FEBRUARY 16, 2024 — The Honorable Christine Wormuth, Secretary of the U.S. Army, visited Lucius D. Clay Kaserne in Wiesbaden, Germany, and Grafenwoehr Training Area in Grafenwoehr, Germany, Feb. 14 and 15, respectively, to discuss continued support to Ukraine, as well as to check on U.S. Army readiness and quality of life for soldiers and their families on the continent.
“The world is watching, both our friends and foes,” said Wormuth. “What the United States and its Army have done and continue to do to support Ukraine matters — to Ukraine, to our NATO Allies and to the United States, because standing up for Ukrainian sovereignty strengthens deterrence against Putin’s unprovoked aggression in Europe.”
While at Lucius D. Clay Kaserne, she visited U.S. Army Europe and Africa headquarters, as well as the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine, which oversees the full-spectrum of security assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Wormuth also visited the International Donor Coordination Center, which coordinates resources — lethal and non-lethal security force assistance — from amongst the international community to enable donor countries from around the world to provide military equipment, training and aid to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
She also spoke with commanders and staff, including Gen. Darryl A. Willaims, the commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, and NATO’s Allied Land Command, who noted the important work of the command has far-reaching implications.
“We are a global Army,” said Williams. “While our efforts, whether its supporting Ukraine, employing the ‘3D’ [diplomacy, development and defense] approach in Africa, or implementing NATO’s new regional defense plans, have resonance on the two continents our service component command overseas, the lessons we are capturing in regards to drones and remote maintenance, and our experimentation, have world-wide application.”
Wormuth’s interactions with USAREUR-AF, SAG-U, and the IDCC, which all support Ukraine, come as the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group met for the 19th time, Feb. 14, 2024.
“The United States continues to stand foursquare with Ukraine,” said U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III during his opening remarks. “And America will continue to support Ukraine’s principled fight against Putin’s imperial aggression.”
While in Wiesbaden, Wormuth also spoke with battalion command teams from a variety of units to get an update on their readiness and issues effecting quality of life for those under their care. Following an update on the state of Army-owned housing and barracks in Europe, Secretary Wormuth emphasized the Army’s commitment to increase investment in barracks and sustainment to improve the quality of living of our Soldiers and applauded the progress on the Vincenza family housing project.
At Grafenwoehr, she and Williams met with Basic Leader Course students attending the 7th Army Noncommissioned Officer Academy, U.S. Army’s oldest noncommissioned officer academy, before observing reconstitution training of a battalion from Ukraine’s 77th Airmobile Brigade.
America is one of more than 30 countries providing such training to help Ukraine.
Of the more than more than 120,000 Ukrainians the international community has trained at more than 80 different training areas located around the world, the U.S. has trained approximately 19,000, including approximately 17,400 soldiers at U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz, Baumholder, and Grafenwoehr and/or Hohenfels training areas in Germany.
The reconstitution training Wormuth observed, along with other platform training, and staff and leadership training is currently facilitated by 7th Army Training Command; the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine, which is comprised of members of the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, Mississippi Army National Guard; 2nd Cavalry Regiment; a battalion from the 101st Airborne Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team; a battalion from the 1st Armored Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team; and others.
“This is a smart investment,” said Wormuth, who noted national security begins well past America’s border. “The money the United States is spending is an investment in Ukraine’s self-defense, an investment in the strength of the NATO alliance and an investment in America’s deterrence posture in Europe.”
A consistent refrain Wormuth heard from the U.S. soldiers involved in the training is the value of the mission and the benefits to themselves and their formations.
“What these soldiers are learning, what they are experimenting with, whether it is drone technology or tactics, electronic warfare, or more, is making our Army more lethal, and better able to defend the nation – anywhere,” Wormuth added.
Before returning home, Wormuth traveled to Munich, Germany, where she, Williams, and other military will attend the 60th Munich Security Conference, a leading forum for debating the most pressing challenges to international security.
This was Wormuth’s fourth trip to the region.
For additional information, contact USAREUR-AF Public Affairs at +49 (0)611.143.537.0035 or media@army.mil.
By Col. Martin L. O’Donnell