Pentagon to present Defense Secretary with multiple Europe troop options by early November

Internal Pentagon documents show that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will receive a minimum of four distinct options for the disposition of U.S. troops in Europe by Nov. 6, well before the review’s formal deadline in December. The six-month assessment, launched in June, has heightened anxiety among NATO members who fear significant cuts to the roughly 80,000 U.S. personnel stationed on the continent.

The review’s “Terms of Reference” outline a decision briefing scheduled for Sept. 18 between the senior U.S. commander in Europe and Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby. Colby is also set to brief NATO ambassadors in Brussels on Thursday.

A senior Pentagon official told Reuters,

"We want to be able to talk through the pros and cons of a variety of different force levels or dispositions." The official added that the administration’s goal is to transition to a model where allies assume a larger share of the security burden, noting President Donald Trump’s frustration with what he perceives as insufficient support for the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte acknowledged Trump’s disappointment but said most European partners have provided meaningful assistance. The Pentagon’s review also expands beyond traditional access, basing and overflight agreements to include space, cyber and intelligence infrastructure that underpins U.S. global power projection.

Allied nations have been asked to complete a questionnaire on defense strategies, procurement and alignment with U.S. policy, with responses due by Friday. The official emphasized the tight timeline, stating,

"We are working very, very hard, and it is a relatively tight timeline. A lot of prior analysis will inform this, which should allow us to move quicker on our end." The outcome will offer a spectrum of options ranging from the current force posture to potential reductions, depending on the assessment’s findings.