U.S. Army to take over training of Ukrainian troops in Germany

Regular U.S. Army units under U.S. Army Europe and Africa and the 7th Army Training Command will take over training Ukrainian troops in Germany. These units are already stationed there, creating a more permanent structure for the mission. Previously, Vermont Army National Guard personnel led the effort through nine-month deployments.

The Vermont brigade’s October 15 ceremony at Grafenwoehr marked the end of its mission. It was the 18th and final rotation under the National Guard arrangement. About 150 National Guard personnel had supported the mission over the past decade, training Ukrainians in combined-arms warfare and coordination among military branches.

Training will continue at Bavarian facilities, including Grafenwoehr. Army spokesman Col. Michael Weisman said the reorganization does not reduce U.S. support or America’s commitment to Ukraine’s defense needs. Instead, it changes who delivers the training and places it on a more sustainable footing.

The Joint Multinational Training Group–Ukraine, or JMTG-U, is a military training mission supporting Ukraine’s Defense Forces. Its purpose is to prepare Ukrainian service members for combined-arms warfare and improve coordination between different branches. The mission matters because it gives Ukrainian troops organized instruction while U.S. and partner support is coordinated in Europe.

JMTG-U began in 2015 at Ukraine’s Yavoriv training center. After Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the mission relocated to Germany. At Grafenwoehr and other Bavarian facilities, American instructors conducted courses covering weapons systems, equipment, and specialized training areas.

The mission is now changing structure. The Vermont Army National Guard’s brigade completed its final rotation, and regular U.S. Army units will lead training instead. The mission’s name and purpose remain tied to training Ukrainian troops, while its delivery becomes more permanent and sustainable in Germany.

Since JMTG-U relocated to Germany in 2022, American instructors have trained more than 24,000 Ukrainian service members. The figure shows the mission’s substantial scale after Russia’s full-scale invasion forced its relocation from Ukraine. It also reflects sustained U.S. involvement in preparing Ukraine’s Defense Forces.

The training covered 50 weapons systems, types of equipment, and specialized training areas. Instructors conducted approximately 300 courses. These courses included combined-arms warfare and coordination among different military branches, helping Ukrainian personnel train for operations that require multiple capabilities to work together.

The mission will continue at German facilities, including Grafenwoehr, even as its leadership changes. Regular U.S. Army units stationed in Germany will replace the rotating Vermont National Guard arrangement. The article does not provide a new training target, but it describes the reorganized mission as more permanent and sustainable.

The JMTG-U mission began at the Yavoriv training center in Ukraine in 2015. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, it was relocated to Germany. This moved the training activity to facilities in Bavaria, including Grafenwoehr, where it has continued since then.

The article does not identify a detailed reason for the move. It only directly connects the relocation with the invasion. Therefore, the supported conclusion is that the mission changed location after the invasion, without adding an unstated explanation about safety, access, or military planning.

The relocation allowed American instructors to continue training Ukrainian troops in Germany. Since 2022, they have trained more than 24,000 Ukrainian service members through approximately 300 courses. Training will remain in Germany under regular U.S. Army units, rather than returning to the previous National Guard-led arrangement in Ukraine.

The practical effect is a change in how U.S. support is organized and delivered. Regular U.S. Army units already stationed in Germany will conduct training instead of Vermont Army National Guard personnel deploying on nine-month rotations. The new arrangement is described as more permanent and sustainable.

The training location and core activity will continue. Ukrainian troops will still train at facilities in Bavaria, including Grafenwoehr, in areas such as combined-arms warfare, weapons systems, equipment, and specialized instruction. The Vermont brigade’s completed mission was the 18th and final rotation under the former arrangement.

U.S. Army spokesman Col. Michael Weisman stressed that the reorganization does not mean reduced support or a weaker U.S. commitment to Ukraine’s defense needs. The Army will continue coordinating assistance through U.S. European Command and NATO’s NSATU mission, while the reorganized training structure supports continued instruction.

U.S. European Command, or USEUCOM, is the U.S. command through which the Army will continue coordinating support for Ukraine’s Defense Forces. NATO’s Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine mission, known as NSATU, is another coordination framework named in the article. Both operate within the stated U.S. policy for supporting Ukraine.

The article also identifies Security Assistance Group-Ukraine, or SAG-U, as part of a broader reorganization. In August, the U.S. Secretary of War directed USEUCOM to oversee SAG-U’s reorganization and the realignment of roles and responsibilities across military components and NSATU.

The article does not assign separate operational tasks beyond these descriptions. It shows a coordination system being reorganized across U.S. components and NATO’s NSATU mission. Meanwhile, regular U.S. Army units will handle training in Germany, while USEUCOM and NSATU remain channels for broader support coordination.

Combined-arms warfare is the coordinated use of different military branches and capabilities during operations. The article specifically links the training to coordination among branches, while infantry, armor, and artillery are common examples of those forces. The goal is for separate units to work as one organized force rather than act independently.

For example, infantry may operate alongside armored units while artillery provides supporting fires. Success depends on communication, timing, and shared plans. Each branch must understand how its actions affect the others. Training can build that coordination before units face complex battlefield demands.

JMTG-U trained Ukrainian troops in combined-arms warfare as part of its mission. American instructors included this subject among approximately 300 courses conducted in Germany. The training covered 50 weapons systems, equipment types, and specialized areas. Under the new arrangement, regular U.S. Army units will continue providing this instruction in Bavaria.