U.S. soldiers stand in formation during a ceremony at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, on Nov. 7, 2026. U.S. troop levels in Europe have fallen to their lowest level in two years as the Pentagon considers further reductions. (Robert Palmer/U.S. Army)
STUTTGART, Germany — U.S. troop levels in Europe have fallen to their lowest level in two years, leaving the Pentagon close to a congressional threshold that might complicate plans for more withdrawals, according to a new inspector general review that comes amid reports that troop cuts on the Continent could be smaller than anticipated.
About 78,000 American military personnel were assigned to U.S. European Command as of Sept. 30, down from roughly 90,000 at the beginning of fiscal 2025, according to the report published Friday.
The decline means American force levels have “neared the congressionally-mandated floor of 76,000,” according to the oversight report on military operations in Europe.
USAREUR-AF reported that reductions to its rotational posture alongside reductions to permanent forces “have affected its mission operations and readiness,” according to the inspector general’s report, which also noted additional cuts in contractor support.
The report comes as the Pentagon is nearing completion of a review that could reshape America’s military presence in Europe and possibly reduce forces in Germany.
For months, allies in Europe have been anticipating potentially sweeping U.S. force reductions in connection with a push by the Trump administration to shift more security responsibility to other NATO members.
But the Trump administration is considering substantially smaller reductions than some European officials initially feared, Bloomberg reported Saturday, citing multiple sources familiar with the deliberations.
Some estimates have suggested that the U.S. could cut as many as 25,000 troops in Europe. However, the final tally could end up being as few as 5,000, Bloomberg reported.
Most of the cuts would focus on Germany, while countries along NATO’s eastern flank could see an increased American presence, according to the report.
The Pentagon’s force posture review also comes as bases in Europe have stood out for the role they’ve played as a staging ground for U.S. operations in the Middle East, including against Iran.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said in September that Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury, two major operations against Iran, underscored how “we get a lot out of our European basing.”
And earlier this month at a security forum in Germany, Whitaker said he didn’t anticipate substantial changes to EUCOM’s mission.
Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby reportedly recently delivered his force posture findings to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who in turn is expected to soon present options to President Donald Trump.
Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby speaks during the U.S. Strategic Command’s Deterrence Symposium in Omaha, Neb., on Aug. 5, 2026. (Zachary Hada/U.S. Air Force)
Meanwhile, the inspector general’s findings examined how the Pentagon is already near a threshold Congress established to limit major withdrawals in Europe without additional scrutiny.
The fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act restricted the Pentagon’s ability to reduce American troop levels in EUCOM’s area of responsibility below 76,000 for more than 45 days without meeting various certification and reporting requirements.
Those requirements include independent assessments by the defense secretary and the head of U.S. European Command as well as other consultations with NATO allies. The law also requires the Pentagon to wait 60 days after submitting the required assessments to Congress before carrying out such a reduction.
It’s not clear whether the 5,000-troop figure cited by Bloomberg is an additional reduction or refers to what was announced already in May when the Pentagon said it intended to cut troop levels in Germany by 5,000.
When that decision was announced, a planned armored brigade rotation to Poland was canceled, as was a long-planned deployment of a long-range fires battalion to Germany.
Military officials have not yet fully detailed how the May announcement would be fulfilled, but one aspect could entail shifting a multidomain task force in Germany to South Korea.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Army expanded its European presence to five brigade combat teams, including three rotational brigades. At one point, troop levels reached just over 100,000.
Over the past year, two rotational brigade missions were ended, accounting for much of the recent reduction.
The inspector general report did not include a recommendation on maintaining any particular troop level in Europe.
