The Air Force’s air training detachment at Lask AB, Poland, is “emblematic” of the United States’ intent to remain engaged in Europe even as the US military rebalances to the Pacific, said Gen. Philip Breedlove, head US European Command. “Buoyed by the fact that we are now into our third quarterly rotation of the aviation detachment, with plans for the fourth rotation under way, our security relationship [with Poland] has never been closer,” wrote Breedlove in an entry posted at his “From the Cockpit” blog on July 26. “The detachment in Poland, though, represents a wider, broader trend of continued commitment and engagement in Europe,” he wrote. Established last November, the detachment is the first full-time US presence in Poland. “Our engagements with our European allies and partners is rooted in shared history, interests and values, cemented through NATO and the ironclad commitment to our mutual security,” stated Breedlove.
Canada’s defense minister Bill Blair said May 13 the Chinese spy balloon's infamous weeklong path over Alaska, Canada, and the continental United States in 2023 was a “wake-up call” for his country as he shuttled around Washington to sell Ottawa's bolstered defense strategy to his American allies.