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1 1 (July 1, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govedwv0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Inforrning the legislative debate since 1914 0 Updated July 1, 2021 The European Deterrence Initiative: A Budgetary Overview Background The European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) is a Department of Defense (DOD) effort to enhance the U.S. deterrence posture, increase the readiness and responsiveness of U.S. forces in Europe, support the collective defense and security of NATO allies, and bolster the security and capacity of U.S. allies and partners, according to the DOD European Deterrence Initiative Fact Sheet. EDI began as the European Reassurance Initiative (ERI) in June 2014. The Obama Administration launched it primarily as an effort to reassure U.S. allies in Europe of a continued U.S. commitment to their security in the wake of Russia's 2014 invasion and occupation of Ukraine's Crimea region and instigation of conflict in eastern Ukraine. As tensions with Russia mounted, the focus of the program broadened from reassuring allies to deterring Russian aggression. DOD began referring to the program as EDI in 2018. Today, EDI is a key funding source for U.S. European Command's (EUCOM) posture adjustments in response to the evolving European security environment, also referred to as Operation Atlantic Resolve. EDI has enabled the first increase in U.S. military forces in Europe since the end of the Cold War. This includes the rotational deployment of an Armored Brigade Combat Team (BCT), mostly in Central and Eastern Europe. Two BCTs, one Stryker-equipped and one airborne infantry, are permanently stationed in Europe-in Germany and Italy, respectively. A prominent objective of EDI has been to enable rapid military mobilization to Central and Eastern Europe in order to respond quickly to military aggression in the region. Congress has supported EDI since its inception in FY2015, its first appropriation of $985 million. Between FY2016 and FY2019, Congress authorized significant annual increases in EDI funding as requested. Funding for the effort peaked at $6.5 billion in FY2019, and was $6.0 billion in FY2020 and $4.5 billion in FY2021. The Biden Administration has requested $3.7 billion for FY 2022. Some Members of Congress raised questions about the reduced funding level requested by the Trump Administration for FY2021 and may echo these concerns regarding the Biden Administration's FY2022 request. The Biden Administration has sought to address some of these concerns, including by announcing in April 2021 that it was reversing a Trump Administration plan to withdraw up to 12,000 of the approximately 35,000 U.S. troops stationed in Germany and instead would deploy 500 additional troops to U.S. bases in the country. During the Trump Administration, critics, including some Members of Congress, also questioned the rationale behind the deferral of EDI projects-totaling $772 million in 2019 and $316 million in 2020-to fund the U.S.-Mexico border wall and the aforementioned reported plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Germany. Other congressional voices have urged European allies to increase military investments to augment EDI and related NATO deterrence efforts. FY2022 Budget Request and Funding Levels Figure 1 illustrates annual funding levels for EDI. The FY2022 request for the initiative is 19% less than the amount appropriated in FY2021, and, if enacted, would represent the third consecutive year of reduced funding. Through FY2021, the initiative received funding designated for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO). For FY2022, the Biden Administration requested funding for EDI and other enduring operations in the base budget as part of a broader effort to discontinue requests for OCO as a separate funding category. The Administration has said it remains committed to EDI and, more generally, to European security. The FY2022 EDI budget request would support an average strength of 9,954 active, reserve, and guard personnel deployed in the EUCOM theater, in addition to those assigned there. These include 9,452 Army, 459 Air Force, and 43 Navy personnel participating in EDI activities in Europe. As of February 2020, about 74,000 U.S. personnel were permanently stationed in Europe. Figure I. EDI Budget FY20 1 5-FY2021 (In billions of dollars) PY2O1G FY2E1Y FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 Enact. Req. Source: Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller). EDi Focus Areas Since its inception, EDI has divided its funding into five categories. Figure 2 shows the funding trends of each category. The following are descriptions and selected highlights based on the FY2022 EDI budget request. Increased Presence ($1.47 billion in FY2021, $1.24 billion requested in FY2022) is the largest funding category and provides EUCOM with a larger military presence intended to deter and respond to regional adversaries. A significant component of this line of effort is Army Rotational Forces, which create a constant U.S. military presence in Eastern ittps://crsreports.congress.gc

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