"There are approximately 80,000 US service members currently in the European Theater, with approximately 38,000 permanent and rotational forces in Germany," he said, adding that these service members have been deployed in locations "such as Wiesbaden, Rhein-Pfalz, Stuttgart, and Bavaria."
"These numbers fluctuate regularly, practically month to month. The fluctuation is a result of planned exercises and rotations of forces into and out of the theater," the official continued. "We continually review and adjust our posture as conditions evolve, leveraging our mix of both enduring and deployed forces."
In his words, Washington’s decisions in that regard are made during consultations with NATO partners.
"We also closely consult with NATO Allies to ensure an appropriate collective posture of deterrence and defense. Our Allies add their own forces and capabilities to ensure our collective ability to deter and defend," the EUCOM official said.
On April 29, Trump signaled that his administration is considering reducing US troop presence in Germany and will soon make a decision on the issue. Taking reporters’ questions the following day, he said that US may revise downward the number of its troops in Italy and Spain as well.
According to the Politico newspaper, the announcement shocked Pentagon and "stunned defense officials," who scrambled to figure out how serious Trump’s announcement was. Three US military officials told the newspaper that the discussion now is about "a potential new push to take hundreds, if not thousands, of American troops out of Germany." Among the European countries, Germany hosts the largest US military contingent.