The U.S. will withdraw as many at 5,000 service members from bases in Germany, the Department of Defense announced late Friday afternoon.
The reduction of troops comes after diplomatic tensions between the United States and Germany. The order to pull some personnel was given by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.
“This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground,” Parnell’s statement continued.
It’s not clear what units will be impacted or what bases will see the drawdown. The United States operates five garrisons in Germany and has several bases in the country. As of December 2025, approximately 36,000 active-duty troops were based there, some permanently. The withdrawal will take six-to-12 months to complete, Parnell said. Both U.S. European Command and Africa Command are based out of Germany.
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There have been pushes in and outside of Germany to reduce or expel American forces from the country, including during the first Trump administration, but the situation escalated this week after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz claimed that the United States is “being humiliated by the Iranian leadership” when discussing the ongoing war with Iran. Trump then announced on Wednesday that the U.S. was looking into reducing the number of troops in the country. On Thursday, Trump also floated the idea of pulling U.S. forces from Spain and Italy
The number of American military personnel in Germany has fluctuated in the decades since World War II. The Bavaria garrison operates several bases, including a massive training area used by American, German and other NATO partner forces. American troops in Germany have also trained Ukrainian personnel in the country following the Russian invasion.
Germany is also home to Ramstein Air Base, the headquarters of the Air Force in Europe. Ramstein is a major hub for the U.S. military, serving as the central point for American troops and cargo heading to the Middle East.
Meanwhile Landstuhl Regional Medical Center is the largest American military hospital outside of the United States. It served as the primary medical center for wounded troops that needed emergency treatment during the Global War on Terror. Most recently, troops wounded in the ongoing war with Iran have been evacuated to Landstuhl for care.
