadron(s). Btw, Poland is ready and willing to host all of this as the base, to support defense and force-integration all along NATO’s Eastern Flank. And, importantly Poland is more and more a vital 🇺🇸 defense supply-chain partner. This is not free-riding, this is about helping to both defend, while simultaneously helping to rapidly “raise the game” of Poland, and other defense-focused, willing, super pro-American, East Flank Allies. It allows for the lessons from Russia’s war on Ukraine to be exploited helping 🇺🇸forces to better prepare for war ANYWHERE. That’s in perfect alignment with #AmericaFirst, #PolandFirst, and #PeaceThroughStrength.
